"She's bad at commentating", "She sucks" - NASCAR fans take jibes at Danica Patrick amid her return to NBC

Former IndyCar driver and race winner Danica Patrick's return to the NBC booth didn't sit well with the fanbase as they slammed her slated arrival at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Danica Patrick is the only woman to bag the Indy 500 win. Despite starting sixth at the 2008 Indy 500 Japan, Patrick dethroned Scott Dixon, who led a race-high 101 laps but couldn't challenge her for the top spot and finished third.

The 2024 Indy-Charlotte Memorial Double is set to flag off with the Indianapolis 500 race, followed by the Coca-Cola 600. Notably, Kyle Larson will be debuting on 'double duty' and will aim to etch his name next to Tony Stewart, the only driver till date to complete the 1100-mile run of the two races held on the same day.

Ahead of the 108th open-wheel race on the 2.5-mile asphalt, Danica Patrick with host Mike Tirico will mark their sixth consecutive year covering the Indy 500. Motorsports journalist Austin Konsenski shared the news of Patrick's presence on the NBC crew via his X account, following which the fanbase poured in with a barrage of harsh jibes.

One fan didn't care about Patrick's Indy 500 achievement and slammed her commentating skills, writing:

"Who cares? She's bad at commentating."

"She sucks," a fan added.

"Why do they continue to give Danica work," another fan wrote.

This fan took a dig at Danica Patrick's overall persona and commented:

"Idc how good of a racer or announcer she is. She's an all around bad person."

This fan wanted to see NASCAR sportscaster Allen Bestwick as the main commentator and expressed their dissatisfaction:

"Why is Bestwick not doing the main call?"

This fan expressed their views on allowing Patrick to commentate and wrote:

"Literally the only booth she should be allowed in"

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NBC issues a statement ahead of Danica Patrick's return to the Indy 500 booth

Patrick has driven on several motorsports grounds such as the Indy 500, NASCAR Cup Series, the Xfinity Series and ARCA. After competing for nearly a decade since her debut, she parted ways with competitive racing after her final run at the 2018 Daytona 500.

Danica Patrick has now pursued a business career while being involved in racing. She works as an F1 presenter for Sky Sports, commentating and analyzing events in the sport.

Patrick's major share of success came from the Indy 500 and naturally, she possesses the knowledge and experience to analyze and comment on the same. Amid her sixth consecutive stint with NBC Sports, the company issued a press release welcoming the former racer.

The message reads:

"Host Mike Tirico and studio analyst Danica Patrick return to NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 coverage for the sixth consecutive year, contributing to pre-race, in-race, and post-race coverage."

"Patrick, one of motorsports’ most popular personalities, is a former INDYCAR and NASCAR driver who became the first woman to lead laps and earn a top-five finish in the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and boasts six career to-ten finishes in the event," the statement continued.

In addition to Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick, 7x Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will also be present at the Indy 500 booth.