What happened to Danica Patrick's career?

Being the most successful woman in American motorsports history has to come with its set of challenges, as Danica Patrick knows for sure. The racing world, not only in the United States but all over the globe, is a space dominated by males. Be it open-wheeled racing series such as F1 in Europe or sports car racing in Australia, the racing driver is known as the quintessential symbol of brawniness.

Little did a young Beloit, Wisconsin girl in the 1990s know she would be able to walk away from not one but two such series in her racing career. Patrick started off racing in go-karts and moved to Europe after winning the World Karting Association Grand National Championship three times. Her talent behind the wheel of her car was instantly recognized by her family, who allowed her to drop out of 11th grade at the time, to pursue her dream of racing. She raced in the Formula Ford and Vauxhall series in the United Kingdom.

Danica Patrick's subsequent return to America in 2001 saw her climb the ranks for her NTT IndyCar Series debut with Rahal Letterman Racing in 2005. She was announced rookie of the year in 2005 as well. Her achievements came thick and fast in America's premier open-wheeled racing series, as she went on to take 3 pole positions, along with a win in the 2006 Indy Japan 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan.

The now 40-year-old also dabbled in stock car racing during her final years in IndyCar. Patrick, however, made a full-time switch to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2011. She became the first female driver to claim the pole award in the Cup Series and went on to achieve seven top-10 finishes throughout her career.

So what happened to Danica Patrick's career?

Danica Patrick's ultimate retirement from all forms of motorsport came four years ago in 2018. Patrick decided to walk away from competitive driving after she made appearances in the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 that year. She, unfortunately, crashed out of both races, sealing the deal once and for all.

Patrick's retirement was a mixture of results drying up in the latter stages of her career, coupled with the image she had in the sport. The NASCAR fraternity often did not take her seriously as she was often labeled a 'marketing machine' for the sport. While it is true that Patrick did manage to introduce the sport to a new audience, such conjecture was not entirely correct.

Since her retirement in 2018, Danica Patrick has gravitated towards interests outside of racing, such as hosting her own podcast as well as exploring her entrepreneurial side. She owns a California vineyard in her post-race life as well as a thriving candle-making business.