“I got here by determination and believing I could”: When Danica Patrick opened up about her NASCAR success

Back in 2017, during her tenure with Stewart-Haas Racing, Danica Patrick entered the ‘12 Questions’ segment with renowned NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck. The interview was held at the iconic Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.

Patrick, the only female driver to win the Daytona 500 pole, was a full-time Cup Series contender at the time. She used to drive the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford and was fresh off the 2017 Xfinity 500 Cup Series event at Martinsville, in which she earned a P17.

Gluck asked Patrick if her success was due to natural talent or relentless hard work. In response, Patrick said:

“Well, I got here by determination and believing I could. It’s that simple. And then I would say that to open it up to something that your question wasn’t exactly — I would say once you get to this level, I think we’re all talented, so then it depends on so many other circumstances, which is why you see a driver all of a sudden emerge and maybe submerge every now and again, depending on circumstances.”

Patrick retired from professional racing the following year. But even to this day, she remains the only woman driver to have won the Indy Japan 300 in 2008. She also bagged the most starts, laps led, and top-tens (as a woman) in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Danica Patrick is one of the most renowned trailblazers in the NASCAR arena with a million followers on Instagram alone. She went on to work for Sky Sports F1 in October 2021 and was part of the punditry team for the 2021 United States Grand Prix. Patrick also owns her own wine companies, named Somnium and Danica Rose Wine, besides several other businesses.

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Former NASCAR and IndyCar star Danica Patrick tries her luck at golf

Lately, Danica Patrick has been into other sports like tennis, skiing, and golf. And it seems like she has garnered a newfound love for 250-plus yard drives and putting

In a recent interview, Patrick revealed that she had learned to play golf about two years ago and that she had been enjoying the sport ever since.

“I decided to actually learn how to play golf about 2 years ago,” said Danica Patrick. “Of course it’s a little seasonal, mostly for heat in AZ but also work and skiing! I thought I finally had it figured out last fall. Then I forgot how to hit my driver to start the year off…. Until about 10 days ago. I remembered just as mysteriously as I forgot.”

“Golf is a funny game,” she continued. “And mostly played by those who just love to be hard on themselves. A game you will never master and repeatedly wonder - why am I doing this to myself?!"

Recently, Patrick shared a clip of herself taking a putt, which was originally posted by her golf instructor on Instagram. Her instructor also vouched for her “Insane progress” over the last two weeks, as well as her new understanding of the perfect golf swing.