"She has been great for the sport": When Richard Childress revealed his desire for ‘another Danica Patrick’ in NASCAR

Richard Childress made his position clear in 2015 when he spoke about Danica Patrick's impact in stock-car racing. He said the sport needed more young women with her visibility and determination, and he wanted his own organization to help develop the next one.

Childress' comments came at a time when Patrick had become one of NASCAR’s most recognizable names. Her journey began in the 2012 Daytona 500 with Tommy Baldwin Racing, before her full-time move to the Cup Series. She switched to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2013, stepping into the No. 10 Chevrolet.

That same season, Patrick became the first woman to take a Cup Series pole when she scored P1 for the Daytona 500 and turned it into her first top-10 finish with an eighth-place run. Her arrival brought new fans, especially young girls, and placed her on Forbes’ “100 Power Women” list in 2010 as she crossed from open-wheel racing into NASCAR.

Childress had witnessed her effect on the audience and on the garage. Speaking to USA TODAY Sports in 2015, he said:

“Having these young girls out there driving, there’s going to be another Danica Patrick and I think she has been great for the sport. I think what she does for the sport is great. We’re just looking to find the next one.”

Ahnna Parkhurst was one of the young drivers Richard Childress placed in that category. She signed with RCR as a teenager and entered a busy Dirt Late Model schedule with support from the team. Parkhurst admired Patrick and said she looked up to her presence and accessibility inside the garage, and wanted to build a career with the same confidence.

Danica Patrick talks with a fan at Texas Motor Speedway. Source: Imagn

Kate Dallenbach, another RCR-linked developmental driver, also emerged from that cycle, each trying to follow the same early ladder - local dirt shows, regional races, part-time late-model events. While neither was able to climb into the national series, both came through at a time when Danica Patrick’s influence at the top level was still strong.

Patrick continued with SHR till 2017, working with multiple crew chiefs and collecting seven career top-10s, including a sixth-place finish at Atlanta in 2014. She ended her NASCAR tenure with the 2018 Daytona 500 before concluding her racing career later that year in the Indy 500. Since stepping away, she has moved into broadcasting with Sky Sports F1.

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Danica Patrick responds to Richard Petty’s “female deal” comments

Danica Patrick during the 2018 Daytona 500. Source: Imagn

While Richard Childress offered support, others in the sport held sharper views. Richard Petty created one of the biggest controversies of Danica Patrick’s early Cup career when he questioned her potential as a frontrunner. Ahead of the 2014 Daytona 500, Petty said she would only win a race “if everyone else stayed home,” later adding that her visibility was driven more by marketing than results.

"If she'd have been a male, nobody would ever know if she'd showed up at a race track. This is a female deal that's driving her. There's nothing wrong with that, because that's good PR for me. More fans come out, people are more interested in it. She has helped to draw attention to the sport, which helps everybody in the sport," Petty explained via IndyStar.

Patrick chose not to escalate the exchange. When asked for her reaction, she told NASCAR:

"People have said things in the past and they will say things in the future.... everybody is entitled to their own opinion. People are going to judge... I really feel that I like people who have opinions. That is fine with me. It creates such great conversation."

Patrick's emphasis stayed on improving performance. She would finish the 2014 season with three top-10s and go on to race four more full seasons before ending her NASCAR career in 2017. She closed out with 191 Cup starts, seven top-10 finishes, opening the door for other young women who saw her compete at the top level and believed they could work toward the same goal.