Views from the Grandstands

NASCAR will change, for better or worse, with Patrick’s arrival

NASCAR Nation, get ready. The Danica Patrick era is here.

Starting in February, the most popular female driver who hasn’t won a race in years will be driving a Nationwide Series car for Dale Earnhardt Jr., the most popular male driver to not win a race in years.

Years ago, I lauded Patrick as one of the women chipping away at the asphalt ceiling. She had just won her first IndyCar race (Motegi, Japan, 2008) and seemed poised to add more.

Then life took one of its funny turns. Patrick’s open-wheel career plateaued; she never won another open-wheel race. At the same time, her marketing presence blossomed. Here in Texas, we call that all hat and no cattle.

I suspect this style-over-substance ranching metaphor will continue to be apt, and some in the racing world think that’s not such a bad thing. Of course, these folks tend to be on the business side of the sport rather than the competition side. As a fan, however, I see some downsides to Patrick’s move to NASCAR.

All Danica all the time

Patrick will continue to get disproportionate attention from the NASCAR media. Her every move, on and off the track, will be followed, analyzed and in most cases delivered as a positive no matter what.