Danica Patrick, and every other NASCAR driver as well, begin a new season this week. Yes, it really is that time again. The 2015 Sprint Cup season kicks off Feb. 13-22 with the traditional Budweiser Speedweeks at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The 57th Daytona 500, the first points-paying race of the season, is scheduled for Feb. 22 and will be broadcast live on FOX.
Heading into the final race of the season in Miami last year Patrick said “I’m tired of the season.” Here’s the full quote in in it’s entirety)
Well, that’s certainly understandable.
We will see if she’s rejuvenated for the new season. Patrick had 14 top-20 finishes last year. She truly moved closer to becoming truly mediocre. However, now is the time for her to start winning. All the shopworn “now or never,” “make or break,” “do or die” cliches apply to Danica this season. Take everything NFL media said about Jay Cutler in the 2013 preseason and apply it now to this situation.
You’ve all heard the rumors about Danica Patrick possibly shifting to F1 if this whole NASCAR thing doesn’t work out.
A little early morning reading before I get on my flight @NotDanica7 pic.twitter.com/SKVABRYQrl
— Blair Minton (@BlairMinton) February 10, 2015
As Danica enters her third full season of Cup (fourth in NASCAR) she still hasn’t won a race yet. Her highest ever finish was sixth.
“I feel we got to the point where top-15 really was where our speed was, and we ran there much more frequently. It’s time to make that very consistent,” said Danica Patrick.
“I feel like what’s funny, once you get up into the top-15, the top-10 is not that much different. But I guess the progression would be to work into the top-10. I think that top-15 is the biggest one to crack. I feel like we did a good job at doing that much more often last year.”
Danica Patrick on the goals for the upcoming season:
“It’s about progress for me, improving from where we were last year. With a new crew chief, I think that’s going to take a little bit of time to get to know each other, get the cars where I want them for comfort, where they need to be. But I think that progress is what’s important.”
If/when Danica Patrick does finally break through and reach the winner’s circle. It might be at Daytona. Not in this race, and not this year, but eventually.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital, eBay, Google News and CBS Interactive Inc. You can read Banks’ feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye newspaper and listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)