Danica Patrick's now famous temper has flared once again. And this time, it led to a PG-rated version of "Girls Gone Wild" in the pits during a practice session for the Honda Indy 200.
For the second time this season, Patrick was angered by a competitor and she decided to take out her aggression by going over to her opponent's pit area for a confrontation.
This time, the object of her ire was the other female driver in the IndyCar Series, Milka Duno.
According to a report on The Indianapolis Star's Web site, Patrick marched over to the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing pit stall after the conclusion of Saturday's morning practice at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to complain about Duno's driving. The Andretti-Green Racing driver was upset that Duno did not allow faster cars, notably Patrick's No. 7 Motorola Dallara Honda, to pass her during the practice session.
Unlike the last time Patrick went to a competitor's stall during the Indianapolis 500, she was not stopped by anybody leading to a testy engage between the two women.
Video shows Duno telling Patrick to "go away" numerous times before the Venezuelan snapped a towel at Danica's face twice, leading to foul language before the minute-long incident concluded.
"Unfortunately, things involving me tend to evolve," Patrick said in the report. "I'm on the hot seat when I do something and when others do something (connected to me). It's kind of the line that I walk because I'm popular."
For the 26-year-old Patrick, it is yet another black eye in a year where much was expected.
Since her first IndyCar Series victory on April 20, Patrick has mostly struggled to be competitive. Her fifth-place finish last weekend at Nashville was her first top-five since Motegi. And Patrick was hoping it would be the catalyst for a big finish to the 2008 season.
But, the Honda Indy 200 saw more of the same struggles that she has faced so many times in the past three months.
Patrick, who started a career-best second here a year ago, struggled throughout the practices at the Lexington, Ohio course, and the qualifying session that followed was even worse. She failed to get past the first of three rounds in the knockout-style time trials and started 20th on the 26-car grid in Sunday's race.
"The car was pretty fast during practice this morning, but I was unable to find the speed that I needed during qualifying," Patrick said. "I'm disappointed that I didn't qualify better, knowing that I started on the front row last year."
While steering clear of the wreckage in a race marred by numerous crashes, she was unable to crack the top 10 most of the day and finished 12th. Meanwhile, Duno ended the day 23rd, six laps off the pace.
Add the Duno confrontation her second this season and third in her highly publicized IndyCar career and things can hardly get worse for Patrick. Or better.
I was watching the video of this online, it was funny! I was hoping it would lead to a wrestling match between the two of them, but alas.... no such luck!
-- Edited by President Lou Demian at 08:46, 2008-07-21
I heard a different take on it today....more or less, the reporter accused Danica of being marketablitily savy....(if thats a word) ........said she very well could be just reacting over nothing knowing the cameras were on her....and thus creating more Buzz for the IRL.
plausible I guess.
I think it is more Danica whines about alot of things.........I jumped on her bandwagon when she came out, but the more I see of her and her lack of talent and hot temper, I just don't consider myself a fan of hers. Now, the other chick, Milka, I honestly never heard of her, but I liked the fire she showed by throwing the towel in Danica's face not once but twice!
I can't say anything for her talent level, but at least she was taking any crap from the open-wheel princess.
I was watching the IRL race and when they showed the replay my wife, who does not follow racing at all, thought it was staged. I doubt it was. They can't really turn a rivalry into it as Milka is horrible. Then again Danica hasn't been much better lately.
I think next time, Milka needs to do more than throw a towel at her.
