"She's Not a Race Car Driver." - Kyle Petty

[MJ_N_09]

Here we go again. Long been Danica's biggest critic, Kyle Petty is at it again in an interview this week, calling her "a marketing tool" and "not a race car driver". While many will agree, I can't find myself sympathizing with his views as to me, some of his facts are inaccurate. Once again, I want to hear from the posters.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar...010709102.html

Dale Jr. comes to her defense. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/junior-...5--nascar.html

[Paradise City]

Kyle Petty has his own stream of consciousness, private definition known only to himself as to what a 'race car driver' is. In his turn, young Earnhardt indulges her too much. If Kyle means both himself and Danica are 'journeypersons' then he's basically right although as an aside I do remember Kyle being capable of a turn of speed until he went off the boil in the 90's. Drivers of middling talent buying their way in is not unusual. Danica is unusual in that it is her looks that is her currency and the media has prurient interest in her for that reason.

[Starfish Primer]

There is a good article at Jalopnik defending her: http://jalopnik.com/danica-patrick-i...iver-609700311

[Nick Woodbury]

I can't possibly fathom why any sane individual would defend Danica, except for the obvious fact that it's NASCAR and we are all one big happy redneck family.

What angers me to no end is the fact that she comes into this particular form of racing with so much hype and media interest and yet failed so miserably at what she, and everyone else expected her to do. She essentially coasted her way through the Nationwide series until she picked up a full time and most certainly undeserved ride in the Cup Series (which was inevitable anyway).

Within a 1 1/2 years, she is already racing in the NASCAR Racing's top division; The Cup Series. With even more added hype and media lore drawn to her, she once again completely underachieves at everything that is brought forth to the table. Finishing several laps down out of the top 25 in nearly every race she competes, save for the Road Courses, the Super Speedways (which anyone can earn a good result with half-assed effort), and tracks where she formerly raced at back when she was racing in IndyCar. And here I sit listening to Dee-Dubyuh making excuse after excuse after excuse trying keep her tires inflated, trying to make it seem as if Danica is simply struggling through no fault of her own...Bull Shark!

I simply don't understand, at this point, why so many people are blind to the fact that she is a disaster of a stock car driver who has had 3 1/2 full seasons worth of NASCAR racing experience to get aquainted to in both ARCA, Nationwide and Cup and yet certain people are still trying to pump her up...what, just because she has a pretty face and a decent tan? Lighten up NASCAR nation.

[NaBUru38]

Stewart Haas is having a terrible season. If it rebounds in 2014, Danica can do better than 27th.

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by Starfish Primer

There is a good article at Jalopnik defending her: http://jalopnik.com/danica-patrick-i...iver-609700311

Good article? It's a horrible article! All the writer does is attack Petty. I really liked how he kept bringing the fact that Petty won 8 races in 829 tries but Danica has won 0! (And she's only won once in here career?)

Kyle didn't have the best of careers, everyone knows that. But at the same time, Danica has some of the best equipment and consistently disappoints. She is in Cup because she is a woman, simple as that. Just like Kyle because he is a Petty and Junior because he is an Earnhardt.

[jeast]

Good for Kyle, not giving into the media pressure to follow the she's the greatest racing diver of all time bs. Shes just there for advertisement for godaddy not to actually win.

[Paradise City]

Kyle Petty was very fast in his first years racing. He deserved to be in Cup. It's when the 90's got underway he slumped and it all became more ritual than racing.

[canamman]

From listening to the nascar programs on sirrius,a lot of the garage regulars say its Kyle being Kyle. He has always been a little bit of a loose cannon all is life. It is who he is.Kyle has good points a good bit of the time but this comment is rediculous and he will probably back pedal first chance he gets. He is not doing himself any favors especially with tv programing going through a big change in the near future.

[Beetle]

My two cents...

Anyone will honestly say that her all-time best shining moment was somehow snagging the pole for the Daytona 500. And if that's the best she can do, than that's a pretty sad career.

I agree with Kyle that she is a marketing tool. However, I disagree with his statement that she isn't a "racecar driver". She drives cars and doesn't come in 43rd every time. However, she doesn't deserve a spot in a top-tier team like Stewart-Haas, no matter how badly they're doing this year. But she is still an OK driver, especially on road courses.

[JHamilton]

It looks like Kyle is continuing to be successful in drawing attention to himself by criticizing Danica's popularity. That's been his M.O forever.

[canamman]

Originally Posted by Beetle

My two cents...

Anyone will honestly say that her all-time best shining moment was somehow snagging the pole for the Daytona 500. And if that's the best she can do, than that's a pretty sad career.

"As a rookie" should preface your sentence(s) above then read it and see what sense it makes. Get back to us in 10 or 15 years and we will decide how sad a career she has had. My guess is she will hang on to the "greatest female driver ever" title for a while. I agree with Kyle she is a marketing machine though, and that is not a bad quality.

[Distracted]

Logic says that if she's driving in races and being paid for it, she's a racing car driver.

Maybe she's just not a very good one though. (Wrong sport for her, perhaps?)

[MJ_N_09]

After all is said and done, I disagree with Kyle Petty. She is a marketing tool, but is still a race car driver. Is she a good race car driver? I don't think there's much debate on that <_<

[JR90]

Kyle Petty is starting to sound like Brad Keselowski. I can't believe he actually said that about Danica!

[wnut]

Coming from someone who achieved one top five result in his last 11 years of racing, Danica should view this as a complement!

Just trying to big note himself by criticizing her - good spot JHamilton!

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by canamman

"As a rookie" should preface your sentence(s) above then read it and see what sense it makes. Get back to us in 10 or 15 years and we will decide how sad a career she has had. My guess is she will hang on to the "greatest female driver ever" title for a while. I agree with Kyle she is a marketing machine though, and that is not a bad quality.

As a rookie?! How long has she been doing NASCAR now... since 2010!!

That's been her cop-out since day one and people are getting sick and tired of hearing it all the time. That's what Kyle Petty was trying to say, I think... just not in the most eloquent of fashion.

[Paradise City]

Going by Kyle's words a 'race car driver' is Richard Petty and, uh, a couple of others and everybody else can just go fast.

In otherwords, he's talking stream of consciousness nonsense.

[canamman]

Originally Posted by Beetle

As a rookie?! How long has she been doing NASCAR now... since 2010!!

And she is eligible for "The 2013 Rookie of the Year" award in Sprint Cup because.......?

[Paradise City]

She is entitled to dial herself in for a few years in Cup before we can draw a final conclusion.

Young Earnhardt spent a few years in the doldrums in top Hendrick equipment but he managed to up his game to a fair degree, Danica should be afforded the same leeway. The portents do not look good for her nevertheless.

[fieldodreams79]

File this entire subject in the "I don't give a " category.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

She is entitled to dial herself in for a few years in Cup before we can draw a final conclusion.

Young Earnhardt spent a few years in the doldrums in top Hendrick equipment but he managed to up his game to a fair degree, Danica should be afforded the same leeway. The portents do not look good for her nevertheless.

Here are some comments from a few drivers who might actually know what they are talking about. Earnhardt Jnr and Kyle Petty.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...ments/2472307/

[kennybrackfan]

Originally Posted by wnut

Coming from someone who achieved one top five result in his last 11 years of racing, Danica should view this as a complement!

You have to remember that very few people have seen all the things Kyle Petty has seen at the race track. He's lived in that world all his life, seen his father involved in huge wrecks, taken hits himself, and lost his son to a racing accident. The only reason Kyle continued racing past his sell-by date was in tribute to his son, and to keep the Petty lineage going.

If anyone holds the position to judge who is deserving - and showing the right attitude - of their opportunity, I'd say Kyle is right up there.

There are plenty of guys running around in equipment well below the standard of Danica's. If you look at somebody like Kurt Busch who is running top-20 in points for a 1-car team, some of the guys running in the Phoenix car, or even take a look at a guy like Brian Vickers who goes well in his sporadic appearances - it doesn't make for a favourable comparison.

I do find it sad that a top ride goes to somebody who got fast-tracked to it when you get a young guy like James Buescher who goes out and wins CWTS and can't even get a full-time NNS ride out of it. Although in fairness that does happen a lot. Danica's case is just the most visible.

IMO the top female racer around at the mo is Simona de Silvestro - and she's just keeping her head down and getting on with the job.

[alexhall]

Originally Posted by kennybrackfan

IMO the top female racer around at the mo is Simona de Silvestro - and she's just keeping her head down and getting on with the job.

Not Alice Powell?

[chunder]

Always a tough call being a woman in the tope echelons, especially when youa re good looking, have a very pushy and aggressive sponsor, and ahve not held back with magazine shoots and stuff.

I would not say Danica is that deserving of huge criticism just yet, she was OK in Indycar, and certaonly wasnt a backmarker, and in NASCAR she has shown flashes of speed.

But compared to someone like PIquet or Travis? She is under acheiving in god equipment.

As for Petty, I cant remember him doing that much in a race car but I sort of know what he means. Calling someone a "racecar driver" in NASCAR terms is a loose description. It means knowledge, feedback, ability in traffic, ability to set the car up, to deal with bullying, to make passes, etc etc, The whole package, and maybe he sees things in her that are simply not there, he is mroe qualified than many to have an opinion at the very least. More so than me or anyone here.

To those who simply say, "she is being paid to drive a racecar, so she is a race car driver", you really dont get it do you!