Danica Patrick Biography

Photo of Indy racecar driver, Danica Patrick.

Courtesy of ABC

Photo of Danica Patrick racing at the 2005 Indy 500.

Courtesy of ABC

Racing superstar Danica Patrick's need for speed has made her one of the top drivers on the IndyCar Racing circuit. Find out more about how Danica Patrick rose to the top of the racing world.

Danica Patrick - The Road To Stardom

Danica Patrick was born on March 25, 1982 and has been racing cars since she was a kid. She grew up in Roscoe, Illinois, where her parents were big racing fans. Danica's dad, TJ, raced snowmobiles, motocross bikes and midget cars, while her mom worked as a mechanic. Danica first entered the racing world at the age of ten, when she entered a go-kart race. She struggled in her first race but would go on to win dozens of go-kart races over the next few years. When Danica was 16, she knew she wanted to be a professional racecar driver, so she moved by herself to England to race formula cars.

Danica Patrick - Indy Favorite

After four years of pushing cars over 200 miles per hour on the English race circuit, Danica Patrick returned to the USA and eventually joined Team Rahal on the IndyCar Series in 2005. In her first year, Danica has made quite an impact. She's had several top ten finishes and has created plenty of buzz for IndyCar racing. At the 2005 Indy 500, Danica led the race for several laps, before finishing fourth. Other racers on the tour have complained that Danica Patrick has an unfair advantage on the tour because she only weighs 100 pounds, making her car lighter and faster. Despite the whining of some disgruntled drivers, Danica Patrick continues to be one of the most popular drivers on the circuit and she's determined to become the first female driver to win a major race.