Danica Patrick

Danica Sue Patrick was born March 25, 1982 in Beloit, WI. She was a cheerleader at Hononegah Community High School in Rockton, IL in 1996 and spent her off-time babysitting for a family down the road when she wasn't racing. Patrick dropped out of high school and later received her GED. As far as racing, she started go-karting in 1992 at the age of 10 at the Sugar River Raceway in Brodhead, WI. When Patrick turned 16, she moved to Milton Keynes, England, to race in British national series events against drivers like future Formula One world champion Jenson Button. During a three-year period she raced in Formula Ford, Formula Vauxhall and earned a second-place in Britain's Formula Ford Festival, the highest finish by an American in the event.

In 2002 Patrick started driving for Rahal Letterman Racing in the US. After making several starts in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, she moved to the Toyota Atlantic Championship for 2003. Patrick won one pole position and was a consistent podium finisher. Unfortunately, she never won a race. In 2004 Patrick finished third in the Championship. Since then, she has become the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing. Patrick's win in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only women's victory in an IndyCar Series race and her third place in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 the highest finish ever there by a woman. She competed in the series from 2005 to 2011.

In 2012, she competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and occasionally in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In the 2013 season, Patrick drove the #10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, and a limited Nationwide Series schedule for Turner Motorsports. In 2013, she became the first female NASCAR driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole, turning in the fastest qualifying lap since 1990 in qualifying for the Daytona 500. Patrick was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series season. She holds the IRL record for most consecutive races running at the finish