Brooklyn, Mich. Danica Patrick likes speed.
And with 21 drivers topping 200 mph during practice sessions Friday at Michigan International Speedway, Patrick felt right at home.
"You have to see what the track gives you," Patrick said. "Obviously since we ran decent during practice, we're hoping that translates to a good qualifying position and a good race. To be honest, most of the work is done and it's time to go racing."
And that's today in the Nationwide Alliance Truck Parts 250 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Patrick, 30, was the first of the drivers in the Nationwide Series to reach top speeds at practice. Though running into minor problems toward the middle of practice, she quickly adjusted.
"It was nice and cool at 8:30 in the morning and very easy for us to go fast," Patrick said. "I think reality set in that second practice when it started to warm up. I still think it's going to be really great racing. For us, I think it came around in the third session and we got a much better grasp on it."
The full-time Nationwide Series driver was eighth-fastest at 188 mph during her first practice Friday morning, and clocked in at 190 her final run, good for fifth.
This is Patrick's first return to MIS since her Nationwide Series race in 2010 before the track was repaved last year.
"To be honest, I can't remember what it was like in 2010 and I don't think that I was very good, so it's probably nice that it's a bit different for me," Patrick said. "Obviously I have a lot more experience, so I felt very comfortable to start that first session."
The talk, however, always seems to trend toward Patrick's move into the male-dominated world of motor sports. And she has the credentials.
Outside the Nationwide series, Patrick is a part-time driver in the Sprint Cup series.
And in 2008, she became the first female to win an IndyCar race (Indy Japan 300). She also was the first female to lead laps in the Indianapolis 500.
She decided to part with IndyCar in August 2011, and joined NASCAR, where she is 11th in points in the Nationwide series.
Through it all, Patrick remains a team player and continues to work on eliminating weaknesses and improving strengths.
"Obviously we want to keep improving on the things that we've done and we will," Patrick said. That's just going to take time. Instead of getting upset about the individual weekend and the results, it's better to think about what you've improved and the things you need to improve on moving forward so your results keep getting better.
maya.jones@detnews.com
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