Danica Patrick Interview
5/20/202631 min
On this special edition of SPEED with Harvick and Buxton, fueled by POET, Will Buxton sits down for an exclusive, unfiltered conversation with one of the most polarizing, groundbreaking, and influential figures in modern motorsport history: Danica Patrick.Danica traces her journey back to the raw, ultra-competitive days of Midwest go-karting before opening up about the pivotal, terrifying decision to move across the Atlantic to England at just 16 years old. She shares what it was really like to be dropped into the brutal European junior formula ladder as a teenager—navigating not just a completely foreign racing culture, but the isolation of breaking into a fiercely guarded "boys' club" of global racing.The conversation shifts to her historic open-wheel career, where she relives the magic and chaos of the 2005 Indianapolis 500—an iconic rookie performance where she led 19 laps and sent "Danica Mania" into absolute overdrive. She also takes us inside her transition to stock cars, reflecting on the immense pressure of capturing the pole position for the 2013 Daytona 500 and carrying the expectations of an entire sport on her shoulders.Finally, Danica gets candid about the psychological toll of the spotlight. She discusses how she learned to handle intense media scrutiny and paddock criticism, and offers a fascinating take on how today's hyper-reactive social media landscape would have fundamentally altered her career if it had been around during her peak racing days.It is a masterclass in mental toughness, resilience, and raw speed from a driver who refused to be defined by anyone else's rules. Chapters:0:00 Intro0:30 Danica Patrick Joins The Show1:20 Where Did Your Love of Racing Come From?2:00 Moving To Europe At 16 To Race5:45 Getting into INDYCAR9:30 Transitioning Into NASCAR13:25 Favorite Driver Right Now15:28 Favorite Track16:20 Dealing With Icon Status19:00 Acceptance Into The INDY World22:10 How Would Social Media Impacted Danica's Career24:00 Dealing With Criticism27:00 Advice To Young Drivers29:10 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDanica Patrick· Guest0:00
I generally don't really care what people think about me.
Will Buxton· Host0:02
You made this huge transition. Did you stop having fun?
Danica Patrick· Guest0:06
Sex, drugs, and rock and roll, man.
Will Buxton· Host0:08
Women who do that get a huge amount of backlash.
Danica Patrick· Guest0:12
Took off out of the pits and thought, "I'm home." Two shots of tequila is usually where my sweet spot starts, so you just let me know when you want me to hit that.
Will Buxton· Host0:19
We've got an 11:45 tee time- [laughs] ... so that's gonna be great fun. [upbeat music] Welcome to Speed with Harvick and Buxton, fueled by POET. Except this week, it's just Buxton with Patrick. [laughs] Hello, my friend. How are you?
Danica Patrick· Guest0:35
Hi. Good. This is a fancy little set here. I like it.
Will Buxton· Host0:38
I know. It's nice. It's nice. And, uh, we are, uh, not dressed like this for any reason other than we are going to golf.
Danica Patrick· Guest0:43
That's right. That's right.
Will Buxton· Host0:45
How much you gonna whoop me? 'Cause I'm terrible.
Danica Patrick· Guest0:47
I mean, look, I, I've, I've abandoned the driver in my game. [laughs] I don't have the right grip or impact point with my hands. So I've been s- I've been just striping my irons though, so.
Will Buxton· Host0:59
Oh, really?
Danica Patrick· Guest0:59
But two shots of tequila is usually where my sweet spot starts.
Will Buxton· Host1:02
Okay.
Danica Patrick· Guest1:03
So you just let me know when you want me to hit that.
Will Buxton· Host1:04
We've got an 11:45 tee time- [laughs] ... so that's gonna be great fun.
Danica Patrick· Guest1:07
Let's start after 12 then.
Will Buxton· Host1:09
Okay, fine. Fine, fine, fine. I don't drink anymore. Um, but we are back here at the speedway, a place that I know means so much to you. Where did that love of racing first come from when you were a little kid?
Danica Patrick· Guest1:21
Mm. Mm, I mean, it came from, like, what made me fall in love with it was setting a goal and achieving