Danica Patrick Interview Reaction: For and Against

Danica Patrick has been getting a lot of heat for her post-wreck interview Kansas, but she has also gotten a decent amount of support.

The Go Bowling 400 NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway was filled with yellow flags from the start. In the end, the race produced a season-high and an event record 15 caution flag periods.

Among those 15 cautions was perhaps the most violent wreck of the season and in a really long time. The right brake rotor on Joey Logano’s Team Penske #22 Ford broke, sending him left into the Stewart-Haas Racing #10 Ford of Danica Patrick. The incident collected both drivers before Aric Almirola arrived late on the scene and plowed his Richard Petty Motorsports #43 Ford into Logano’s car, which lifted Almirola’s machine into the air before it slammed the ground.

After the accident, Almirola was removed from his car and airlifted to a nearby hospital where he was diagnosed with a compression fracture to his T5 vertebra. He has since been released.

Logano’s Car After the Accident

Both Logano and Patrick were interviewed following the accident, but the differences between the two are what have people talking.

Joey Logano’s Interview

Danica Patrick’s Interview

There have been many different reactions to this incident and particularly Patrick’s interview from the millions across the world that follow the sport. With Logano’s interview being almost solely based on the well-being of everyone involved, particularly Aric Almirola, there are many that believe Patrick’s reaction was selfish and inappropriate, and naturally many that think otherwise. Here are two lists of ideas, one for each stance, that may be contributing to what makes people feel this way.

Note that I am not aligning myself with ANY of these statements. These are simply statements that have been or could be used to back up an argument for or against Danica Patrick in regards to her post-wreck interview. 

For Her

• She was clearly shaken up and emotional as a result of the wreck.
• She has been on the track during fatal accidents before, with Dan Wheldon being killed in her final IndyCar race.
• She was asked about the wreck and simply gave her perspective on it. 
• She has indeed had a rough season, as she sits 33rd in the championship standings with 5 DNFs.
• She was running near the top 10 at the time of the accident, so it took her out of contention for her best finish of the year.
• She has every right to fear for her life and possible future accidents; after all, her car was demolished in this wreck.
• She stated that she wished Aric Almirola was alright.
• She gave credit to NASCAR for making the cars as safe as possible.
• Martin Truex Jr., Kansas race winner, didn’t say anything about Almirola in his interview, yet no one is on his case about it.

Against Her

• She said at first she was not okay, yet she clearly was, while Aric Almirola was actually not.
• She blamed Joey Logano for the accident despite being told it was caused by a mechanical failure on his car, which it was.
• She didn’t mention Almirola until the end, making it seem like it was some kind of square that she had to fill for credibility and likability.
• She said that eventually one of the wrecks would not go well for her, focusing on her own well-being alone as though everything was all well and good while Almirola was being taken to the hospital as a result of this particular wreck.
• She took a shot at NASCAR for fining her for her own safety in the past.
• She was being interviewed as a result of the wreck and should have given more thought to Almirola. Martin Truex Jr. was being interviewed as a result of winning the race, not as a result of the accident. He should not have been expected to talk about Almirola.

Conclusion

Those are A LOT of GOOD reasons supporting two totally opposite positions that people can and have used to back up their stance. If you take nothing else from this article, make sure you understand that the point is this. The whole situation is up for interpretation. No one is right, and no one is wrong. There are no definitive answers as to whether or not Danica Patrick deserves or does not deserve the criticism or support she is getting following her post-wreck interview. In fact, some of the points listed above do involve a degree of speculation. Some people simply may or may not be willing to speculate.

Next: Fans' Criticism of Danica Patrick's Interview: Unwarranted?

Now a whole four days removed from the accident, what are your thoughts on Danica Patrick’s reaction to it? Be sure to follow me on Instagram as well as Beyond the Flag on both Instagram and Twitter. Also, don’t forget to follow along with Beyond the Flag for the latest news, opinions, and analysis stemming from a number of different motorsports series. You don’t want to miss any of it.