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NASCAR: The 20 Biggest Questions Heading Into The 2017 Season

By Christopher Olmstead

Nov 13, 2016; Avondale, AZ, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) and driver Jimmie Johnson (48) and driver Matt Kenseth (20) compete during the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2016; Avondale, AZ, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) and driver Jimmie Johnson (48) and driver Matt Kenseth (20) compete during the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 15, 2015; Concord, NC, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Casey Mears (13) and Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick (10) race during the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
May 15, 2015; Concord, NC, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Casey Mears (13) and Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick (10) race during the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

Will 2017 Finally Be The Year For Danica Patrick?

What makes 2017 any different for Danica Patrick than 2013-2016? Well, for one she is no longer driving a Chevy. Actually, that’s really the only difference but in all honesty it’s a pretty big difference.

Since coming into NASCAR Patrick has slowly but surely gotten better. While the bar is trending up, it’s not going up nearly fast enough for her fans to find solace or her critics to be quieted. The proof of Patrick’s steady success can be seen in her average finishes over the last four season.

  • 2013 – 26.1
  • 2014 – 23.7
  • 2015 – 23.5
  • 2016 – 22.0

In 2016 she improved her average finish from 2015 by 1.5 positions, the biggest jump since 2013 to 2014. While her average finishing position on the track has only improved by 4.1 spots since her first full-time season in 2013, improvement is improvement and it’s hard to take that away from her.

In 2017 she will be in a Ford and she will have an opportunity to truly silence her critics if she can come out of 2017 with an average finish of 19.9 or better.

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