NASCAR: 10 small-team drivers who deserve Danica Patrick’s ride
By Asher Fair
Danica Patrick has consistently been one of the worst drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series despite the fact that she is driving for a top-tier team in Stewart-Haas Racing. Which drivers who are stuck driving for smaller teams are more deserving than she is of her ride in the #10 Ford?
When it comes to Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers that are undeserving of their rides with top-tier teams, particularly from a results standpoint, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Danica Patrick, 35, sets the gold standard.
Why? Because despite the fact that she has driven for the team for five full-time seasons and has had top-tier equipment, she has never come close to winning a race in 177 career starts, 167 of which in her time at Stewart-Haas Racing. In fact, she has never even finished in the top 5 and has just seven top 10 finishes, with only one of those top 10 finishes coming in the last 87 races (10th place at Dover earlier this season).
Just once in her previous four full-time seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing has she finished higher in the championship standings than another driver driving for a top-tier team, and that, once again, does not look like it will happen this season, as she is currently six spots lower than the next lowest driver who drives for a top-tier team.
That one driver was Tony Stewart in the 2015 season, and despite the fact that he is a three-time champion of the sport, he is now retired. Meanwhile, she has never finished higher than 24th place in the standings and still has her ride…with Stewart’s team, mind you.
Here are the top 10 drivers who currently drive for small and underfunded teams that are more deserving of Danica Patrick’s ride in the #10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford than she is. While a few of these drivers may definitely come as surprises to you, keep in mind the fact that these drivers are not driving for organizations nearly as prominent as Patrick is at Stewart-Haas Racing.