Beyond the Flag
Fansided

NASCAR: Tony Stewart speaks out about Danica Patrick

By Asher Fair

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: (L-R) Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, and Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy Chevrolet, talk in the garage area during practice for the 57th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2015 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: (L-R) Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, and Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy Chevrolet, talk in the garage area during practice for the 57th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2015 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Following Danica Patrick’s announcement that she will be leaving Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season, Tony Stewart spoke out about his driver.

Yesterday, Danica Patrick, 35, announced that she would be giving up her current responsibilities as the driver of the #10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford following the conclusion of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Patrick’s Cup Series career has not been that successful, although she has shown some signs of potential. She opened up her first full season with Stewart-Haas Racing by taking pole for the 2013 Daytona 500 and finishing in 8th place in the race.

However, in the 169 races she has contested since that Daytona 500 over four years ago now, she has bettered her 8th place result in that race just three times. Her best career finish is only a 6th place effort at Atlanta in 2014, meaning she has never finished in the top 5 in 180 career races, 170 of which with Stewart-Haas Racing, which is one of the largest and best teams in the sport.

More from Danica Patrick

To add on to that, she has only finished in the top 10 a total of seven times, with just one of those seven top 10 finishes having come in the last 90 races. That top 10 finish was only a 10th place finish at Dover earlier this season. She is currently on a 13-race drought in terms of finishing in the top 10.

But all of these poor statistics didn’t stop Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart from praising her and wishing her well following her departure announcement. Stewart, like Patrick, also made the transition from IndyCar to NASCAR in his racing career. Here is what he had to say about her announcing her departure from his team.

"“I’ve always been a believer in Danica’s ability as a racecar driver and that continues to be the case. She’s one of the most fearless people I’ve ever met. She has never backed down from a challenge. In fact, she’s sought out new challenges throughout her career, and that’s what brought her to NASCAR and Stewart-Haas Racing.”“Making the jump from IndyCar to NASCAR is not easy, yet she had the courage to do so and put up better numbers than a lot of other drivers who have tried to make that same transition. I’m proud of how hard Danica has worked during her time at Stewart-Haas Racing, and she continues to work hard.”“My support for Danica is unwavering. We’re going to end this season strong and make the most of these last 10 races.”"

Next: Five possible replacement candidates for Danica Patrick in 2018

How do you feel about Tony Stewart’s remarks about Danica Patrick? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure 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. Also be sure to follow Beyond the Flag on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Home/Danica Patrick