NASCAR: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. comments on racing Danica Patrick
By Asher Fair
NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. commented on racing against his former girlfriend Danica Patrick in this year’s Daytona 500.
Last month, it was confirmed that NASCAR Cup Series drivers Ricky Stenhouse, 30, and Danica Patrick, 35, had ended their relationship with one another after almost five years. Patrick then proceeded to announce that she is currently in a relationship with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
It was also recently announced that Patrick will be driving for Premium Motorsports in the 2018 Daytona 500. She announced prior to the 2017 season finale that she planned to end her NASCAR career in that race, and the announcement regarding which team she would be driving for in the race finally came out after over two months of speculation.
Here is what Stenhouse Jr. had to say about racing his former girlfriend in this year’s Daytona 500 in a few weeks, according to SB Nation.
"“I don’t think I’ll race any different. I try to respect everybody around me, especially at those speedway races. You don’t really want to put anybody in a bad spot because you put the whole field in a bad spot. I think I’ll go out and race just like I’m racing everybody else and see how it plays out. Heck, when we first started racing together we got in crashes anyway, so it is what it is. I’ll just go out and compete as hard as I can, and I plan on putting myself in a position to win the race.”"
Patrick also announced prior to the 2017 season finale that she intended to officially retire from her racing career after making a return to IndyCar in the 2018 Indianapolis 500 in May. She has not driven in the race or the sport since 2011.
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The team for which she will be driving in the 102nd running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” has not yet been determined, but we may know the answer within the next few weeks, as her options have narrowed down to three legitimate candidates.
According to SB Nation, here is what Stenhouse Jr. had to say about the Daytona 500 being Patrick’s final NASCAR Cup Series race and the first of her two-race “Danica Double”, which, as stated, is also set to include her return to IndyCar in the Indianapolis 500 in May.
"“I think it’s a cool way to go out — if you’re gonna retire — for somebody that’s done the Daytona 500, run in NASCAR, run in IndyCars. Her passion has always been the Indy 500, and so I think it’ll be cool for that to be her last race. And to hit the two biggest races of the year, really, in the same year will be pretty cool.”"
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It appears that there are no hard feelings from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. toward his former girlfriend Danica Patrick. Is this, however, the case the other way around as well? It will be interesting to see how they race each other in their final NASCAR Cup Series race together, the 60th annual Daytona 500, on Sunday, February 18th.