NASCAR: Drama between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Danica Patrick in Daytona 500?
By Asher Fair
Will there be drama between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Danica Patrick in Patrick’s final NASCAR Cup Series race, the 2018 Daytona 500?
With Danica Patrick, 35, set to make her final NASCAR Cup Series start in the 60th annual Daytona 500 in a few weeks after driving full-time in the sport from the 2013 to the 2017 season for Stewart-Haas Racing, will there be drama between her and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 30, during the race?
Patrick and Stenhouse Jr. ended their dating relationship with one another last month. They had been dating since prior to their rookie seasons in the Cup Series in 2013. Meanwhile, Patrick began dating Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers — something Stenhouse Jr. will not even talk about.
Will there be drama between the two drivers in Patrick’s final Cup Series race in a few weeks? According to Stenhouse Jr.’s recent comments, there shouldn’t be. Patrick’s comments would seem to indicate the same, according to ESPN.
"“On superspeedways, you find your friends throughout the race based on how fast you are, where you can run, how good your car is. You tend to find people you can work with. I don’t care who it is.”"
When it’s all said and done, I doubt there will be any drama between the two drivers. Stenhouse Jr. is still a full-time Cup Series driver, and he will be trying to win early and often to secure himself a playoff spot this season.
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With Daytona being a restrictor plate track and a track he won at last season, Stenhouse Jr. will not risk arguably his best chance of the season to win a race and get to the playoffs just so that he can create drama with Patrick over a personal matter.
On Patrick’s side, she won’t want to create any drama, either. Upon announcing her full-time retirement from the Cup Series prior to the 2017 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, she announced that she would not be officially retiring from racing until after racing in this year’s Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500.
With the Daytona 500 being Patrick’s final NASCAR race, she will not risk a great result just so that she can create drama with Stenhouse Jr. over a personal matter.
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Will there be drama between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Danica Patrick in the 60th annual Daytona 500, Patrick’s final NASCAR Cup Series race? Find out by tuning in to the 2018 season-opening race on Sunday, February 18th.