Danica Patrick Secures Pole Position for This Weekend’s Daytona 500

For years, Danica Patrick has been recognized as one of only a small batch of female professional racecar drivers, especially most recently with her integration into the NASCAR Sprint Cup series that happened just last year. But if her status as a female NASCAR competitor isn’t impressive enough in this highly male-dominated sport, her accomplishments on the track last Sunday are awe-inspiring no matter what her gender. That’s because in only her second year of Sprint Cup starts, she has qualified for the Daytona 500 in the pole position, a historic accomplishment in more than one way according to The New York Times.

Starting out in IndyCar in 2005, Patrick has raced her way to the top, becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race in 2008, transitioning to stock cars in the Nationwide series in 2010, and fully committing to the Sprint Cup Series in 2012.

Following those accomplishments, many up-and-coming racers couldn’t really ask for more, but Patrick pushed forward resulting in her securing the pole position for the historic NASCAR season-opener.

After making it clear that she would challenge for the pole after Saturday’s practice event, Patrick turned a lap at 196.434mph behind the wheel of her No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevy Impala on Sunday. Not only did this secure her spot on the pole for the 2013 running of the Daytona 500, it made her the first woman to secure a top spot, let alone the pole position for a Sprint Cup race. Previously, the highest position a woman qualified for in a Sprint Cup race was ninth, a record held by Janet Guthrie since 1977 when she qualified in the position for two races.

“I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl,” Patrick told The Times. And nothing proves that more than her run for the pole position for this race.

In securing the pole position, Patrick is locked into the 2013 Daytona 500. She will start along side fellow Chevy driver Jeff Gordon, who qualified second for the race. The remainder of the grid will be determined in twin qualifying rounds on Thursday, February 21st.

Congratulations goes out to Patrick for not only making a statement about her gender but also about her undeniable driving skills. We look forward to seeing how she does this coming Sunday at the Daytona 500, starting at 1p.m. EST.