Danica Patrick

[Velcro]

Danica Patrick: The biggest reason the Indy 500 continues to be a must-follow sports topic this weekend continues for Bump Day.

She's no novelty: She had the fastest single lap at last week's time trials, she's only a rookie (and, yes, she's a "she.")

Forget Annika at the Colonial in 2003 (or even Wie at the Masters in 2010-yeah right ); Patrick winning the Indy 500 would be the greatest gender-bending moment in sports history.

[Velcro]

[Markeymark]

Patrick winning the Indy 500 would be the greatest gender-bending moment in sports history.

Why? Because it de-bunks the "woman driver" idea?

Or by gender-bending are they saying she's acting like a man by driving? There are millions of women driving everyday, all around the world. I don't get it.

Auto racing is a non-athletic sport that relies on hand-eye coordination and mental stamina, traits which have not been established to be significantly different between the two sexes.

[Velcro]

that was a copy paste from Dan Shanoff's morning quickie... should have put quotes around it.

The Indy 500 is by far the biggest racing event in the world.  The colonial is hardly something great... and Annika didn't win it, she just played in it and missed the cut.

If Danica wins the greatest racing event in the world...  it is the biggest victory for women in sports (in a male dominated sport).

If Wie wins the masters, or the british open, that would compete... or if annika does it... but simply playing in those (via a sponsorship exemption, rather than actually qualifying like danica did with the FASTEST lap times all week) is not THAT spectacular.

[Velcro]

I also disagree on your definition of an athletic sport.  Until you have driven 140+ MPH, you can't say that it doesn't take strength and physical stamina in addition to mental stamina and intelligence and instinct.  It is a sport... not an aerobic one, but it is very athletic.

[Markeymark]

strength is not the same as athletic. Anybody who dresses up in all that movement-impeding get-up, sits stationary in a car seat and tries to tell you they're an athlete is full of it. I'll give you mental stamina and coordination but that doesn't make someone an athlete imo.

And no way does winning the Indy 500 qualify as a major anything. Indy is small-time compared to NASCAR, and has been for at least a decade.

[Velcro]

Nascar is a bunch of races... if a woman won the nascar cup it would be huge.

But only Daytona is anything compared to Indy 500.

All the other races in nascar are nowhere near the level of the grandaddy of motor sports.

[smazza]

sex sells

[bigbull]

I think Danica has a great shot at winning the Indy 500....She has a super fast car and as long as her and her pit crew have great stops all day, I think she will be in contention with a great shot at winning down the stretch

[Velcro]

Danica had the lead late in the Indy 500, even though she knew she would have fuel problems and wouldn't win.  Finished 4th, viewership was up 40% from last year.  She alone is becoming bigger than Indy racing itself.