By: Toby Christie

Many in the media had one word to describe Danica Patrick going into her stock car debut, and that word was “overrated”. Well after the conclusion of the crash fest that is the ARCA race at Daytona, I believe Danica Patrick has proven that she indeed can drive.

She started the event in 12th place, but wasn’t able to advance forward very far early on. The reason though was that there were just six laps under green in the first 30 laps of the race. On the first caution of the race, Patrick couldn’t even locate the light that indicated whether pit road was open or not, but the entire day was a learning experience.

In the end there were multiple red flags during the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 due to monsterous crashes, but Patrick was able to slide her way through the carnage. She even was spun out late in the event by former Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. Patrick despite all of the possible things that could have doomed her day, still came home in 6th place.

This is a very positive first outing for undoubtedly the Indy Racing League’s most popular driver. Will this success lead to a start in next week’s Nationwide Series race at Daytona? Only time will tell, but I’d say all signs point to yes. Danica Patrick belongs in NASCAR, and I for one am glad she is here.