Patrick was involved in a multi-car crash at the start of the second lap Feb. 27 at the Daytona 500 and her crumpled GoDaddy Chevrolet was sent to the garage area for lengthy repairs. She would return to the race 62 laps down on the leaders, and finish 38th, 64 laps down to race winner Matt Kenseth. She has not competed in another Cup contest since.
The 1.366-mile Darlington Raceway is the South's oldest superspeedway. It is shaped like an egg because track creator Harold Brasington was unable to convince Sherman Ramsey, the owner of a minnow pound, to relocate when the track was built in 1949. The track hosted its first Southern 500 in 1950.
So with different configurations at both ends of the racetrack, it's a handful for any driver to manhandle. Patrick is hoping a "lady's touch" will help her navigate the track that has been called "too tough to tame."
When team owner Tony Stewart announced Patrick's limited Cup schedule, Darlington was schedule to be her Cup debut. Patrick's response to her team owner was incredulous.
"Darlington?"
"That was going to be my Cup debut until I decided that I don't think that is a wise idea," Patrick told SI.com. "I didn't want the first time I'm in a Cup car to be at Darlington. That would make me very nervous for sure. I like to do really well, especially when the spotlight is on really bright. I think it would have made it very difficult to do that."
Patrick and her sponsor, GoDaddy , realized that from an exposure perspective, the Daytona 500 was the best place for her to make her debut. And true to form, Patrick dominated the news cycle leading up to the start of the 500 and promised to be a major storyline in NASCAR's biggest race.
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