Congratulations Danica! 8th Place, no dents, and drove in the front pack all day.

[cherokeeprogressive]

That's awesome. She might have finished 3rd or better but I think she got caught sleeping by Dale Earnhardt on the last lap and got out of the draft for a few seconds.

Excellent driving, Danica!

Oh yeah and it was hilarious to see Jimmie Johnson tear up his car after the race...

[CherokeeDem]

1. She did good....

great to see her finish the race and in the top 10.

[MotherPetrie]

2. K&R

[GentryDixon]

3. I used to go to the races

when Richard Petty was everyones favorite. We always had a grand time. I live too far away now.

The last race I went to was in Las Vegas when Dale senior was still alive. The race was rained out after the start. It took us longer to get out of the parking lot than the time we spent watching the race. That was it for me. Have not been to a race since. Because we have a second home in NC my husband still goes with the brothers frequently.

[tarheelsunc]

4. She drove a GREAT race.

She didn't drive great "for a woman" as I am sure a lot of fans will say, she ran great, period. She had that bright green car up near the front throughout the entire race and really showed all the haters that she belongs. Had she pulled out when Dale did, she most likely would have won the race, but you can never really tell how those things go until they happen. She's extremely talented and hopefully all of the detractors finally realize that.

[cherokeeprogressive]

5. Her spotters should have started screaming GOGOGOGOGO when the 88 went to the bottom.

She should have gone with him. She would have won; he would have finished 2nd. After the race she seemed to be a little miffed that the spotters didn't direct her to the bottom in front of the 88.

Yes, she drove a great race... great for ANY driver, male or female. I was pulling for her because she is a she though.

[KamaAina]

6. That and $2.75 will get her a latte at Starbucks

wake me up when she actually wins something -- especially from the pole!!! -- instead of "coming close" to beating the guys.

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. Done. 2008, Japan, in an Indy Car.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indy_Japan_300

[KamaAina]

21. In Japan.

So 300 yen will get her that latte.

[Are_grits_groceries]

10. Only 17% of pole winners

actually win the race. Winning the pole is an achievement, but it is way different than navigating on a superspeedway at almost 200mph with a lot of other cars.

She ran a very good race. If she had more experience, she might have made a better move at the end. As it was, I think she opted to race within what she had learned and not possibly bust hellout of everybody in that last lap.

These restrictor plate races are taxing and dangerous. It's a miracle anybody finishes them at times.

[Bucky]

20. Thank you. There's just not enough misinformed cynicism on this website.

Shouldn't you be watching Downton Abbey right about now?

[KamaAina]

22. I'm on the Left Coast

so I'll have to wait a few hours so I can tune out from Downton Abbey.

[oldhippie]

7. She drove smart .....

... consistent and no big mistakes. How things go for the leaders on the last lap is always half luck. She is an excellent driver with a good ride.

[rppper]

8. Way to go Danica!

She drove a smart race....half of the drivers in the 500 have never had a top ten finish....it'll be interesting to see how she does this season...the short ump and run short tracks will be her real test...

[Bake]

11. IF she drove such a smart race, why did she finish out of the money?

Hmmmm.



Bake

[rppper]

12. Again I say...

Half of those drivers have never finished above 20th place....and they've been doing it considerably longer than she has....she did just fine!

[House of Roberts]

13. Eighth place in 2012

was worth over $400,000. 43rd was over $250,000.

[11 Bravo]

33. Yeah, but ain't it cool when someone who knows shit about NASCAR shows up to share their wisdom?

[rppper]

40. Yessir, even joe nemechek will get a check...

Did anyone else note that DW was a little harsh on her? I think Larry McReynolds kept repeating her name just to piss him off too! He had an almost constipated look on his face when her name came up....

[catnhatnh]

15. Last year Carl Edwards took 8th and won just over $400K....

We'll know what Danica's total was in a few days. I assure you she did not finish "out of the money".

[Bake]

53. I'm sorry, we do horse racing in KY.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd are called "in the money." As in, if you bet on them, you're in the money.

And frankly, I don't give two shits about NASCAR.

Bake

[catnhatnh]

54. Then why would you denigrate...

the sole woman competing in a sport you "frankly" don't give two shits about? Oh-and it turned out she won $364K- not bad for a filly with only two legs....

[Bake]

55. I"m not denigrating anybody.

She had the pole position, and frankly, I was rooting for her to win it, to the extent that I was interested. Sounds to me like 10th place is what some would call a "moral victory." Which is no victory at all. She's a good driver and something of a pioneer.

I wish she HAD won the damn thing.

Bake

[Mopar151]

17. Wait to see the purse payout in a couple days

8th is none too shabby.

[cherokeeprogressive]

19. Off the Podium in no way equates to Out of the Money.

And, since it's impossible to see what's right next to you, drivers rely for a whole lot of information from their spotters. At the beginning of the last lap, she was in 3rd (on the podium) and her spotter failed to tell her the 88 was doing to the bottom of the track. Had she gone in front of him, he would have pushed her to the win since she had the stronger car.

[DrDan]

48. $357,464

[tavalon]

14. Is this her first indy 500?

If so, she did fine for any first timer, heck, better than most, actually.

[Lochloosa]

16. Not her first but her best finish.

[KamaAina]

23. No, and it isn't her first Daytona 500, either.

The Indy 500 is run with a different type of car (open-wheel) and is held on Memorial Day weekend.

[tavalon]

27. My bad

I was thinking Daytona and typed Indy.

[hootinholler]

18. Keep knocking on that door!

She will be there soon.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

24. she is an average driver at best

she has never been exceptional for anything other than being a woman behind the wheel of a race car. I don't get the excitement surrounding her.

sP

[cherokeeprogressive]

26. What I wouldn't give to be an "average driver" in a crowd of 43 of the best in Sprint Cup Racing.

What I wouldn't give to be able to say I'd won an IndyCar race.

If not for the inaction of her spotters, I believe she could have won going away with the 88 chasing her to the finish.

[davidn3600]

30. They took a conservative approach

Had they got too aggressive she could have wrecked on that last lap. The drivers passing her were far more experienced. Her crew did a good job keeping her in the top 10....which is realistically the finish they were aiming for. Obviously everyone wants to win, but 8th is not a finish they would be disappointed in. She learned a lot today.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

35. the problem is she is nowhere near the top echelon of drivers

in either Indy or NASCAR. i just don't get the hype. even if she had won the race today... it would still be the first win in LOADS of starts. i know she has a win in Indy car... but still, LOADS of starts. consistently an average driver in a sport where men DON'T have the massive advantages they have in others.

sP

[DrDan]

29. just the average pole-winner

[ProdigalJunkMail]

34. one pole...

in dozens of starts... very middle of the field when it comes to finishes. but none of that matters, i suppose.

sP

[DrDan]

36. pole-winner from the cream of the drivers

top-10 finish

impressive

[ProdigalJunkMail]

38. over her history (since say '98) her record

is average... in any style of racing.

sP

[DrDan]

44. can't deny she was the pole-winner and finished in the top-10 at Daytona

my Granddaughter and I were there - cheering Danica to the finish

[ProdigalJunkMail]

45. did i try to deny that?

can't you just accept that she is a mediocre driver? yeah, she won the pole. yeah she drove a smart, safe race. she came in 8th (I think)... the only reason there is any hype is because she is a woman. it makes no sense.

sP

[DrDan]

47. you are doing your best to downplay her performance

looking at her career since 1998 (as you suggested), she has finished the year in the top-10 11 times and 2013 is off to a great start.

I guess you could call that "mediocre". I am sure there are a lot of driver who would think that record quite successful.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

49. no, I am trying to figure out why people give a shit about her

other than her being a female, she is nothing of note in the racing world. she has also finished deeper than 20th 10 times. and you're right, there are a lot of drivers who would think her record quite successful, but the problem is that they are mediocre, too.

face it; she's getting the attention because she is a woman... nothing more.

sP

Just for the record, her NASCAR season finishes : 43rd,45th,85th,10th,26th,10th,62nd

[Logical]

41. You sound jealous and bitter, a little sexism a maybe??? n-t

[ProdigalJunkMail]

46. ah, the cry of sexism

just because i don't understand why a woman, who is an average driver at best, should receive such attention in a sport where she has really done nothing but be 'OK'.

but you keep thinking that and slingin' that shit... 'cause that's all you have... and it's what you do.

sP

[Logical]

50. LOL, ok, I guess I was way off. Nice try! n-t

[ProdigalJunkMail]

51. looks like you're the one who's trying

but that's ok.

you know, I find it funny that people like you can't see this for the marketing ploy that it is. you're oh so righteous on other issues, but here, you're blind as a bat.

the question is, did you just miss it or did you choose to? i bet i know and it just confirms everything i already suspected about you.

good day.

sP

[Logical]

52. I think you are making it worse. Best to stop at this point! n-t

[840high]

25. Nice. Very nice.

[DrDan]

28. attended with my granddaughter - cheering for Danica the whole time

[MessiahRp]

31. If you think this is impressive, Ronda Rousey has a hell of a story to tell you.

She was the major triumph for Women's Sports this weekend. Women's MMA has long been attacked and panned by bigoted Men wanting to keep it the All Boys Club and she smashed through that glass ceiling and on a massively stacked card co-headlined by two major stars, the Women's Fight saved the show and showed that Women belong on the grand stage. Rousey will likely smash PPV buyrates for UFC and the Women's main event was the draw that sold out the arena to the tune of a $1.5 million gate.

So Danica finishing 8th is nice (she's won other races, IIRC) but Rousey and Women's MMA is the story of the weekend.

[cherokeeprogressive]

37. No interest in MMA whatsoever. Good for Ronda though. n/t

[Logical]

42. Rhonda was....

So much fun to watch last night. Me and my 19-year-old daughter went to the Buffalo wild wings and watched it and it was a great night for both of us we enjoyed it and had a lot of fun. Great memory for us!

[HooptieWagon]

32. She drove a smart race.

She really doesn't have the stockcar or superspeedway experience the other drivers have. She just didn't know what move to make at the end to hold onto third or take the lead.. But she drove a solid head's up race...stayed up front, didn't take any chances, kept the car in one piece, finished the race...just what she needed to do this time. If she keeps that up, she'll quickly gain the experience she needs to win.

[doc03]

39. I wish she would have finished ahead of Jr. I get so sick of

Jr. he could run last all day and he would get more publicity than everyone else combined.

[House of Roberts]

43. Re: Jimmie Johnson tearing up his car after the race

Daytona 500 winners have to leave their car in the Daytona museum for a year.

So whatever condition it is in, will be how it's displayed, unless the team pretties it up for the museum.