Danica Patrick's NASCAR Debut Ends in Crash

She is uninjured but disappointed with 'tough day'
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 13, 2010 4:31 PM CST
Danica Patrick's NASCAR Debut Ends in Crash
Driver Danica Patrick, center, is surrounded by media after the crash.   (Reinhold Matay)

Danica Patrick's debut in NASCAR ended in a 12-car accident today at Daytona International Speedway. Patrick was running in the middle of the pack when several cars wrecked in front of her. She tried to duck low to avoid the spinning cars but was unable to dodge everything and slammed into the outside wall. She wasn't injured.

"It's important to have realistic expectations," Patrick said. "There's going to be spikes in performance, I don't doubt that. But there's also going to be tough days. And today, I would say, was more of a tough day." The other female driver in the race, Chrissy Wallace, crashed on the first lap and lashed out at a fellow driver for being too aggressive too early, notes the Daytona News-Journal. "Dumb mistake on his part," she said. (More Danica Patrick stories.)

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