Danica Patrick

A sample of opinions from the media center at the Indianaplolis Motor Speedway regarding Danica Patrick’s prospects in Sunday’s 90th running of the Indy 500.\r\n\r\nJim Pedley, Kansas City Star

“I do think she can win it. She’s getting stronger as the week progresses. She was good in practice Friday. I think she could hook the win at the end of the race. It’s going to be a weird day. It’s going to be hot and it will be a green track.”

Mike Harris, Associated Press

“I think she has a serious shot at a Top Ten. If she’s lucky, she might end up with a Top Five. I don’t think she can win. If all the stars and the planets align, she might have a chance.”

Nancy Knapp Schilke, motorsport.com

“Danica drives with her head. She’ll be consistent and stay in the Top Ten and then at the end she’ll go for it. She doesn’t ever expect anything to be given to her.”

Tim Tuttle, Road & Track

“Her prospects are mediocre. She needs to have a perfect race — no blown pit stops, no mistakes on the track and some attrition by other teams. A Top Ten would be a good day. She’s really up against it with the Panoz chassis.”

Elton Alexander, Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Her chances are better than most would giver her. At some point I think she’ll be in the lead because that’s how the Rahal team plays its strategy, just like last year. Last year she inherited an opportunity to win. But at some point this year they’ll have to run fast to get the win.”

Mike Vega, Boston Globe

“Her chances are not as good as last year based on the chassis set-up. The weather is a big variable. The race could come to her just like it did to Al Unser Jr. in 1992. Danica will be there ready to strike, but Sam Hornish is going to be tough to beat.”

John Sturbin, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

“I think she’s going to be hard-pressed to duplicate anything she did last year. I don’t think her car is capable of running up front. The chassis has been a dog here all month despite the best efforts of Rahal Letterman Racing. I don’t even think she’ll have a Top Ten. The casual fans will be disappointed, but it won’t bother her racing fans.”

Fred Nation, Executive Vice President, Communications, Indianapolis Motor Speedway

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the best track for Danica Patrick to win a race in my opinion. She’s demonstrated her ability here. The long straightaways and the length of the race are to her advantage. Even if it’s a demanding race it’s not as physically draining as some road course and some shorter ovals. She really has demonstrated here that she knows the line to get around this track very quickly and how to run in the tight traffic we have in parts of the race. Most importantly she has shown she has luck here and that’s part of what it takes to win. One of the many traditions at Indy is that it’s hard to come back two years in a row after a good rookie start. Her speed is down, but it’s consistent with her teammates, who are darn good drivers.”

Holly Cain, Seattle Post Intelligencer

“I don’t know if they have the right combination with the chassis. I don’t think they’ll win it. But I think she’ll be up top and stands a chance to win with a few breaks. She’ll have a good Top Ten or maybe a Top Five. But there may be too many good cars.”

Larry Woody, Nashville Tennessean

“I think anything out of the Top Five would be a downer. I expect her to be in the Top Five at the end and a contender for the win. She doesn’t want to be considered a fluke. She took a lot of pride in what she accomplished last year and doesn’t want some fat, bald sportswriter to be able to say it was a fluke.”

Angelique Chengelis, Detroit News

“I actually think she’s going to struggle. I like the depth of the field with Michael Andretti and Al Unser Jr. back in it again. The Penske guys have too much for everybody. I think Danica will be more in the middle of the pack. That’s not gender-based. It’s based on the car.”

Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

“It’s going to be really difficult to match what she did last year. Going the distance and finishing in the Top Ten is the best she can do.”

Bill Center, San Diego Union

“I don’t think they are near as good as last year. I don’t hear anybody saying she can win, because she’s not the fastest like she was last year, whether it be the Panoz or the fact everybody has the Honda engine.”

Tom Archdeacon, Dayton Daily News

“I don’t think she’ll do as well as last year. But she’s got a lot more experience. She’s got more of an edge to her and she’s not taking crap from anybody, whether it’s Richard Petty or anybody else. Her equipment is not as good this year, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she was a contender. She doesn’t cower in front of the king.”

Al Tays, Palm Beach Post

“I think her fan following will stay intact. They are believers. The only way she can win is if things work out with a pit strategy so that’s she’s in the right place at the right time like last year.”

Steve Hummer, The Atlanta-Journal-Constitution

“Its the first time in her career that Danica has been accused of having a bad chassis. She will not win unless she car-jacks a better ride.”

Denise Melilli, Crain’s Cleveland Business

“I think she’ll acquit herself. I don’t think she’ll win. If she has a good solid car like she said today (Friday), she’ll acquit herself. She won’t have the stellar race like last year, but she’ll stay at the front of the field and stay up there with the big guys.”

Dean McNulty, Tonronto Sun

“Danica doesn’t have to apologize to anyone let alone Richard Petty, who hasn’t won a race since Reagan’s first term. I think she’ll do well. She’s a lock for the Top Ten.”

Anne Proffit, Race Engine Technology Magazine

“I think she’ll run in the top 15 most of the day. And maybe in the Top Ten. I think she has the car smarts and won’t screw up like last year. She’s better at re-starts, pit stops and has better car control than she did last year. She knows what the car can do a lot better than she used to. There’s no substitute for experience.”

Lewis Franck, Reuters

“It’s a crap shoot due to the weather. Anything’s possible. It’s a complete bizarro-superman world when it comes to the chassis. We may have one of those races where the wrong chassis may be the right one. It would not surprise me if she won, a Top Ten for sure.”

Chuck Givler, Easton Express Times, Newhouse Publications

“I think she’s under more pressure this year to do well. She’s heard the comments that she blew it last year. She had a lot of attention but didn’t win a race. I predict she won’t do as well as last year. The field is stronger, everybody has the Honda engine. Luck is so involved and things may not go quite the way they did last year.”

Hiko Amano, Racing On (Tokyo)

“Considering the fact the Panoz is not doing well, it’s going to be difficult to equal the performance of last year even if she is a much better driver.”