Danica

Danica Sue Patrick is an American former professional racing driver. She has been the most successful female in the history of American open-wheel racing. Her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman at an IndyCar Series race.Born to a working class family in Beloit, Wisconsin, Patrick began karting at age of ten and achieved early success by winning her class in the World Karting Association Grand National Championship three times during the late 1990s. She quit high school with the permission of her parents in 1998, and moved to the United Kingdom to further her career. Patrick competed in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford before returning to the United States in 2001 due to a lack of funds. She took part in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races in 2002 with Rahal Letterman Racing. Patrick raced in the Toyota Atlantic Series the following two years. Her best performance was when she finished third in championship standings for the 2004 season where she became the first female to take a pole in the series.She began racing in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Racing in 2005 and took three pole positions. This was the same as Tomas's record of poles in a rookie season. She was the IndyCar Series rookie of the year for 2005 and she won the Indianapolis 500. She made progress during the next two seasons, racing with Rahal Letterman Racing 2006, and then Andretti Green Racing 2007. Patrick placed sixth overall in the drivers standings in 2008 following her Japan win. She improved her position to finish fifth in the following season, which was her best finish to date of third at the Indianapolis 500, the best race of any woman at the race. Patrick's overall record was disappointing in 2010, but she scored two second-place finishes at oval tracks before leaving IndyCar to concentrate full-time on stock car racing.