Danica

Danica Sue Patrick is an American former professional racer. She has been the most successful female ever to compete in American open-wheel car racing--her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman in the history of an IndyCar Series race.Born to a working-class family from Beloit, Wisconsin, Patrick began karting at age of ten and achieved early success when she won her class at the World Karting Association Grand National Championship three times in the mid-1990s. In 1998, she left high school and relocated into England to pursue a career. Patrick competed in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford before returning to the United States in 2001 due to a lack in funding. She raced in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races in 2002 with Rahal Letterman Racing. Patrick participated in the Toyota Atlantic Series the following two years. She was third in championship standings of the 2004 season, where she became the first female to win a position in the series. She was the IndyCar Series rookie of the year 2005, and she won the Indianapolis 500. She saw improvement in the subsequent two seasons with Rahal Letterman Racing 2006, and then Andretti Green Racing 2007. Patrick finished sixth in the drivers' standings following her victory in Japan. She improved her position to finish fifth in the drivers' standings following the season. It was her highest performance in the Indianapolis 500 and a career-high for Patrick. Patrick's overall performance dropped in 2010, but she managed to finish second at the oval tracks. After that, she left IndyCar in the year 2011 to pursue stock car racing full time.