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YEAH JR2 ---Anyone who says Danica Patrick had her best NASCAR finish Saturday because of fuel mileage is dead wrong. Patrick made history with her fourth-place finish, the best ever for a woman in a national NASCAR event. That record stood for 62 years. Sara Christian finished fifth at Pittsburgh in 1949 during NASCAR's inaugural season. Patrick is the first woman to lead a lap at Indianapolis and Daytona, the first woman to win a major open-wheel event and the first woman to finish in the top four in a NASCAR touring-series race
.The race will most likely be remembered, though, for Danica Patrick's history-making run and not the last-lap dramatics.
Patrick placed fourth, the best finish for a woman in a national NASCAR race since Sara Christian was fifth at Pittsburgh in 1949.
''Awesome!'' Martin said when told of Patrick's finish. ''I am really happy for her. That's fantastic.''
It was a turnaround for Patrick, who struggled all weekend at Las Vegas and fell a lap down in Saturday's race. But she put herself in position to get back on the lead lap, then steadily worked her way into the top 10.
Fuel strategy did the rest, as many of the cars in front of her had to make late stops for gas and Patrick slid all the way up to fourth.
''We just had a good car, that's all I can say. That's what makes a difference in these things,'' said Patrick. ''I know I haven't had the best results, especially in NASCAR, but we're getting them now.''
Patrick, who has only 16 races in her NASCAR career, improved on her previous career-best finish of 14th, earned at Daytona last month.
''I don't know. I don't think about trying to achieve the highest finish of a female,'' she said. ''I think about trying to win the race.''
.The race will most likely be remembered, though, for Danica Patrick's history-making run and not the last-lap dramatics.
Patrick placed fourth, the best finish for a woman in a national NASCAR race since Sara Christian was fifth at Pittsburgh in 1949.
''Awesome!'' Martin said when told of Patrick's finish. ''I am really happy for her. That's fantastic.''
It was a turnaround for Patrick, who struggled all weekend at Las Vegas and fell a lap down in Saturday's race. But she put herself in position to get back on the lead lap, then steadily worked her way into the top 10.
Fuel strategy did the rest, as many of the cars in front of her had to make late stops for gas and Patrick slid all the way up to fourth.
''We just had a good car, that's all I can say. That's what makes a difference in these things,'' said Patrick. ''I know I haven't had the best results, especially in NASCAR, but we're getting them now.''
Patrick, who has only 16 races in her NASCAR career, improved on her previous career-best finish of 14th, earned at Daytona last month.
''I don't know. I don't think about trying to achieve the highest finish of a female,'' she said. ''I think about trying to win the race.''
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