Danica Patrick

Patrick began karting at the age of ten at Sugar River Raceway in Brodhead, Wisconsin, with her father acting as her crew chief and her mother keeping statistics. In 2005, Patrick joined Rahal Letterman Racing in the IndyCar Series, earning three pole positions and being named Rookie of the Year for both the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series. She made history in 2008 by winning the Indy Japan 300, becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race. Patrick achieved a third-place finish at the 2009 Indianapolis 500, the highest ever by a woman in the race.

Transitioning to stock car racing, Patrick competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) starting in 2010. She secured a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011, marking the best finish by a woman in a NASCAR national series at that time. In 2013, Patrick became the first woman to win a pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series by setting the fastest qualifying lap for the Daytona 500, where she finished eighth.

She retired from full-time racing after the 2017 season but competed in the 2018 Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 before officially retiring.

In 2014, Patrick underwent breast augmentation surgery. She later experienced health issues, including fatigue and hair loss, leading to a diagnosis of Breast Implant Illness (BII). In March 2022, she had her breast implants removed and reported significant improvements in her health.

Patrick married physical therapist Paul Edward Hospenthal in 2005; they divorced in 2013. She dated fellow NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. from 2012 to 2017 and then Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers from 2018 to 2020. In 2021, she was reported to be in a relationship with businessman Carter Comstock; they split in 2022.