About
Danica Patrick is a barrier-breaking American race-car driver who turned an appetite for speed into a varied life in sport, business, and media. The world first took notice during the 2005 Indianapolis 500 when, at only twenty-three, she led 19 laps and finished fourth—an unheard-of result for a rookie and unprecedented for a woman. Three years later she etched her name in the record books by winning the 2008 Indy Japan 300, the first IndyCar Series victory achieved by a woman.
Open-wheel success was only the opening act. In 2012 Patrick switched to NASCAR, earned the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500, and logged the best Cup-Series finish by a woman so far—eighth place. After a farewell “Danica Double” in 2018—one last start in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500—she stepped away from full-time driving. These days she splits her energy among broadcasting, wellness, and entrepreneurship; in 2025 she became a keystone of FOX Sports’ first Indianapolis 500 broadcast alongside Tony Stewart and Tom Brady, translating tire strategy and pit-stop drama for a prime-time audience.
Before Fame
Patrick grew up in Roscoe, Illinois, the elder daughter of Beverly and Terry Patrick, small-business owners who preferred garage nights to lake days. When Danica was ten, her parents bought second-hand go-karts, and weekends quickly turned into a blur of engine tuning and sprint races at Wisconsin’s Sugar River Raceway. She soon collected regional trophies, showing a fearless habit of late-braking dives into tight corners.
Craving tougher rivals, sixteen-year-old Danica persuaded her parents to let her relocate to England. She lived in bare-bones flats, survived on instant noodles, and raced Formula Ford and Formula Vauxhall cars against future Formula 1 talent. The grind taught her mechanical sympathy and thick skin. Returning home in 2001, she secured a developmental contract with Rahal Letterman Racing and, four years later, qualified fourth for the Indianapolis 500—then the highest grid position ever for a woman—and captured Rookie of the Year honors for both the race and the season.
Trivia
- Indy milestones: Patrick’s 19 laps led as a rookie and her third-place run in 2009 remain the best performances by a woman in Indianapolis 500 history.
- Daytona firsts: She is still the only woman to start first—and the highest-finishing woman—in the Daytona 500.
- Screen credits: Cameos include the 2019 “Charlie’s Angels” reboot and voice work in the game “Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.”
- Wine label: Somnium, her Napa Valley estate founded in 2009, produces organic Cabernet Sauvignon and Provençal-style rosé; release-day tastings often sell out in hours.
- Podcast pivot: “Pretty Intense” began as a fitness-nutrition book and now streams weekly conversations with neuroscientists, professional athletes, and spiritual teachers.
- Pilot & yogi: Patrick holds a single-engine pilot’s license and credits meditation, yoga, and heavy deadlifts for staying calm—ironic for someone who once lapped ovals at 220 mph.
Family Life
Danica Sue Patrick was born on March 25, 1982, in Beloit, Wisconsin, and raised just across the state line in Illinois. Her parents juggled a coffee shop and a glass company yet always found time to wrench on engines and haul trailers. Sister Brooke Selman, a former collegiate volleyball player and mother of four, remains her trusted sounding board and occasional travel partner.
Romance has often shared headlines with her racing feats. Patrick married physical therapist Paul Hospenthal in 2005; the couple divorced amicably in 2013. She later dated NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. until 2017, followed by NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers from 2018 to 2020. In May 2025 she told interviewer Sage Steele that the Rodgers relationship had been “emotionally abusive” and left her drained—an ordeal she says ultimately strengthened her resolve to prioritize self-care.
When she’s not on the road, Patrick divides her time between Scottsdale, Arizona, and her Howell Mountain vineyard. She shares her homes with rescue dogs and a rotating collection of classic cars and credits her parents’ blue-collar work ethic for keeping her grounded amid success.
Associated With
Life at 220 mph has placed Patrick among a remarkable roster of competitors and collaborators. She sparred with IndyCar champions Hélio Castroneves and Scott Dixon, traded paint with NASCAR legends Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., and still cites four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt as an early influence. Tony Stewart—once a fierce NASCAR rival—later hired her at Stewart-Haas Racing and now shares the FOX booth with her, while the 2025 broadcast adds seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady to the mix.
Away from television cameras she pours Somnium vintages for celebrity chefs, hosts wellness retreats for her podcast community, and chats astrophysics with Neil deGrasse Tyson on “Pretty Intense.” Surrounded by innovators from sport, science, business, and entertainment, Patrick keeps pushing boundaries—proving that life after racing can be every bit as fast and fulfilling as the laps that made her famous.
