Danica

Danica Sue Patrick is an American former professional racing driver. She is the most successful American female open-wheel racing driver. Her victory in Indy Japan 300 in 2008 is her first win. She dropped out of high school with the permission of her parents in 1998, and then moved to the United Kingdom to further her career. Patrick participated in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford before returning to the United States in 2001 due to a lack of funds. She raced in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races in 2002 for Rahal Letterman Racing. Patrick participated in the Toyota Atlantic Series the following two years. Her best effort was third in the championship standings in 2004 when she became the first woman to be awarded a pole in the series.She began racing in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Racing in 2005. She took three pole positions, which was equal to Tomas's record of poles in his rookie season. She was the IndyCar Series rookie of the year for 2005, and also won the Indianapolis 500. She continued to grow by joining Rahal Letterman Racing (2006) and then Andretti Green Racing (2007). In 2008, Patrick followed up her Japan win to finish sixth overall in the driver's standings. The following season she was able to improve on her performance and was fifth overall in the driver's standings. She also finished a career high third at Indianapolis 500, which was the best performance by any female racer at the event. Patrick's overall performance was disappointing in 2010, but she was able to secure two second-place finishes on oval tracks before she left IndyCar to focus on stock car racing.