Danica Patrick interviewed on Rome is Burning

The most popular driver in the IndyCar Series, Danica Patrick recently was interviewed on the Jim Rome is Burning T.V. show. Outside of the normal Rome, “Danica thanks for joining us how are you?”

Some of the highlights of the interview are listed below.

Jim Rome: On her early season success

Danica: It’s been a great season, five races into this season I’ve already had more top 5s than any other previous year. It’s been lots of fun, but we still have a ways to go, and we want to win some races

Jim Rome: have you dialed down a little bit emotional this year compared to last?

Danica: Yes, more comfortable and confident in myself, used to think that I had to prove to people that I cared about not doing well.

Jim Rome: You haven’t said so publicly, but have you made up your mind on what you’re going to do?

Danica: I haven’t made up my mind, I love IndyCar, and it’s what I am familiar with, I am having a lot of fun with the team and drivers, but I am interested in the excitement of NASCAR, the racing looks fun, and there are a lot of opportunities out there.

Jim Rome: So what is your decision going to come down to?

Danica: Probably the teams, which teams are the most interested in me and which teams can make it happen and give me the equipment to do well.

Jim Rome: People have tried and not had a lot of success, even good drivers, is it because it’s so different or just end up the wrong teams

Danica: There has to be a certain grace period to struggle, but I wouldn’t expect anyone to come over to IndyCar and be in a car that is not capable of winning and do well, so I don’t think they have been given the car that they need, the guy that has done it is Tony Stewart, he came over from IndyCar and got in good cars and did well.

Jim Rome: It seems logical, he (Tony Stewart) gets you, and you get him, have you guys had any discussion about a partnership?

Danica: I think anything is possible, I have had a lot of respect for Tony, and I’ve know him for a long time and I’ve talked to him at the racetrack and talked to him at Phoenix last year because it was local for me.

Jim Rome: You’ve spent your entire life proving people wrong, so is this just another challenge or is NASCAR different?

Danica: (pause) I think both of those comments are true, but it’s still just a racecar. You would have to learn it just like anything else, umm both of those comments are very true.

Jim Rome: What about the Indy 500, you came in 3rd, you had a great run, and did you think you had it won?

Danica: I didn’t think I had a chance to win until I got back into the garages and the engineers were down and I thought, what did I do wrong, I thought I had a decent day, but the emotion of Tony’s car be cracked up and Tony being hurt and to know that if the fuel had gone green all the day, it would have given us a chance at winning.

Jim Rome: Do you ever get the sense that people are more concerned about you look than how you driver and if so how does that make you feel

Danica: I don’t think so, you’ve seen me all done up and ready for TV, but I am pretty normal when it comes up to waking up in the morning. I don’t think my team looks at that all; they want me to go out there and give it my all. We are all out there to win.

Jim Rome: I had a burn on Jeremy Mayfield earlier in the show and I have never seen anything like that in that sport, what’s your reaction to that?

Danica: I don’t know enough about it, but from what I’ve seen, drivers need to be safe on the track and its something that needs addressed.

Jim closed by telling Danica that it was great to see her in person this time.