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Patrick sounds off on NASCAR's inconsistency in behavioral penalties

Danica Patrick would like to see more consistency with NASCAR’s penalty system.

Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images

Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet and Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota have altercation on pit road
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Sounds like by "consistency" Patrick means "No penalties for anyone." 

Patrick was fined $50,000 and 25 driver points for intentionally wrecking David Gilliland at Martinsville Speedway in 2015.

However, when Austin Dillon showed his displeasure by plowing into Cole Custer under caution in last weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR only remedy was to park the driver of the No. 2 for the remainder of the race—a meaningless gesture since Dillon’s car was too heavily damaged to continue. 

Wanting her money back

When asked how she felt about the varying degrees of punishment, Patrick replied, “Give me my money back.”  

“I also got fined here last year for Kasey Kahne right-rearing me on the front straightaway at 215 miles an hour and I gave him this sign, and I got fined for that, too,” Patrick said and repeated the raising her arms gesture (though the penalty was actually for exit her car and advancing onto the track to make the gesture).

“I think NASCAR makes a really big mistake of fining for some stuff, especially something that happens in the car, because it makes for good TV – just like fights and all that stuff.  

“We can handle it. I think it’s a mistake. I might be speaking too much, but I’ve been fined a few times, and I think that it makes for good TV and I think that we handle it out on the track ourselves.”

Although it would be entertaining to watch the diminutive Patrick attempt to defend herself against drivers twice her size, it might not go over well with pundits outside of the sport.  

A uniform system

What Patrick appears to be more concerned with is the lack of predictability in NASCAR’s officiating. She also questions the distribution of the fines. Patrick would like to see the sanctioning body establish a more uniform system — or not penalize drivers at all for confronting each other.  

“Yeah, I’d rather that be the standard,” Patrick added. “I mean, what does that really do? I’m not going to not go on vacation. I would actually rather know what it did. I would actually love to see like the playground that got built for it, or homeless people that got food. 

“I would like to see actually what the money does for fines because it’s supposed to go to charity, right? So what does it really do? I would like to see that.”

Note: Fine money that goes to the NASCAR Foundation supports such initiatives as the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award and the Speediatrics Children Fund, which has a national impact on children’s medical and health care services.

Speaking of racing…

Patrick is still looking for her first top 10 finish at Auto Club Speedway. 

After four starts on the two-mile track, her best result came in 2014 when she finished 14th. Last year she wrecked on Lap 120 of 205 and finished 38th. 

“I’ve had great races at Fontana,” Patrick said. “It’s probably one of my better tracks. I feel like there’s been a lot of races where I’ve been in the top-15 and getting stronger as the race goes, so hopefully this weekend is a good race for me at Fontana. 

“I would love to do that in the Aspen car and love to just have a good race. At the end of the day, what I said at the beginning of the year is that I want to do this and have fun, and when you do well you have fun, so, hopefully, it’s a good race.”

This year has been a struggle for Patrick, who is currently 29th in the Monster Energy Cup Series standings. Patrick, who turns 34 on Saturday, is looking forward to NASCAR’s return to short tracks in two of the next three races. 

With the exception of restrictor plate tracks, Patrick has enjoyed most of her success on short tracks, where she has top-10 finishes at both Martinsville Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.

“I think what happens at the short tracks for me as that while I have spent a lot of time over 200 miles an hour in an Indy Car, it’s more traditional passing on short tracks and that falls more into the road course background of setting the pass up, timing it right, getting inside of them – all the things that it takes – whereas on a mile-and-a-half or a bigger track you just carry momentum through the corner and you’ll be two, three, four-wide and it’s all fine,” Patrick said.

“So I think that’s what happens with the short tracks, especially the ones where you run the bottom like a Martinsvillle.  Then I think to like a Bristol, and I have had some good results at Bristol and some good races going, but we do run at the top, so I think anytime where there’s a traditional pass being made, for me, it’s familiar and it’s comfortable.  

“And I think usually when that’s the case too, it requires you to be disciplined to hit the line every time, so something else that I think plays into my strengths is the discipline and the focus of not making the mistakes. I think that helps me, too.”

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