Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick made motorsport history by becoming the winningest driver in American open-wheel racing. A fierce competitor, she once tried to fight back against Landon Cassill at Kansas Speedway. Unfortunately, her attempt backfired and the race was over. Patrick began her career in NASCAR in 2010 with the IndyCar Series.
During her seven-year career, she competed in a total of 191 races as a driver for SHR. She has seven top-10 finishes, with her best Cup Series result being an eighth-place finish at the 2013 Daytona 500. Patrick also became the first woman in the sport to win a pole position in the Cup Series, further strengthening her standing in NASCAR.
In addition to her NASCAR career, she also won the 2006 Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi Circuit, driving for Andretti Green Racing. Danica Patrick drove the No. 10 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Landon Cassill, driving the No. 83 Toyota for BK Racing, passed them early in the race.
She tried to push past Cassill to regain her position. She managed to push past the #83 car, but lost control of her own car and crashed into the wall. Here’s how the incident played out: The incident caused Patrick to retire early from the Sprint Cup Series race. Cassill regained control of his car after his forced exit and continued the race. He was also heard over the team radio telling the driver of the #10 car, “The number one rule in stock car racing is to learn how to wreck someone without wrecking yourself.”
Retired from NASCAR, Danica Patrick now runs a thriving candle-making business and also runs the podcast “Pretty Intense,” where she interviews people from all walks of life. She also worked as an analyst for Fox Sports in 2022 and was commentator for the 2022 Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
“I’ve always played fair” – Danica Patrick on the incident with Landon Cassill at Kansas
Danica Patrick’s No. 10 car was badly damaged in an on-track accident while she was preparing for the playoff race in Texas afterwards. In an interview with NASCAR, she opened up about the incident. “I was really frustrated with the (No.) 83, he hit me on the front straight for no other reason than the radio connection. […] I’ve always played fair, but if it only happened once, I can imagine it’s frustrating, but he’s been hitting me pretty regularly, so at some point I have to stand up for myself,” she said.
“The bad thing is, this was my car in Texas, we had a good run, and we improved the car.”
After the accident, Patrick finished the playoff race in Kansas in 32nd place. However, BK Racing driver Cassill managed to finish inside the top 20, crossing the finish line in 18th place.
