On 17th December 2008 it was announced she will be the first female to drive in the new F1 feeder series Formula 2.

Career

• 2001 Swiss junior karting champion.
• 2002 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft test – fourth of 64 drivers.
• 2003 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – one fourth-place finish.
• 2004 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – two fourth-place finishes.
• 2005 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – sixth, three podiums.
• 2006 Formel 3 Cup – one podium, nine top-10 finishes.
• 2007 Star Mazda 3- two podiums.
• 2008 Spanish Formula 3 – four podiums.

ashley force works her way up the ranks

Determined to avoid accusations of riding her father’s coattails, Ashley Force started her career at the very bottom of the industry by competing within the junior Top Alcohol circuit. She quickly made an indelible impact on the notoriously competitive scene, and Ashley Force impressively managed to emerge victorious at several races during her first year as a driver. After ultimately finishing 2004 in fourth place, Ashley Force had effectively set herself apart from her father and was quickly earning the respect of some of the industry’s most grizzled veterans.

ashley force on driving force

Ashley Force’s increased exposure, as well as the up-and-coming careers of her racing sisters, Brittany and Courtney, caught the eye of executives at the A&E network, and the family agreed to participate in a reality series that revolved around their hectic lives. Entitled Driving Force, the show followed family patriarch John Force as he attempted to balance his thriving career with the needs of his daughters. Ashley Force quickly proved to be a standout on the program, as her competitive personality seemed tailor-made for a contemporary reality show.

ashley force competes against her father john force

Over the next few years, Ashley Force’s domination within the Top Alcohol circuit made her a prime candidate for the sport’s Funny Car division and, in 2007, she joined her father’s team, John Force Racing. Ashley Force found herself pitted against her own family right from her very first match, as she went head-to-head against her brother-in-law Robert Hight in a race that he ultimately won.

In April of 2007, Ashley Force and her father entered the National Hot Rod Association’s history books after they became the first father and daughter to compete in the same race. Ashley Force stunned both herself and her fans by conquering her old man in the match, with her father later commenting, “I’ve dreamed of this day for a long time, and it makes me emotional to think it finally came true. She’s a great young driver and she’s probably gonna whip me a bunch, but I’m OK with it because she’s my baby.”

Later that year, Ashley Force broke more records after she became the first woman to compete in a national series Funny Car final. Her career path set, Ashley Force has certainly managed to overcome any questions of nepotism to establish herself as one of the most talented and tenacious competitors within the crowded field.

She appeared in commercials for Secret deodorant in 2005 and 2006 until she was replaced by Rihanna in 2007. She also appeared in Jay-Z’s music video “Show Me What You Got,” where she drives a Pagani Zonda Roadster. A spot for the Honda Civic Coupe features Patrick trying to avoid a speeding ticket.

Early racing career

Danica Patrick began go-karting in 1992 at the age of ten[citation needed] at Sugar River Raceway outside of Brodhead, Wisconsin and went on to win several national championships. She moved to England at the age of 16 in order to advance her racing career. Focusing primarily on road racing, Patrick raced in several developmental open-wheel series while in Europe, including Formula Ford and Formula Vauxhall. Patrick earned a second-place finish in England’s extremely competitive Formula Ford Festival, the highest-ever finish by either a woman or an American in the event.

In 2002, Patrick signed a multi-year deal to race for the team of Bobby Rahal. After making several starts in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, she moved to the Toyota Atlantic Championship for 2003. Driving for Rahal Letterman Racing with sponsorship from Argent, Patrick achieved moderate success in the Toyota Atlantic series. During her time in Atlantics, she won one pole and was a consistent podium finisher (top three); however, she never won a race. In 2004, Patrick finished third in the Championship.

As well as participating in Atlantics, Patrick also made an appearance in the American Le Mans Series, driving for the Prodrive Ferrari team to tenth place at the 2003 Grand Prix of Atlanta. She would attempt sports cars later in her career with a run at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2006.

Controversy

Prior to her win in Motegi, the most notable criticism of Patrick was that she had not won a race in three years of IRL competition and still garnered significant media attention. She is frequently promoted in mainstream and motorsport media, and has been compared to female athletes like Anna Kournikova for her apparent willingness to be marketed on her looks, examples being her appearance in FHM in April 2003 and Sports Illustrated in June 2005 and February 2008.

Before 2008, some racing journalists, IndyCar fans, and other drivers claimed that Patrick’s relatively low body weight gave her an advantage in the IndyCar series, which had a strict minimum weight set for the cars but which did not account for the driver’s own weight. Patrick’s height is 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) and she weighs 100 pounds (45 kg/7 st 2 lb). By comparison, the IRL’s tallest driver in 2008 is 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Justin Wilson who weighs 176 pounds (80 kg/12 st 8 lb). The Dallara cars used in the IRL series weigh between 1,530 pounds (690 kg) and 1,600 pounds (730 kg), excluding the driver and 22 U.S. gallons (83 L/18 imp gal) of fuel. IRL President Brian Barnhart thinks the advantage is exaggerated, telling Dave Caldwell for The New York Times that Patrick’s weight “had a [...] minimal effect on the competition.” With the IRL-Champ Car unification prior to the 2008 racing season, the rules were revised to define the minimum weight of the car as including the driver.

Several male drivers have made negative comments about Patrick’s ability, as a woman, to race successfully. In May 2006, after an appearance on ESPN SportsCenter’s Budweiser Hot Seat, Patrick made comments that ruffled the feathers of former NASCAR drivers. Former driver Richard Petty responded, in a separate interview, by stating, “I just don’t think it’s a sport for women, and so far, it’s proved out. It’s really not. It’s good for them to come in. It gives us a lot of publicity, it gives them publicity. But as far as being a real true racer, making a living out of it, it’s kind of tough.” After Patrick’s IRL win, she was praised by many drivers. NASCAR driver and former IRL champion Tony Stewart, for example, said “I think obviously she’s got talent; she’s been successful in every form of racing she’s been in so far and I don’t see why she wouldn’t be successful here [in NASCAR].” Bob Margolis of Yahoo! Sports criticized Patrick for her actions after being taken out of the 2008 Indianapolis 500 after a pit road collision with Ryan Briscoe, writing that “Patrick’s drama queen theatrics have worn thin.

Main in her LIfe

• Patrick is married to Paul Edward Hospenthal, who had previously been her physical therapist.

Links:

• Danica Patrick