Danica

Danica Sue Patrick is an American former professional racing driver. She is the most successful female in the history of American open-wheel car racing. Her victory at the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the sole win for a woman at the history of an IndyCar Series race.Born to a working class family in Beloit, Wisconsin, Patrick started karting at the age of ten . She achieved her first success when she won her class at the World Karting Association Grand National Championship three times in the mid-1990s. She quit high school with the permission of her parents in 1998, and 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 funding. She competed in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races in 2002 for Rahal Letterman Racing. Patrick continued to race in the Toyota Atlantic Series for the two years that followed. Her best finish was third in the championship standings for 2004 season. She was the first female in the series to earn a pole position. She was awarded the 2005 IndyCar Series Rookie of Year. She continued to improve over the next two years working for Rahal Letterman Racing in 2006 and later Andretti Green Racing in 2007. In 2008, Patrick followed up her Japan victory by finishing at sixth place overall in the driver's standings. Her performance improved to earn fifth place the following season, which resulted in her finishing a record-breaking third at the Indianapolis 500, the best performance by any woman at the race. Patrick's overall form dropped during the year, but she did manage to finish second at the oval tracks. Then she quit IndyCar in the year 2011 to pursue stock car racing full time.