Danica

Danica Sue Patrick is an American former professional racer. She has been the most successful female ever to compete in American open-wheel car racing. Her win at the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the sole win for a woman in an IndyCar Series race.Born to a working class family from Beloit, Wisconsin, Patrick began karting at age of ten and achieved early success after winning her class at the World Karting Association Grand National Championship three times during the mid-1990s. She dropped out of high school with her parents' permission in 1998 and moved to the United Kingdom to further her career. Patrick was a participant in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford before returning to the United States in 2001 due to a lack in funding. In 2002, she raced in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races for Rahal Letterman Racing. Patrick participated in the Toyota Atlantic Series the following two years. Her best finish was third in the championship standings for 2004 season. She was the first female driver in the series to win an overall position. She was named the Rookie of the Year in both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series. She saw improvement over the next two years with Rahal Letterman Racing in 2006 and, later, Andretti Green Racing in 2007. Patrick came in sixth place in the driver's standings after winning in Japan. She then improved to place fifth in the drivers' standings the next season. This was her most impressive result at the Indianapolis 500 and a career-high for Patrick. Patrick's overall form dropped during the year, but she did manage to place second on the oval tracks. After that, she left IndyCar in 2011 to concentrate on stock car racing full-time.