Patrick deserves hype

Danica Patrick deserves every bit of praise today, with no asterisks, excuses or rationalizations from her critics.

In other words, all male chauvinists please shut up.

Patrick made history by becoming the first female driver to win a major open-wheel auto race, and even passed one of the IndyCar Series’ best, Helio Castroneves, for the win. She deserves the worldwide coverage for her first series win – in her 50th start – at the Japan Indy 300 at Twin Ring Motegi on Sunday.

Finally, she earned the hype.

“It’s a first, and firsts are always in the history books,” Patrick said on a teleconference call. “I had definitely thought about that before. I always hoped and wanted to be that person. It’s probably the only thing where I thought of myself as a girl. I don’t think about it a lot otherwise.”

There’s no denying that, prior to the win, Patrick, 26, received more publicity than any driver who’d never won anything. She has made a lucrative living on decent driving, media savvy and sex appeal. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it was a marketing avenue to financial security not available to, say, Tony Kanaan.

Her win in Japan easily tops her previous claim to fame: best finish by a female driver at the Indianapolis 500 (fourth).

Now she’s one of the boys.

“Danica is such a fantastic person and I’m thrilled for her that the monkey is finally off of her back,” said her car owner, Michael Andretti. “We have all believed in her and she proved that she is a winner. Frankly, I think this is the first of many.”

I tend to agree with Andretti. Once a driver claims that first win, victory moves from intellectual concept to a tangible goal.

Patrick’s success to this point in the IndyCar Series hasn’t been on par with Castroneves, Kanaan, Scott Dixon or Dan Wheldon. But neither has her career been the disappointment some of her critics have suggested. She had 28 finishes in the top 10 (and eight in the top five) in 49 career starts before Japan. All she lacked to move up among the true contenders was a win.

Some observers, and you know what your Internet message-board names are, drone on about how the circumstances conspired to Patrick’s advantage in Japan. They imply that these factors somehow lessen the significance of the win. That’s the whining of haters.

Yes, there were circumstances, and Patrick took advantage of them. This, lest her critics forget, was an option available to every driver and every team. Yes, part of the recently unified open-wheel racing league did not compete because those drivers were in Long Beach, Calif., for the final race of the now-defunct Champ Car series. Yes, it was the Indy Japan 300 and not the Indy 500.

And, yes, Andretti Green Racing’s decision on fuel keyed her win as drivers ahead of her had to pit late.

So what?

Everyone else, and that includes second-place Castroneves, third-place Dixon and fourth-place Wheldon, had to make decisions on how to make the best use of their fuel situation.

Castroneves, in fact, chose much the same strategy as Patrick. He didn’t quite nail it, and had to conserve fuel at the end. Patrick and her team seized their chance.

Do you think Castroneves allowed Patrick to pass him two laps from the finish because he’s such a nice guy (not to mention a good dancer)? If so, you don’t understand the ego of world-class athletes and competitors. They give no quarter.

That’s why they’re in their position. That’s why, despite constant criticism, Patrick kept charging.

It’s why one of the sports’ big names – Andretti – put money and energy behind her.

“I imagine we all have those dreams of being the best at something,” Patrick said. “Those victories, whether it’s literally a checkered flag or something you’ve done on your own, show that dreams really do come true. You just have to be persistent enough.”

Because she used her gender and physical beauty as part of her appeal, Patrick was in line for criticism when she failed to produce any wins to further justify her celebrity status. But she could never be accused of a lack of persistence or a lack of focus on becoming a better driver.

She delivered the historic win.

The hype is finally justified.