Danica Patrick Backed By Kenny Wallace On Bold Females In NASCAR Claim

This perspective was recently echoed by former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace, who adds his voice to the ongoing debate about representation and challenges faced by female athletes in the industry.

With only a handful of female racers entering the junior ranks, the development of talented female racers often falls short. Patrick contends that the grueling nature of racing inherently benefits male racers.

Kenny Wallace recently supported Patrick’s comments during a conversation on a YouTube show hosted by Ken Schrader. Wallace noted the physically exhausting nature of racing, likening the experience to feeling like a “wet noodle” after a race. He agreed with Patrick, acknowledging that the high physical demands present an additional challenge for females competing in the sport. He explained:

“Danica Patrick would agree with you. When she pretty much quit racing, she came out with a really controversial [statement], but everybody agreed with her… ‘It’s easier for a man to win in racing because it’s tough. It’s hard. There are races that we’ve been young. And we come out of that car like a noodle, a wet noodle.”

Patrick’s racing career is marked by numerous firsts, including becoming the first woman to lead and secure laps in both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 and achieving a historic victory during the Indy Japan 300 in 2008.

Raised in a racing-affiliated family, Patrick adopted a passion for motorsport early on. Her exposure to racing through her father’s involvement was devoid of gender differentiation in its initial stages. However, as her career gathered momentum, Patrick encountered skepticism from her peers and society, grappling with stereotypes and scrutiny about her gender.

Patrick has faced criticism for her strong statements about women in motorsport. As part of her role with Sky Sports F1, she previously commented on having a female driver in Formula One. She explained at the time:

“Well, you’re assuming I want that; you’re assuming that is important to me, and it’s not.

“It’s always an interesting stance I have on it. I think that what makes the sport really popular is great racing—you can have half the field out there women and have it be follow the leader, and it’s not going to be interesting to watch.

“Good racing, and that’s what we have so much of these days in Formula 1. I mean, pretty much everything other than Max is a toss-up for who’s going to be second, third, fourth, or fifth that weekend, and so that’s what makes it really appealing.

“And so I think, as someone who obviously was a girl, you’ve just got to come up like normal.”