Tony Stewart Reflects on Signing Danica Patrick: “It Was About Talent, Not Just Sponsorship”
Racing legend Tony Stewart recently revisited his decision to sign Danica Patrick to Stewart-Haas Racing, emphasizing that the move was driven by her racing skills rather than her high-profile sponsorships. While Patrick’s partnership with GoDaddy generated significant attention and commercial value, Stewart made it clear that it was her raw ability behind the wheel that made her the right fit for his team.
Patrick was one of the most recognizable and trailblazing figures in motorsport during the 21st century. Long before she transitioned into media work and later conservative political commentary, she broke barriers as a female driver in a male-dominated sport. Her landmark victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 made her the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race, a historic achievement that brought her global fame.
She later became a staple in NASCAR, notably as the most recent woman to compete full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series until Katherine Legge entered the scene earlier this year. Despite widespread media attention, Patrick proved herself capable of running with the best, carving out a career that mixed competitive racing with high-profile branding.
Stewart’s decision to bring Patrick on board in 2012 was seen by many as a bold move. Some critics suggested it was her marketing value, especially her longstanding partnership with GoDaddy, that secured her place in NASCAR. However, Stewart has now clarified that commercial appeal wasn’t the driving factor.
“When we brought Danica into the team, it was because we believed she could compete,” Stewart said in a recent interview. “People get caught up in the branding and sponsorships, but none of that matters if the driver can’t deliver. Danica had proven herself in IndyCar. She had the racing instincts, the discipline, and the commitment.”
Patrick’s stint at Stewart-Haas Racing brought moments of promise. Though she never won a Cup Series race, she managed seven top-10 finishes, showing steady improvement during her tenure. Her standout performance came at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2014, where she finished sixth in the Oral-B USA 500 — one of the best finishes ever by a woman in the series.
Still, Patrick faced ongoing challenges in adapting to the Cup Series, a discipline vastly different from open-wheel racing. As the seasons wore on, consistent results became harder to find. By 2017, it became clear that her time in the sport was winding down. Rather than quietly exit the scene, Patrick announced an ambitious and symbolic farewell — dubbed the “Danica Double” — in which she would compete in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 in 2018 before officially retiring from professional racing.
Reflecting on her decision to retire, Patrick later opened up in a televised interview on NBC’s Dateline, giving insight into the emotional and mental side of her departure from the sport.
“It just wasn’t in my heart anymore,” Patrick said candidly. “What I always loved about racing was the feeling that I was improving — getting better, moving forward, getting closer to winning. But as time went on, that feeling started slipping away. It began to feel like the outcome was no longer in my control, and that’s when I knew it was time to step away.”
Since leaving motorsports, Patrick has worn many hats. She explored media broadcasting, dabbled in entrepreneurial ventures, and more recently, sparked attention for her public stances on various social and political issues. Even so, many fans continue to associate her primarily with her racing career, where she stood out as a pioneer in both IndyCar and NASCAR.
Tony Stewart remains proud of the decision to bring Patrick into his team. For him, it was never just about headlines or image — it was about giving a talented driver an opportunity to compete at the highest level.
“Danica had the courage to step into one of the most competitive arenas in motorsports,” Stewart noted. “She didn’t just carry the weight of expectations — she carried the weight of history. And she did it with determination and class. That’s something I’ll always respect.”
Even though Patrick’s NASCAR career didn’t result in the podium finishes some had hoped for, her impact was undeniable. She opened doors for other women in motorsports, proved she could run with top drivers, and showed that determination could carry a racer a long way — even when the odds were steep.
As new names like Katherine Legge begin to appear on the Cup Series roster, it’s clear that Patrick helped set the stage. Her career remains an example of the complex blend of skill, pressure, media scrutiny, and legacy that defines a professional athlete in modern motorsports.
Looking back, both Stewart and Patrick have no regrets. Their partnership helped push the sport forward, challenging old assumptions and broadening the definition of who belongs on the starting grid.
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