Neither Danica Patrick nor Dan Wheldon won the IRL race in Milwaukee on Sunday, but they managed to become the center of attention afterwards. And let me tell you, it was one of the best exchanges of smack-talking this year.
Here’s the deal. While battling for fourth in the 87th lap, Wheldon bumped into Patrick, sending Danica spinning towards the inside of the track. The bump set Danica back a lap, and she later complained that the nudge was the result of Wheldon’s jealousy:
I don’t know if he’s mad that I passed him at Indy and he got passed by five more cars or something. I don’t know. I don’t know if the message got across, I’ve never been in a situation with Dan before.
Wheldon however, did not hesitate to put Danica in her place. Check it out:
What goes around comes around. She nearly put me into the pit wall at Indianapolis. I certainly have no problem with everybody else on the track. I’m sure she’s just feeling the pressure of not winning races and her teammates are.
…
She’s just being Danica. She’ll be fine when she calms down. She’s messing with the wrong person if she wants to get feisty that’s for sure, because I’m a lot tougher than she is on the track.
That is effin’ great! Uhh, this actually might get me interested in watching the next time the two of them are on the track. And how great is it that Wheldon said what everyone’s thinking — Danica’s just pissed because she hasn’t won anything! And forget gender too — Wheldon says he’s tougher than Danica. This is great. Props to Wheldon for smacking Danica around a bit and telling it like it is. Nicely done, my man.