Danica

Danica Sue Patrick, an American ex-professional racing driver. She is the most accomplished woman in American open-wheel racing in history. The victory she won in Indy Japan 300 was her first triumph. With the consent of her parents, she dropped out of highschool and moved to the United Kingdom in 1998 to pursue her dream of becoming a professional. Patrick competed in Formula Vauxhall, Formula Ford and Formula Ford before returning to the United States in 2001. In 2002, she competed in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races for Rahal Letterman Racing. Patrick was a Toyota Atlantic Series racer for the following two seasons. Her best result was third in the championship standings for the 2004 season where she became the first female to be awarded a pole in the series.She first drove in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Racing in 2005. She took three pole positions, which was equal to Tomas Scheckter's record for poles during her rookie season. She was the IndyCar Series rookie of the year in 2005, and also won the Indianapolis 500. She continued to progress through Rahal Letterman Racing (2006) and Andretti Green Racing (2007). In 2008, Patrick followed up her Japan victory to place sixth overall in the drivers' standings. She then improved to secure fifth the following season. This saw her finish a career-high third at the Indianapolis 500, the best performance by a woman in the race. Patrick's overall performance dropped in the 2010 season, but she still managed to place second on the oval track. She left IndyCar in 2011 to pursue stock car racing full time.