Danica Patrick ends racing career with crash at Indianpolis 500

Last Updated on May 27, 2018 by CCAR Staff

  • Alexander Rossi drives by Danica Patrick as she hits the wall in the second turn during the running of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Greg Huey)

  • Danica Patrick hits the wall in the second turn during the running of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Greg Huey)

  • Danica Patrick leaves infield hospital after being checked and released following a crash in the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Danica Patrick is interviewed following her release from the infield hospital after being checked following a crash in the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Danica Patrick hugs Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers before climbing into her car before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Danica Patrick waves as she’s introduced before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Danica Patrick stands with her mother Bev Patrick, left, sister, Brooke Selman and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Danica Patrick makes her way to her car before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan, center, of Brazil, Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, along with Dixon’s daughters Poppy and Tilly talk in the green room before the start Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis Sunday, May 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Danica Patrick’s racing career ended Sunday with a crash in Turn 2 of the Indianapolis 500.

Patrick lost control of the car and hit hard in the outside wall, sliding back down across the track and into the inside barrier. The rest of the field managed to miss Patrick as she came to rest on the grass.

Australian Will Power, a two-time winner of the Long Beach Grand Prix, navigated around several crashes to get his first Indy 500 victory. Ed Carpenter was second and Scott Dixon finished third.

Despite the hard hit, Patrick managed to climb out of the car on her own. She was apparently uninjured, and appeared on camera with ABC for a post-crash interview.

“Today was really disappointing for what we were hoping for, and what you’d want for your last race,” Patrick said.

Patrick, who shot to prominence by finishing fourth as a rookie in 2005, announced earlier this year that she would step away from racing after Sunday’s race. The race capped her “Danica Double,” which began at the Daytona 500, where she also crashed out well short of the finish.

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Patrick has been a polarizing figure, and that only increased when she moved from IndyCar to NASCAR. She struggled to run up front despite driving for a powerhouse Stewart-Haas Racing team much of her career, and she wound up with just seven top-10 finishes.

Still, she is respected and in some cases revered at Indianapolis, where fans still remember her leading the 2009 race before finishing third. She was surrounded by autograph-seekers all month, and she got one of the loudest ovations during driver introductions Sunday.

Patrick said earlier this week she had no regrets about her career, and that she doesn’t think she will have the itch to ever come back. Instead, she plans to spend time on her burgeoning business empire and with her boyfriend, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Please accept our sincerest condolences. As you navigate this deeply difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with you, the victims and their loved ones who died in roadway tragedies.

While you take care of yourself and your family, let the legal team at Rafii & Associates, P.C. fight for you. Our personal injury attorneys have decades of experience extracting multi-million dollar settlements from the largest insurance companies. If you or your loved ones were harmed by an auto accident, call us today for a free evaluation of your case: 1-800-262-9885. Hablamos Español, para asistencia inmediata, llámenos.

Free Evaluation

If you or a family member suffered injuries in an auto crash, the award-winning team of personal injury attorneys at Rafii & Associates, P.C. will review your case free of charge. Simply fill out the form below or give us a call toll free at 1-855-468-4482.

Hablamos Español, para asistencia inmediata, llámenos: 1-855-468-4482.

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