By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
After stops this weekend in Nashville, Tenn. and then in Milwaukee, Wis. next week, the Indy Racing League will head for Michigan.
And thanks to a rookie driver, the IRL has never been hotter.
Danica Patrick, who two weeks ago won her first career pole at Kansas City, has everyone talking about the IRL.
Her model good looks have sometimes overshadowed her driving ability, but she feels that any publicity is good publicity when it comes to the Indy Racing League.
Patrick is being looked at as a role model. She knows that every step she takes is carefully scrutinized.
Some of the things she has done up to this point have raised a few eyebrows, but she says she has nothing to worry about.
Patrick has handled it all in stride and is looking forward to getting back to the race track after a week off.
Nashville is an extremely tough track and since each track the IRL goes to is new to Patrick, she knows her work is cut out for her.
She not only has to battle the other drivers on the track, but the perception of being a female in a male dominated sport.
Her success on the track and the attention off the track would seem as if taking her career one step at a time would be difficult, not so she says.
Patrick, 23, was born in Rosecoe, Ill. She began her racing career in 1992 with go-karts.
She moved to Formula Vauxhall Winter Series in 1998 and finished ninth in the championship standings in 1999.
In 2000 she competed in the British Zetek Formula Ford Championship Series and in the European Formula Ford Series.
In 2002 she signed a contract with Team Rahal to drive in the Toyota Atlanta Series.
In 2004 she finished third in the Toyota Atlantic Championship Series for Rahal Letterman Racing.
In here first season of IRL competition, Patrick opened a lot of eyes at the Indianapolis 500 where she became the highest finishing woman ever when she took fourth place.
Patrick was leading the 500 late in the race before fading to fourth.