Marking the end of her career at the track where she made a name for herself, Danica Patrick's farewell tour has been cut unceremoniously short as the former Verizon IndyCar Series race winner crashed out of the 102nd Indianapolis 500 on lap 69.
Patrick, 2005 Indianapolis 500 rookie of the year, announced in November 2017 that the 2018 race would mark the end of her career. Starting seventh and looking to retire on a high note with heavy media presence and a fast Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, Patrick would drop off the pace early as the car's handling proved troublesome. Dropping from P7 to P12 in the first lap, Patrick had to come completely off of the throttle to maintain control through the racetrack's notorious high speed corners.
Coming through Turn 2 on the 69th lap, Patrick's #13 GoDaddy car lost control completely. Spinning up the banking backwards, the left front connected hard with the wall with heavy wheel damage. Emerging from her car post-accident, she was saluted with cheers from the crowd as she stepped out of a racecar for the last time. The entry is retired from the race, and an iconic career retired from the sport.
"I'm not sure really what happened," Patrick told the ABC broadcast crew after being cleared from the infield care center. "It just seemed to come around. Today was really disappointing for what we were hoping for and what you want for your last race. I'm grateful for all of it. Wish we could finish stronger."
Danica Patrick's third place finish in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 will stand as her best finish in the famed event.
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