Danica Patrick was born March 25, 1982 in Beloit, Wisconsin and grew up in Roscoe, Illinois. She began go-karting at the age of 10 and won several World Karting Association championships. In order to advance her career, she moved to England at the age 16 and raced in Formula Ford and Formula Vauxhall, where she won second place in Britain's Formula Ford Festival. In 2002, she returned to the United States and raced for Rahal Letterman Racing.
At the end of the 2004 racing season, Rahal Letterman Racing announced officially that Danica would drive in the IRL IndyCar Series in 2005. That year, she posted the fastest practice speed of the month at 229.88 mph. In 2005, Patrick finished 12th in the IRL IndyCar Series Championship, totaling 325 points. Danica was named Rookie of the Year in 2005 for both Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series season. In 2008, Danica won her first IRL IndyCar Series race and became the first woman to win an IRL IndyCar Series race. Danica Patrick's parents are T.J. and Bev Patrick. T.J. drives her motor coach, manages her website and merchandise trailer and Bev takes care of Danica's business affairs.
Danica is married to Paul Edward Hospenthal, a physical therapist, who took care of her after an injury. Danica won the Kids Choice Award for favorite female athlete in 2008. She has had two speeding tickets in Scottsdale, Arizona, her new hometown. She has hosted several TV shows for Spike TV and Powerblock, and in 2005, she was featured on a documentary called “Girl Racers.” On June 6, 2005, Danica was featured on the cover of “Sports Illustrated” and has appeared in numerous commercials. She now is featured in GoDaddy.com commercials and is driving the GoDaddy.com race car in the 2010 NASCAR season.
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