Danica Finish Line Crash: Patrick Takes 10th After Multi-Car Crash, Apologizes (VIDEO)
Nascar driver Danica Patrick has apologized for her possible involvement in a multi-car crash that occurred on Saturday night in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Competing in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, Patrick finished in tenth place after losing her lead position during a multi-car crash that occurred just two laps before the finish line. It was unclear Saturday night whether Patrick was the cause of the crash.
"It felt like I just ran along the wall, but it looked like it could have been me that came down in front of (David Gilliland), it definitely wasn't what I was trying to do at all," she said according to USA Today. "I was just following (Dale Earnhardt Jr.), so if that's what happened, I definitely apologize. I lost spots doing it. All in all, a solid day."
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Patrick opened the race in 11th place but had managed to get as high as second, behind winner Jimmie Johnson on lap 108, before that crash occurred.
"She did a really good job," crew chief Tony Gibson told Today. "We really didn't get the finish that we wanted, but it can always be worse. We got fast cars, and she can draft the hell out of these things. One of these times we're going to get the opportunity when we're in the right line at the right time and take advantage of it."
After finishing in 8th place at the Daytona 500, Patrick was confident about her improvements on Saturday, despite having a slow start and a rough finish.
"I felt like we were a little slow to get going, but I think that we made the car better, and I felt I figured out some things that got the GoDaddy car in a decent position," she said. "We ran strong, and that's what we wanted to do."
