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Danica Patrick No. 7 Team GoDaddy.com
Danica Patrick No. 7 Team GoDaddy.com
ST. PETERSBURG - Maybe Danica Patrick had some vocal supporters sitting directly behind her pit, and she treated them to a solid performance Monday in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
The IndyCar Series' most popular driver overcame a 21st-place starting spot, avoiding mistakes on a track that was slick for the first few laps, and finished seventh.
That tied for her second-best effort at St. Pete (she was sixth in 2006), and it was best among the four drivers entered by Andretti Autosport (formerly Andretti Green Racing).
Danica Patrick
"At the beginning of the day, I said if I can finish in the top six, that would be an awesome day," Patrick said. "We almost did. Dario (Franchitti) was definitely fast. He passed me and left with no problem, so that was going to be a hard one to hold off.
"I managed to hold off the rest of them. I know there are probably not a lot of people leaving this track really pleased, because I'm sure they felt held up, but if I was on 'blacks' (tires), I think it would have been different."
Patrick had to run the last 28-30 laps of the race on red-sidewall tires, because there were no caution flags over the last 22 laps. The "reds" provide extra grip but wear out faster.
Danica Patrick
"The last 12 laps or so, they were a handful," Patrick said. "I was just hoping time would go much quicker than what it felt like out there. So when I heard four to go, I was like, 'grab it girl, and go.' ... I was doing everything I could."
Franchitti, the defending series champion, overcame a spin on the first lap and had one of the fastest cars on the track late in the race. He passed Patrick with a few laps to go and wound up fifth.
Patrick's full-time teammates, Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti, finished 10th and 12th. Ryan Hunter-Reay, who has five-race deal with the team and is hoping to land full-time sponsorship, finished 11th.
Team owner Michael Andretti said Patrick's team did the job of the organization's four cars.
"She did a good job," he said. "That team did all the right things on the strategy and everything. They got her up there, got her track position, and she was able to keep most of them (back), so it was good."
Danica Patrick
Teammate trouble
Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti had a run-in on Lap 33 that team owner Michael Andretti said "ruined both of their races." Each had to make an unscheduled pit stop afterward, and they finished 10th and 12th.
"I don't really know what happened when Marco and I got together," Kanaan said. "He slowed down in front of me, and I hit him. ... Nowadays, you just can't afford any mistakes. The series is too competitive."
Marco Andretti didn't comment. Kanaan said he didn't want to talk about the incident further without first watching the video with Andretti.
The two teammates had a disagreement in the 2008 Indianapolis 500. Kanaan was leading just past the halfway point when he was passed by Scott Dixon and Andretti. Kanaan spun and was blindsided by Sarah Fisher.
Danica Patrick
Afterward, Kanaan said Andretti didn't give him enough room to race.
Asked Monday if the teammates need to communicate better, Michael Andretti said that wasn't the issue.
"They needed to take care of each other out there, and they didn't," he said.
Odds and ends
St. Petersburg's Dan Wheldon finished 10th after a right suspension failure led to a crash during the middle of the race. He started 15th and moved into the top 10 early before the incident. ... Graham Rahal, who won the Grand Prix two years ago at age 19, was never a factor, but by finishing ninth, he gave lower-budget Sarah Fisher Racing its first top-10 finish. The race marked the first time Fisher watched the car she normally drives from the timing stand. "Graham did an exceptional job," she said.
Maria Sharapova boyfriend
Maria Sharapova and her boyfriend
Life happens when you are not on the court ALL the time. Blogs are reporting that Maria Sharapova dates Charlie Ebersol, the son of NBC sports chairman Dick Ebersol and actress Susan Saint James. According to New York Daily News, Sharapova joked that “my boyfriend will probably outbid you” before putting herself up for auction at the Bryan Brothers’ All-Star Tennis Smash charity event last weekend. However, one lucky guy won a date with the Russian tennis star - for $10,000. Charlie first received media attention when he and his father survived a 2004 charter plane crash that took the lives of two crew members and Charlie’s younger brother. Since then, Charlie has become a film producer, collaborating with Ashton Kutcher on the documentary Ithuteng (Never Stop Learning). The film debutes on HBO on Dec. 3.
Jeff Hardy Girlfriend
WWE Wrestler Jeff Hardy is alleged to have been involved in a hit and run accident this morning (Friday), but before you get sucked in, it’s yet another fake angle to televised wrestling.
According to the WWE: “Jeff Hardy and his girlfriend Beth were involved in a hit and run automobile accident earlier this morning in North Carolina. Both Jeff and Beth were injured during the accident, but no ambulance was called to the scene.”
Jeff Hardy car accident
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy catch
Jeff Hardy is
Jeff Hardy
According to the WWE: “Jeff Hardy and his girlfriend Beth were involved in a hit and run automobile accident earlier this morning in North Carolina. Both Jeff and Beth were injured during the accident, but no ambulance was called to the scene.”
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Jeff Hardy Photos and Review
WWE arrogantly displayed their inability to understand public perception with the ill-conceived 'Jeff Hardy has been hospitalised' storyline going to into the Survivor Series PPV this past Sunday.
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
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Jeff Hardy style
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Serena Williams Revealing
Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena williams oops
Dime Wars has dug up a gallery of the tennis phenoms Venus and Serena Williams working their groove thing on the dance floor … oops! tennis court.
Go figure. It appears that their agility in tennis is lost when it comes to dance. They are trying to get down, but something tells them they better not go south central on the court.
Check them out. It appears they are giving the false impression that their spectators could possibly beat them at this.
Serena williams
Serena williams oops
Serena williams
Serena williams
Serena williams oops
Go figure. It appears that their agility in tennis is lost when it comes to dance. They are trying to get down, but something tells them they better not go south central on the court.
Check them out. It appears they are giving the false impression that their spectators could possibly beat them at this.
Serena williamsSerena williams oopsSerena williamsSerena williamsSerena williams oops
Serena Williams You Want see
Serena Williams
hot Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Williams on beach
Pro Wrestling Gallery
Imagine, if you will, that in the last decade 186 men who had played major league baseball died before they were 50. Imagine that in that same time 435 men who had played in the NFL likewise died before they were 50.
Pro Wrestling
Pro Wrestling
Pro Wrestling Game
Pro Wrestling
Pro Wrestling
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