Love on the Race Track: A Bad Idea? - jmik58's Blog

Arena Blog Dynasty Scores Sign Up ☰

jmik58's Blog

Love on the Race Track: A Bad Idea? Stuck

Posted on January 25, 2013 at 01:46 PM.

(5)

Would you put your own wife or girlfriend into the wall if you had the chance?

Rubbin's Racin' just took on a whole new meaning for NASCAR drivers Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The two drivers, who will compete on the same tracks for Sprint Cup rookie of the year honors while steering 3,400 pounds of sheet metal at 200 miles-per-hour, announced today that they are in a relationship off the track.

While the couple's togetherness is something I couldn't care less about, the "what if" scenarios have been racing (no pun intended) through my mind considering how heated NASCAR drivers can get on and off the track.

I vaguely remember an ESPN "This is Sportscenter" type of commercial (likely from the 1990's) where an NHL player was faux-interviewed and asked the question, "Would you check your own mother into the boards?" The defenseman/enforcer promptly replied, "Of course...but I'd keep my elbows down."

So if your own girlfriend -- or wife -- put a dent in your rear quarter panel and sent you sliding through turn three; how do you retaliate? And what if Kyle Busch (or Kurt for that matter) decides to mess with your head a little by roughing up the back-side of your significant other's car?

The couple claim that nothing will change for either of them; they'll both race each other with the same respect they've always done. But I have to imagine the good ol' boys of NASCAR will have a little fun with this one, pushing the buttons of Patrick and Stenhouse Jr. off the track, and quite possibly, all the way around it as well.

Sound Off: Would you rough up your significant other if competing against each other? What possible outcomes do you envision for Patrick and Stenhouse Jr. for the upcoming Sprint Cup season?

Justin Mikels is a staff writer for Operation Sports. Give him hell in the comments or on Twitter: @long_snapper

Comments

# 1 Bubba_Zanetti @ Jan 25

I don't know about outcomes but I wish Danica Patrick would just go away. The amount of media attention given to this woman, who is in essence an average-to-mediocre driver, astounds me. Thus far, her foray into Nascar has been a failure. It is nice to watch an IndyCar race and not hear her name. Unfortunately, I follow Nascar too and the media just fawns over her.

# 2 jsquigg @ Jan 25

She might get too much attention, but that's what happens when you're a barrier breaker. Maybe someday Nascar will be diverse and a woman with Danica's success won't get half the attention. Until that happens you can expect her to get more attention than her male peers with comparative success.

# 3 Bubba_Zanetti @ Jan 25

Hmmm...can't agree with you jsquigg. Danica's attention is mostly garnered thru marketing using her sex appeal, not her on track success (which was the initial catalyst -- mostly her early Indy 500 runs). She's pretty much been in good rides her whole professional career and not delivered. Janet Guthrie was more of a barrier breaker and faced more adversity and sexism than Danica did. The same for Shirley Muldowney. Secondly, right now she gets more attention than her male peers with significantly more success.

# 4 pagkerguy8 @ Jan 25

here's how much i follow Danica Patrick.......last i knew she was married.

# 5 HighCmpPct @ Jan 26

Lol say what you want about how her foray into Nascar has gone, you definitely fault Ricky for getting with her. And if anything he's the only one to worry about this, instead of being forced to sleep on the couch he might just get put in the wall hahaha.