As she faces the most uncertain time of her NASCAR career, Danica Patrick sounds more secure in herself than ever.
During a recent episode of the NASCAR on NBC podcast, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver explained how she is growing more “Zen” in approaching middle age.
“I just don’t feel the weight of anything anymore,” Patrick, 35, said. “I just don’t feel angry about anything. It’s just gone. There are plenty of things I look back and think, ‘That sucked, but you know what? I’m going to go on’.
“And the things that make you the happiest are free. Do I love going on a private jet? Sure. Do I love going to really fancy vacations with boutique hotels where you have your own 3,000 square feet? Do I love being able to treat people well by giving them gifts and buying them things? Yeah, of course. That’s all wonderful stuff, but nothing feels better than the joy of family, love and friends. The stupidest thing, when I watch my two dogs play, I’m so happy. I literally laugh out loud by myself.”
Patrick said he has taken to watching Oprah Winfrey’s “Super Soul Sunday” for inspiration in interviews with spiritual people.
“Have I been screwed out of millions of dollars over the years in different ways and different places? Yep,” she said. “Have I had heartache? Yep. Have I been disappointed in myself or other people? Yep. There’s been all kinds of that, but that’s life.”
There is much happening in Patrick’s life outside of the car. Her first book (“Pretty Intense”) will be released in January, and she already has made plans for a sequel. She has opened a Napa Valley vineyard (Somnium) that recently released its first Cabernet Sauvignon. She launched a “Warrior” athleisure line that will be sponsoring her No. 10 Ford at Richmond Raceway this weekend.
But Patrick has cautioned against the perception that the forays are evidence of an exit from NASCAR.
“They are not an escape plan, they are not a backup plan, they are purely extensions of things I already do,” she said. “They really are. What I love about racing is the art of it. I love the challenge, the journey. I love the work involved between a group of people to find success. Whether it be through my communication about how the car feels, then you make changes, and it gets better.
“There’s a journey in that. I also love the execution, the mental discipline, the setting someone up. The things it takes to put a whole race together. There’s nothing better than outsmarting someone out there. Those are the things I really enjoy about racing. I’ve never made it a mystery that I’m not into cars.”
Patrick said there is no timetable for solidifying a 2018 ride.
“Just go with the flow and see what comes up and feels right,” she said. “In the spiritual laws of success, the two laws that are most important are the law of detachment and of least resistance. They’re similar.”
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