Danica Patrick wins Indy Japan 300
By JIM ARMSTRONG, AP Sports Writer
2 minutes ago
MOTEGI, Japan (AP)—Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history Sunday, taking the Indy Japan 300 after the top contenders were forced to pit for fuel in the final laps.

Patrick finished 5.8594 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Helio Castroneves on the 1.5-mile Twin Ring Motegi oval after leader Scott Dixon pitted with five laps left and Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan came in a lap later.

“It’s a long time coming. Finally,” Patrick said. “I was managing to save fuel and keep the speed up and when I saw Helio I knew he was the one to beat.”

The 26-year-old Patrick won in her 50th career IndyCar start.

“Thank you to Andretti Green. Thanks to my teammates,” she said.

Dixon took the lead from Castroneves on the 93rd lap in the race rescheduled for Sunday because of wet track conditions Saturday, but gave up the spot to pit for fuel.

“We led for a lot of laps but came up short,” Dixon said. “But congratulations to Danica for her first victory.”

Patrick, who started from the third row and made her final pit stop on lap 148, stayed close to the leaders throughout the 200-lap race.

“I knew there was a good reason for coming to Japan,” Patrick said. “I want to thank my team, the fans and everyone who supported me.”

Dixon was third, followed by Wheldon and Kanaan.

Patrick finished a career-best seventh in the season standings last year, and was second in the race at Detroit’s Belle Isle.

At the 2005 Indy 500, she nearly won the pole and became the first female driver to lead the race en route to a fourth-place finish. It was the best finish by a woman at Indy, and helped her take rookie of the year honors.

When will she win on American Soil though?

She sounded like a real stuck up bitch on sportscenter. Every other word out of her mouth made her sound like she was entitled to win, focusing on how she is a woman and it was about time and finally and shit like that. Reaked of entitlement. I'd have a lot more respect for her if she just won graciously and didn't keep talking about how she's a girl and did it.

I think of her little temper tantrum on the track everytime I heard her name. Good stuff.

Well before it happened, it was ESPN and the media that would always bring up the point that she's a female and WHEN would be her first victory. I blame the ESPN for keep on reminding us that she was a female and that she was "entitled" to a win.

Maybe now that she's won, we can just get back to the racing aspect of the sport instead of the gender

if she had bigger than A-cups she'd be really hot