Danica Patrick And The Chevy SS

Life can move pretty fast. Just ask Danica Patrick. In 2001, at the age of 19, she was climbing through the ranks of the Indy Racing League (IRL) circuit and this past Sunday she won the NASCAR pole at the Daytona 500. With a top speed of 196.434 mph in her Chevrolet SS, Danica was the first woman to finish first in the pole, according to StarPulse.com. Danica seeks to do her sponsor GoDaddy.com and Chevy proud by placing, states ESPN, if not winning the Daytona 500 next Sunday.

Flex Your Engines

In an interview with ESPN, Patrick was quick to credit her race team, sponsor, and the Chevy SS. Cheverolet enthusiasts will rejoice that it’s an all-Chevy front row with Jeff Gordon taking the other top spot. Sponsorship of a NASCAR vehicle is a way for car companies to flex their engineering abilities and connect with fans, according to NoahBriar.com. Danica hopes this is a winning combination for next Sunday when she takes the Chevy SS to the track.

The New SS

The model of Chevy driven by Patrick is thought to be glimpse at the new SS sedan models with the Zeta II architecture, according to CarandDriver.com. With a V8 engine and rear wheel drive capabilities the new line of SS Chevy sedans are expected to have all the torque, power, and handling Chevy fans have come to expect with new Chevy releases. While the Zeta II platform was originally reserved for Cadillac models (SRX, SST, and CTS), General Motors has begun to incorporate it into a wide range of Chevy vehicles like the (Camaro, El Camino, and new sedans). According to a Tuscon Chevrolet dealer, the SS succeeds in many areas including the engine, transmission, handling and ride and price.

She Can Win it All

Mike Massaro, who covers NASCAR for ESPN, talked about the importance of Danica winning the pole and what it could mean, “It’s a groudbreaking event for NASCAR… It’s going to create a lot of hype… As long as you have a good racecar, and good instincts in the draft and partners who will work with you, you can win it.” The Daytona 500 is one of the most storied races in NASCAR and is known for drivers being aggressive and unforgiving. Danica has yet to have success on one of NASCAR’s biggest stages, and has less NASCAR experience than many of her competitors, but her blazingly fast pole time has many thinking she has a good shot at winning it all, according to ESPN.

Fans of NASCAR and Chevrolet already look forward to the Daytona 500. The first woman driver to win the pole and a souped up Chevy SS and Camaro are adding to the excitement. Though a pole winner hasn’t finished higher than 5th place since 2001, Danica plans to change that, according to ESPN. With her turning impressive test lap times, experts think she may have a chance at doing so.