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Tag: danica patrick

  • Here’s Danica Patrick’s ‘At Google’ Talk

    Race car driver and “GoDaddy girl” Danica Patrick recently spoke in an “At Google” talk as part of the Women at Google series. Google has now made the discussion available for all.

    “As a woman in a male dominated field, Danica will share her story on how she succeeded against the odds,” Google says in the description. “She hopes that her story will encourage others to reach high and achieve their goals.”

    Google also notes that Danica is the most searched for athlete.

    More recent At Google talks here.

  • Danica Patrick Involved in Big Crash at Daytona

    NASCAR driver Danica Patrick was involved in a big crash at Sunday’s Daytona 500, effectively ending her night 145 laps into the 200-lap race and giving her a 40th place finish.

    According to a post-race report on Patrick’s website, the cars of Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, and Brian Scott got together and started a chain reaction crash.

    Almirola slammed into Patrick, causing her to crash into a concrete retaining wall and damaging her GoDaddy Chevy too heavily to continue the race.

    When her car finally came to a stop in the infield grass Patrick, who was not injured in the crash, could be heard saying “Oh, man. What the hell happened?”

    At least 12 drivers were eventually involved in the crash, one of several in an eventful race that also included a six-hour rain delay.

    Harvick finished 13th, Scott 25th, and Almirola 39th.

    “I think more than anything I am just upset because the GoDaddy car felt really good and it was the best car that I had all Speedweeks,” Patrick said. “It seemed like we could catch whoever and it seemed like we could move around, make lanes and just move around and move forward at the end of the day. I felt like everything was going pretty well, so it’s just upsetting. It’s a bummer, but you know that is the excitement of speedway racing that anything can happen, and it was unfortunate that I was on the short end of the accident. But that is the kind of thing that happens …”

    Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the race for the first time in a decade. The win was enough to inspire him to finally join Twitter:

    If he’s looking for Twitter tips, Earnhardt can always turn to NASCAR’s reigning queen of Twitter, Patrick, who recently became the first driver to top one million followers.

    Image via YouTube

  • Daytona 500: Danica Patrick Involved in 13-Car Wreck

    Danica Patrick’s Chevrolet was one of the cars involved in a 13-car wreck that happened during the Daytona 500.

    The accident occurred when Brian Scott and Kevin Harvick’s cars collided on the fourth turn of lap 146 of 200. Scott hit the car of Aric Almirola, whose vehicle went towards the infield and hit several cars during the spin. One of the cars that were caught in the spin was Patrick’s.

    Patrick lost control of the vehicle and stopped on the grass neighboring the racetrack. Tony Gibson, the crew chief, immediately radioed Patrick to ask if she was okay. The shaken driver replied “Yeah what the hell happened?” She was then brought to the care center and was eventually released with no injuries.

    According to her statement, she was disappointed due to the fact the she felt the Chevrolet she was driving was the fastest car she has had through the Speedweeks. Patrick also said that the accident was unfortunate and that she was at the short end. However, she was also quick to say that what happened was the exciting part of speedway racing.

    Also involved in the crash were Michael Waltrip, Josh Wise, Justin Allgaier, Marcos Ambrose, Kasey Kahne, David Gilliland, Austin Dillon, Paul Menard, and Parker Kligerman.

    According to Waltrip, he had no idea how the crash started, but he knew how it ended. He saw two cars collide and was then hit from behind by a black car. Waltrip also showed his frustration, as he was an innocent victim in the crash.

    After 16 laps, there was another big collision involving 10 cars. This time, the wreck was caused by Austin Dillon spinning into Kyle Larson. Other racers involved were Brian Scott, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Michael Annett, and Kasey Kahne.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. went on to win the 2014 Daytona 500. Danica Patrick officially finished 40th in the race.

    Image via YouTube

  • Danica Patrick: 1 Million Twitter Followers

    Danica Patrick is the first NASCAR driver to top 1 million Twitter followers. The racer reached that mark just before the season opener at the Daytona 500 on Sunday.

    “It just shows what incredible and loyal fans I have,” she said during an interview with the Associated Press prior to the race. “It’s pretty humbling that 1 million people are curious about what I have to say and what I’m doing. I really can’t thank everyone enough for their passion and interest.”

    The next driver in line to Danica Patrick’s Twitter record is six-time champion Jimmie Johnson with 530,000 followers. Juan Pablo Montoya leads all IndyCar drivers with just under 800,000. Patrick’s boyfriend, NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr, is followed by 126,000 fans. There’s no question as to who reigns with regard to social media. Patrick thanked longtime personal sponsor TISSOT for introducing her to Twitter, and GoDaddy, her NASCAR sponsor, for allowing her to be “organic, real and fun” while communicating via social media.

    Boasting 1 million followers puts Danica Patrick ahead of Lindsey Vonn, Maria Sharapova, Mia Hamm, and Anna Kournikova. The only really big time female athletes she trails in Twitter followers are Serena Williams, who has 4 million followers, and U.S. soccer player Alex Morgan’s 1.3 million Twitter followers. Not bad at all for a girl from NASCAR.

    Patrick showed off her Revo Sunglasses before her race on Sunday.

    She also thanked her fans for helping her reach the 1 million mark for Twitter followers.

    Naysayers can talk about Danica Patrick not having earned her ride in the Sprint Cup Series, but it’s pretty clear to see who has more than a million people behind her–and who doesn’t.

    Do you follow @DanicaPatrick on Twitter?

    Image via YouTube

  • Danica Patrick, 1 Million Twitter Followers

    NASCAR driver Danica Patrick is the first of her kind to receive more than 1 million followers on Twitter.

    ”It just shows what incredible and loyal fans I have,” she told The Associated Press. ”It’s pretty humbling that 1 million people are curious about what I have to say and what I’m doing. I really can’t thank everyone enough for their passion and interest.”

    The 31-year old driver, model, and spokesperson hit the mark today right before the Daytona 500, thanking TISSOT, her personal sponsor, for getting her started on Twitter.

    She also thanked GoDaddy, her NASCAR sponsor, for letting her be “organic, real and fun” while posting to the social media website.

    Patrick tops all other NASCAR drivers on Twitter by 300,000. Juan Pablo Montoya has under 800,000 and six-time champion Jimmie Johnson has 530,000 followers. Patrick’s boyfriend, driver Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. has 126,000 followers.

    As far as other female athletes go, Patrick has surpassed Lindsey Vonn, Maria Sharapova, Mia Hamm, and Anna Kournikova for number of Twitter followers. However, Serena Williams still has her beat with 4 million followers and soccer player Alex Morgan is also ahead with 1.3 million.

    Though popular with her loyal supporters, Patrick has received rough criticism from many NASCAR fans. In fact, recently, Hall of Famer Richard Petty claimed that they only way Patrick could win a Sprint Cup was if “everbody else stayed home.”

    This isn’t the first time the 76-year old has spoken out on Patrick. Last year he said that he just doesn’t think she has the skills.

    “She can go fast, and I’ve seen her go fast. She drives the wheels off it when she goes fast…she’s not a race car driver. There’s a difference,” Petty said. “The King always had that stupid saying, but it’s true, ‘Lots of drivers can drive fast, but very few drivers can race.’ Danica has been the perfect example of somebody who can qualify better than what she runs. She can go fast, but she can’t race.”

    But, as always, Patrick took the high road, responding politely to reporters, but never biting back. In fact, according to Yahoo News, she always ignores the criticism.

    ”I always have because I really don’t care,” she said in an interview. ”When somebody says something like that, how can I really take it seriously? So, I really just don’t care.

    ”It’s partly being conditioned for so long and people saying so many things like that. It comes from being confident in what I can do. Where I’m at, having the support of the people around me, it’s them believing in me. It’s all those little side things.

    ”And I’ve had plenty of people over the last week come up to me and tell me ‘You are great, you are awesome, you go get ’em girl. Don’t listen to what anybody says about you.’ I actually hear more positive than I do negative about these things.”

    Despite having a history-making amount of followers for a NASCAR driver, she adds that people can be really mean on Twitter.

    “People say things like ‘I wish you would die,’ because people can be cowardly behind their keyboard and they don’t have to have a face. They don’t have to have human contact with the words they say.”

    To find the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing on Twitter, search @DanicaPatrick.


    Image via YouTube

  • Danica Patrick And Tony Stewart Blow Engines At Daytona 500

    Like most Nascar racers, Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart were taking advantage of the practice time before the Daytona 500. All seemed well for both racers until the last hour of practice. Both Patrick and Stewart suffered blown engines. While changing the engines was a simple task for the team crews, diagnosing the problem and reason behind the blown engines was not simple.

    “We feel like we understand what’s happening,’’ Doug Duchardt, general manager of Hendrick Motorsports, said. “The drivers have been consistent in feeling it’s something in the bottom end of the engine. For tonight and for the rest of the week when we go to race we really don’t have any concerns with the Sprint Unlimited or getting into the Daytona 500. I think it’s us trying to maximize two laps for tomorrow. It’s not a specific component issue. It’s how we go about trying to minimize the time around the track for qualifying.’’

    Even worse for the team, swapping for an unapproved engine will mean that the drivers will have to start at the rear of the field, even if they win the pole or outside pole position for the Daytona 500.

    Neither teammate seems to be concerned about using their backup motors and are still confident in their abilities to win. Patrick claimed that she was actually thankful that her motor blew when it did saying,

    “I only had a few hundred yards to go before the start/finish line then I would have shut it off (and ended practice), so I guess I’m glad it happened then — being five seconds away from blowing up — because that would have been tomorrow (if she had come into the garage as planned).”

    The Daytona 500 will take place on February 23.

    Do you think the engine swap will cause problems for Patrick and Stewart?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Richard Petty Slams Danica Patrick…Again

    Richard Petty Slams Danica Patrick…Again

    Richard Petty hasn’t exactly made it a secret that he doesn’t think Danica Patrick has what it takes to be a competitive driver, but over the weekend he reiterated his opinion by saying that he doesn’t see her winning a NASCAR Sprint Cup race anytime soon.

    When asked at the Canadian Motorsports Expo in Toronto over the weekend whether he thought Patrick had a shot, Petty answered, “(Only) if everybody else stayed home.”

    It’s not that Patrick can’t race, says Petty; speed is definitely not the problem. For him, she’s just not a good driver.

    “That’s where I have a problem,” he said on SPEED’s “Race Hub” last year. “Where fans have bought into the hype of the marketing, to think she’s a race car driver. She can go fast, and I’ve seen her go fast. She drives the wheels off it when she goes fast…she’s not a race car driver. There’s a difference. The King always had that stupid saying, but it’s true, ‘Lots of drivers can drive fast, but very few drivers can race.’ Danica has been the perfect example of somebody who can qualify better than what she runs. She can go fast, but she can’t race.”

    The fact that Patrick is also a spokesperson for brands like GoDaddy.com–and stars in racy ads for them–is also troublesome for the veteran racer, who has won 7 Daytona 500 titles. But there is a silver lining, he says.

    “If she’d have been a male, nobody would ever know if she’d showed up at a race track,” Petty said on Sunday. “This is a female deal that’s driving her. There’s nothing wrong with that, because that’s good PR for me. More fans come out, people are more interested in it. She has helped to draw attention to the sport, which helps everybody in the sport.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Danica Patrick Gets Buff for Super Bowl Ad

    In a GoDaddy commercial that would make The Situation and GTL fans everywhere scream with joy, Danica Patrick sports a big muscle body suit and races against buff-bodied men to the nearest spray tan palace. GoDaddy is going against their traditional dolled-up, glamorous marketing approach in this year’s Super Bowl ad. Instead of seeing a sexy Danica, Super Bowl audiences will witness how the brunette NASCAR driver looks with veins popping and more muscles than Poppy when he eats his spinach.

    The advertising goddess has now appeared in 13 GoDaddy Super Bowl commercials, making her the most used celebrity in big game ads. Why the GoDaddy marketing switch? Last year’s commercial with Danica and supermodel Bar Refaeli sucking face with a nerd ranked last in USA Today’s Super Bowl ad meter. However, the word of mouth due to the rather disgusting and outrageous make out session did reach an all-time high.

    Maybe you remember it? Maybe you’d like to forget it? Either way, here’s another look at sexy meeting smart.

    The web hosting company who has continually used the Super Bowl as a major advertising platform will hope that their 2014 ads will be a touchdown. The estimated price for a 30-second commercial this year is $4 million.

    And believe it or not, the price tag is usually worth it. Not only will people be talking about and rewatching ads the next day on the internet, but the Super Bowl attracts over 100 million viewers world wide. In an age where television audiences usually switch the channel during commercials or fast-forward them on their DVR, people know to stay-tuned for the clever and expensive ads shown during breaks in the game.

    Super Bowl XLVIII will take place on February 2nd in New Jersey. The offensively-charged Denver Broncos will face the defensive-minded Seattle Seahawks.

    Image via Facebook

  • Danica Patrick’s Showgirl Costume

    Danica Patrick’s Showgirl Costume

    “I hope that little bit didn’t fall flat.”

    The NASCAR racer surprised guests and viewers when she showed up for the American Country Awards Tuesday night in a sexy showgirl costume, combining country and Las Vegas into one.

    While on stage in the bejeweled nude body suit and over-sized headdress, Danica Patrick joked about her breast size saying, “The good thing about me is that there’s no chance of a wardrobe malfunction there’s not much to malfunction!”

    Patrick’s cohost, country star Trace Adkins, also joined in on the fun on the stage of Mandalay Bay when he appeared in drag singing “I Feel Pretty.”

    Patrick’s scantily-clad appearance even made it into the Twitter world via other country music stars.

    Along with entertaining the crowd, Adkins and Patrick acknowledged artists and announced awards for country music’s biggest names.

    According to E Online, the big winners at the event last night were Luke Bryan, taking home multiple trophies including artist of the year, and Blake Shelton, receiving various awards like Album of the Year, Single of the Year by a Male Artist, and Music Video of the Year by a Male Artist.

    Taylor Swift also took home a handful of awards including The Worldwide Artist trophy and Single and Music Video by a Vocal Collaboration.

    Along with racing, Patrick has also appeared as a Go Daddy spokesmodel; however, according to I4U News, Go Daddy has announced to not run sexy Super Bowl ads in 2014, departing from the risqué advertisements they have run during Super Bowl games for the past 9 years. Patrick will still be featured on at least one of the two thirty-second spots.

    image via: Facebook

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0ZLSGyyPHU

  • Jay Mohr Roasts Danica Patrick at NASCAR Awards Show

    Actor, stand-up comedian, and radio host Jay Mohr provided comedic entertainment at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Friday night in Las Vegas. Mohr took the stage to roast several of the famous drivers in the audience.

    At least one of them, however, didn’t appear to find Mohr’s ribbing funny.

    Danica Patrick was seated near the stage with her boyfriend and fellow race car driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., prompting Mohr to send a zinger her way.

    “Danica, I hope you’re not too uncomfortable tonight. I know you’re not used to being this close to the front.”

    Maybe it was the gasp from the audience, or maybe it was the icy look on Patrick’s face that prompted Mohr to add: “It’s a comedy show. Jeez Louise.”

    He then applauded Patrick for being the first woman to win the pole at Daytona and said he respected her for silencing “the haters.”

    Cut-away shots showed Patrick still not looking happy, so Mohr kept at it: “Somebody … put a smile on that face.”

    While his girlfriend could be seen closing her eyes and shaking her head in obvious chagrin, Stenhouse appeared equally put off by Mohr’s roast, which soon turned on Stenhouse himself.

    “Ricky knows what we all know — sometimes the guy has to step aside and let the woman lead … just ask Kevin Harvick,” Mohr said.

    Cut-away shots showed Harvick laughing amiably, obviously more aware that the jokes were indeed just part of a comedy show.

    Mohr rifted on other NASCAR champions present at the awards ceremony, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Clint Bowyer.

    Patrick retaliated later when she accepted an award, thanked her fans for their support, and added “I think it’s pretty safe to say, Jay Mohr’s not one of them.”

    Post by Danica Patrick.

    Last week’s Champions Week celebration in Vegas concluded the 2013 NASCAR season.

    Image via YouTube

  • Danica Patrick, Hopeful for Happily Ever After

    “I’m not afraid to [wed] again at all.”

    The NASCAR driver and model does not have a lot of free time in her life, but neither does her current boyfriend, racer Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    Danica Patrick divorced Paul Hospenthal, her husband of seven years, last April. However, she feels that she and her current love “understand each other.”

    ”My personal life is on the road,” she said. “Ricky and I have the same job and the same schedule, but luckily we have good families that come to us and they come to the races. We get very good at making the most of our time and if there’s a couple of days off, we try and make the most of them.”

    Although the couple has not been dating long, Danica isn’t dismissing a potential second marriage. “I love love and I think that if the love is big enough, it’s great. I’m not afraid to do that again at all,” she told Life and Style magazine. “But if I’m getting married is not a question I know the answer to. Should we go get Ricky and you can ask him yourself?” she added

    According to the Globe and Mail, Michael Andretti, who saw Danica become the first woman in history to win the pole at the Daytona 500 earlier this year, also put in his two bits about her split from Hospenthal.

    “Now that her husband’s out of there — he was not a good influence on her, I can tell you that,” Andretti said in March. “That’s when things went south with us when he started getting involved. He was very controlling. Had her think in funny ways. She was getting out of control. Her head was getting so big. You just couldn’t talk to her. I’m hoping she’s coming back down to Earth a little bit.”

    Nowadays, the “new” Danica is more playful, especially as the “GoDaddy Girl.”

    “I’d say I have a lot more fun doing a lot of different things,” she said. “There’s a lot more things that I’ve tried for the first time this year and I’m open to doing, whether it’s going skeet shooting or learning how to play golf. The fun we’ve had having our families here on the weekend, just having everybody stay on the buses and be with us. It’s just been a great year.”

    Happier than ever, professionally and personally, Danica sees a bright 2014 ahead.

    image via: Wikimedia Commons

  • Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Wreck During Practice

    Danica Patrick had a rough time at practice this week. She wrecked into an outside wall between Turn 1 and Turn 2 and damaged her car so badly that the crew had to bring in the backup car.

    “I wheel-hopped it into (Turn) 1 and it just came around. When it wheel hops, it doesn’t slow down very well,” Patrick said. “Caved the whole bumper in. Backed in and then went to the side. If I would have just pancaked it on the side, they probably would have just tried to bang out the wheel wells and fix it. But it crushed the bumper in.”

    The time it took to get the backup car ready and on the track was time that Danica couldn’t afford to lose since the practice was the only one before the qualifying session. The backup car hasn’t been used since 2011.

    Danica wasn’t the only one fighting the turns at practice, her boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wrecked his primary car between Turns 1 and 2 less than a half hour after Danica wrecked. Ricky Stenhouse was second-fastest and in first place at the time of the crash and Danica was 36th-fastest on the speed chart at the time of her wreck.

    Danica finished12th at Martinsville earlier this year in April. It looks like both Danica and Ricky could use some more practice.

    Image from Wikimedia Commons.

  • Danica Patrick Better For Go Daddy’s Brand Than Van Damme?

    Earlier this month, we reported that Go Daddy has dropped the GoDaddy girls in favor of a new “ass-kicking” small business message in its advertisements. They kicked this new strategy off during the NFL season opener with an ad featuring screen legend Jean-Claude Van Damme.

    According to data from the YouGov BrandIndex, “He’s no Danica.”

    “Go Daddy may have to bring sexy back,” a YouGov spokesperson tells WebProNews. “Trading in provocative auto racer Danica Patrick in a bikini for action star Jean-Claude Van Damme playing musical instruments in a bakery has not given Go Daddy’s new ad campaign a promising start with consumers.”

    Since the ad spot premiered, they say, ad awareness has increased nearly 50%, and the brand’s perception has shown improvement, but in the past five days, consumer perception of the company has fallen to just below where it was before the ad launched, with equal positive and negative feedback from consumers.

    “Since premiering its new TV ad spot on Thursday, September 5th, ad awareness for Go Daddy has increased nearly 50% from 13% to 18% of the U.S. population. The brand’s perception also had a modest improvement over the first week since the campaign began.”

    “On September 5th, the day the Jean-Claude Van Damme campaign launched, Go Daddy had a Buzz score of one, meaning slightly more positive feedback vs. negative feedback. By September 12th, the score moved up to 4, but then dropped just below zero by September 15th.”

    Here’s a new Van Damme ad they put out a few days ago:

    I don’t know. That one’s pretty sexy.

    Image via YouTube

  • Danica Patrick Teaming Up With Trace Adkins

    Danica Patrick is teaming up with country star Trace Adkins to host the American Country Awards in December, picking up where Kristin Chenoweth left off last year.

    The show will be streamed live from Mandalay Bay in Vegas on December 10, and while Patrick doesn’t have much experience in hosting a big awards show, she has spent some time with some of the biggest names in the business, having appeared in videos for Miranda Lambert and Colt Ford.

    Patrick is moving on after what she calls an “amicable” split from her husband of seven years, Paul Hospenthal. The NASCAR driver posted the news on her Facebook page that the two of them were divorcing last year.

    “I am sad to inform my fans that after seven years, Paul and I have decided amicably end our marriage,” she said. “This isn’t easy for either of us, but mutually it has come to this. He has been an important person and friend in my life and that’s how we will remain moving forward.”

    Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • Danica Patrick Slammed By Veteran Racer

    Danica Patrick Slammed By Veteran Racer

    Danica Patrick has, in recent years, become just as well known for her racy Go Daddy ads as she has for her driving, and veteran racer Kyle Petty thinks that’s a very bad thing.

    Petty said recently that he doesn’t think Patrick is a real race car driver and doesn’t believe she has what it takes to be one, despite the attention she gets for being a female driver. Her skills, he says, don’t meet the hype.

    “That’s where I have a problem,” he said on SPEED’s “Race Hub”. “Where fans have bought into the hype of the marketing, to think she’s a race car driver. She can go fast, and I’ve seen her go fast. She drives the wheels off it when she goes fast…she’s not a race car driver. There’s a difference. The King always had that stupid saying, but it’s true, ‘Lots of drivers can drive fast, but very few drivers can race.’ Danica has been the perfect example of somebody who can qualify better than what she runs. She can go fast, but she can’t race.”

    “The King” Petty is referring to is his own father, driver Richard Petty, who won the NASCAR championship seven times and took first place a record 200 times over the course of his career. His bloodline might lend credibility to his opinions, but fellow driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. disagrees.

    “If she was not able to compete,” Earnhardt said, “I think you might be able to say Kyle has an argument. But she’s out there running competitively and running strong on several accounts. I think that she has got a good opportunity and a rightful position in the sport to keep competing and she just might surprise even Kyle Petty.”

    In a sport like race car driving–which has been male-dominated since it was invented–it can be frustratingly difficult for women to gain a foothold or be taken seriously; Patrick, therefore, has earned some criticism over the years for putting a spotlight on her looks off the track.

    image: Koimano.com

  • Boyfriend Wrecks Danica Patrick At Coca-Cola 600

    Danica Patrick’s boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., was the cause of a wreck that took out Patrick and Brad Keselowski during this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.

    Fox Sports reports that Stenhouse wrecked Patrick on lap 319 of this weekend’s race. He bumped into Patrick’s back end and her car then hit Keselowski’s car. By the end, there was a three-car wide wreck.

    The wreck wasn’t Keselowski’s fault, but he still took responsibility when speaking to the press:

    “I was three-wide with Danica and didn’t know it and I cut her off and wrecked her and myself. I feel bad for her and I send my apologies to her. It’s just a long night for the Miller Lite Ford.”

    Keselowski retired at the 32nd position after starting in the 20th position. Patrick retired at 29th place. Stenhouse was able to finish the race.

  • Danica Patrick Hit By Rock At Dirt Track

    Danica Patrick was hit by a rock on Thursday, but it wasn’t because somebody had any ill will towards the NASCAR driver. She just simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    The AP is reporting that Patrick, while racing on a dirt track, was hit in the head by a stray rock. She reported feeling like she had a concussion, but on site medical teams released her with a clean bill of health.

    The run in with a stray rock must have felt like nothing in comparison to her harrowing wreck last weekend in Phoenix. Patrick had about 100 laps to go in the race when she slammed into a wall. Fortunately, the wreck only left her with a stiff neck.

    Patrick will be participating in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    [image: Commonist/Wikimedia Commons]

  • Go Daddy’s First Of Two Super Bowl Ads Is Better Than Last Year’s

    Go Daddy has broadcast ads during the Super Bowl for the past nine years. Last year’s ads were not received very well, and we suggested that Go Daddy change its strategy. The company will once again have two ads going up this year, and the first has been revealed. Does it remedy the errors of the past?

    The first ad to be revealed this year is called “YourBigIdea.CO.” As you can obviously tell, the ad is trying to sell you Go Daddy’s new .co domains. The ad implicates that .co domains are the new Gold Rush of the Internet age. If you get one, you’ll become incredibly wealthy.

    Compared to last year’s ads, this ad is way better. It seems that Go Daddy may be done with trying to exclusively use sex appeal to sell domains. Sure, some of the men watching the game may like the models that Go Daddy employs for its ads, but it doesn’t exactly sell its product. To be fair, however, Super Bowl ads have always been more about entertaining viewers than trying to sell a product.

    According to Ad Week, Go Daddy has one more ad that it will reveal soon. The other ad will star supermodel Bar Refaeli alongside longtime Go Daddy spokesperson Danica Patrick.

    In other Super Bowl ad news, Hulu recently kicked off its Ad Zone once again. The site will feature all the Super Bowl 2013 ads in real time as they appear during the game. Viewers will then vote on which ads are their favorite. Go Daddy better hope viewers respond more favorably to its ads this time.

  • Bar Refaeli Is The New Go Daddy Girl For The Super Bowl

    It almost wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without Go Daddy advertising with scantily clad women. The company announced today that it has signed actress and model Bar Refaeli to star alongside longtime Go Daddy girl Danics Patrick in one of its two 30-second Super Bowl spots.

    The one with Refaeli is titled “Perfect Match,” but the company isn’t releasing details of the ad’s concept.

    “The opportunity to be in a Super Bowl commercial is thrilling … and to partner with Go Daddy is something I just couldn’t resist,” said Refaeli, who was number one on Maxim’s Hot 100 list for 2012. “I feel like the ‘Perfect Match’ commercial is a chance to be in an iconic Super Bowl spot that not only leaves people talking, but shows everyone what Go Daddy is really about. I really look forward to meeting Danica too!”

    Patrick will have appeared in 12 Super Bowl commercials after this year’s game. She has already appeared in more than any other celebrity in history, according to the company.

    “Go Daddy attracts a lot of marketing attention,” says Patrick. “What really makes Go Daddy special, though, is the way they ‘get it done’ for their customers – their brand of personalized service is unlike anything in the tech industry … the commercials are just the icing on the cake and I think ‘Perfect Match’ will be one of those ads people rewind to see over and over.”

    “We think we’re going to make special Super Bowl magic with ‘Perfect Match,’” adds Go Daddy Chief Marketing Officer Barb Rechterman. “This ad marries Go Daddy’s edgy brand with our reputation for taking care of customers in a way we think will be surprising and, more importantly, entertaining.”

    Perfect Match was developed by Deutsch NY and is being filmed in Los Angeles today. I would imagine that we’ll be seeing it show up on YouTube before too long.

    Image: Bar Refaeli’s Facebook Page

  • Danica Patrick Crash Leads To GoDaddy Jokes

    GoDaddy girl Danica Patrick had another crash on Sunday, forcing her to leave the Sprint Cup Series race, taking place in Kansas. This time, however, she apparently brought it upon herself in retaliation to actions by another driver, Landon Cassill.

    Some are saying she “let her temper get the best of her.”

    Here, you can see exactly how it happened:

    Patrick defended herself after she left the race. The LA Times shares comments she made upon exiting her vehicle:

    “I have just been really frustrated with the No. 83. He slammed into me on the front straight for no other reason than his radio communication, ‘She was in the way.’ I’ve always played fair. If it’s one time, I can imagine frustration. But it’s been pretty consistent with him getting in to me. So at some point in time, I have to stand up for myself, or everybody’s going to do it.”

    “My situation with Cassill is really a product of frustration. He got into me on the front straight and said I was just in the way. That’s really no good reason to hit me. The bummer about it is that my car is out, and he’s still out there going, so I’ve got to work on how to do that.”

    She’s been taking a lot of criticism for the move, and naturally, the commentary has been pouring onto Twitter. Some have been making jokes at sponsor GoDaddy’s expense. For example:

    If you follow GoDaddy at all, however, you know that the company is pretty used to jokes and controversy.

    The whole things comes on the heels of reports that GoDaddy was considering dropping Patrick after her contract expired, but the company has reportedly indicated that she is still part of its long-term plans.

    Patrick was reportedly in 16th pace in the race until the crash went down.

  • Danica Patrick Drives A Hot Wheels Car In Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

    It was announced a while back that Danica Patrick would be a playable racer in Sega’s upcoming game – Diddy Kong Racing Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Sega is now bringing more of the real world into their latest racing game.

    Sega announced today that Patrick will be driving a custom Hot Wheels car in the Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. It’s an electric green-white car that’s covered in logos for Hot Wheels and Patrick’s main sponsor Go Daddy. If that wasn’t enough, Sega has also given the vehicle its own cringeworthy name – the “Danicar.”

    In slightly more interesting news, a die-cast version of the car will be available as a bonus pack-in with the game at retail later this year. Unfortunately, the car doesn’t transform like it does in the game. At least you’re getting a Hot Wheels die-cast car that you’ll observe with curiosity for a few minutes before its relegated to a spot in the closet to be lost forever.

    “Using Danica Patrick’s existing relationship with Mattel and Hot Wheels, we were able to extend our brand beyond the Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed game universe and into consumer products with the creation of this custom toy,” said Marcella Churchill, Senior Director of Marketing, SEGA of America. “The Hot Wheels brand has a reputation for developing beloved childhood toys and our partnership will undoubtedly ignite this nostalgia amongst fans when they get to race this transforming vehicle within the game.”

    I’m still not sold on the concept of a Patrick being in the game, but at least Sega is trying to make it work. The last time a human invaded the world of Sonic didn’t work out too well. We can only hope a similar scenario is avoided in this latest game.