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focused on race leaders or Dan- ica making a pass for 22nd place. That means the other drivers around her who would normally get at least a minimal bit of air- time will be even less visible. And once a race is over, other drivers/teams/sponsors are over- looked as track reporters jos- tle to get a reaction from Danica regarding her middle-of-the-pack performance. This inordinate attention means the sponsors of other sim- ilarly situated cars are ignored. If the businesses that grace vehi- cle hoods aren't getting TV time, they might start wondering about the return they're getting on their investment. 'DANICA'S GOOD FOR NASCAR' MYTH Let's set this straight right now. Pat- rick is not necessarily good for the sport. But the sport is good for her. Sure, casual fans will watch a race or two and maybe go see her in person. But few of those folks will become hardcore stock car fans. Despite all the hoopla and NAS- CAR executives' hope, there is no proof that Patrick has ever driven ticket sales or TV ratings. She got a lot of attention for leading a few laps at the 2005 Indy 500 and her win at Motegi, but ticket sales and TV ratings for subsequent races didn't exactly pop. Where you see bigger crowds is around Patrick's souvenir trailer, and that brings me to my final bit of trepidation about her arrival in my favorite racing series. PATRICK IS A SHORT-TIMER No one doubts Danica's determi- nation. Regardless of gender, racers have to be committed to cope with some daunting physical, mental and psychological challenges. But many, me included, ques- tion exactly what Patrick's deter- mined to do. As a racer, she certainly wants to win. But how many wins does she need? One trip to a NASCAR victory lane, and she then could say "I've done it" and move on, parlaying that trophy into all sorts of ancillary money — which she's already darn good at doing. As Bobby Rahal, the Indy- Car fixture who gave Danica her start back in 2001, says, "I guess I presumed she'd be in TV com- mercials and in Hollywood some day." She's already cornered the mar- ket on racers starring in ads. And if she ever does take a NASCAR check- ered flag, no need to continue the grueling schedule. I can hear her now: "I'm young, I'm pretty, have you seen my trophy? Call me when you're in Los Angeles." Kay Bell is an Austin, Texas-based writer. When she's not yelling at her television during NASCAR races, she blogs about taxes and other financial topics at www.dontmesswithtaxes. typepad.com. Circle 300 on Reader Service Card or visit truckersnews.hotims.com JANUARY 2011 TRUCKERS NEWS 31