Video: Villeneuve spins out Danica Patrick
Check out the video.
Jacques Villeneuve bumped Danica Patrick from behind causing her to spin out on the final lap of the Nationwide Series race at Road America.
The incident happened just one week after NASCAR driver Austin Dillon sent Patrick spinning at Michigan International.
At Road America, Patrick had just gotten by Max Papis for fourth place and pulled ahead as the two headed towards turn five.
Villeneuve, who is a former Formula 1 champion, followed Patrick on the inside as he tried to move around Papis. He bumped Patrick and turned her around.
“I don’t know, you all can make a decision for yourself about what you think happened there,” Patrick said.
Villeneuve finished fourth. Patrick was able to get out of the gravel trap and finished 12th.
“I ran top five all day. I took the lead for a brief moment until I learned my lesson down into turn five when you try to get a little bit more out of the brake zone,” Patrick said. “So, that’s the bummer is that we weren’t able to finish that off and finish off with a top five like I feel that we all deserved. I feel like lately we’ve been running much better but we just haven’t sort of finished the deal and gotten the results.”
Villeneuve said that Papis pushed him into the dirt while he was braking. When he got his left side tires back on the track he wasn’t able to gain traction before he hit Patrick.
“We had nothing to do together. When I was behind Danica and Papis was on the outside, maybe he didn’t know I was there but down the straight he pushed me in the grass just where we hit he brakes,” Villeneuve said. “So when I jumped in the brakes I was in the grass because of that, I wasn’t right next to him so no idea. Couldn’t slow down after that.”
Patrick’s crew chief, Tony Eury Jr., has said some NASCAR drivers just don’t respect Patrick. Eury wants her to turn the tables on the other drivers and fight back when they challenge her.
Nelson Piquet Jr. picked up the win at Road America and became the first Brazilian to win a race in NASCAR’s national touring series. Michael McDowell was second, followed by Ron Fellows, Max Papis and Sam Hornish Jr.
Tks Glen, you are correct.
I should have specified, “those that continually give her critical comments” which most of the time appears to be from those people that groan and gripe anything anything and are not true lovers of the sport. I still say, You should All be proud of her “as an American race car driver”
Ralph
They are going to have to do it theirself. The officials are apparently for men drivers.
This sawed-off dink does this routinely to all drivers, with no remorse. The NASCAR community needs to”talk” to him in the garage and impress on him that he crap won’t be tolerated. He maybe considered a driver to the media but even the French-Canadiens will tell you that he is a definite A-hole!