They say you should never meet your heroes. Danica Patrick fans have been forced to learn this the hard way. The 42-year-old has competed in NASCAR, IndyCar, 24 Hours of Daytona, the American Le Mans Series, and the Toyota Atlantic Championship, along with many other competitions. In her two-decade-long career, Patrick has built up a notorious reputation, which has earned her the crown of being one of the rudest drivers fans have met.

From her controversy involving Martin Truex Jr to getting angry at fans for booing her, Patrick has been through it all over the years. So it should come as no surprise that when the time came for fans to hand NASCAR’s unwanted crown, one name came into their mind above others.

There are always two sides to a story

Danica Patrick has given fans plenty of talk about over the years. Remember the Pocono incident in 2017? Patrick ‘had a moment’ when she lost her temper at booing fans after qualifying for the race. The incident began when a fan managed to bypass the security cordon at Pocono Raceway, rushing to her for an autograph. However, security managed to get a hold of the fan before they could reach Danica Patrick, while the then 35-year-old refused to sign an autograph. This prompted fans who witnessed the incident to boo her, prompting an angry outburst.

Approaching the fans, Danica Patrick said, “If you’re a real fan, you know I’m not just like this. My job is to not always sign autographs, right? I don’t appreciate the booing. I have feelings. When you boo me, it hurts my feelings. Please just be supportive fans.” In her defense, the fan did bypass security for an autograph, a situation that gave her the right to refuse. This might not be one of the situations that warranted the reaction that she received from other fans, but such is the life of a racing driver.

Recounting the incident in an interview with the Associated Press, Patrick said, “I’m walking towards the garage area and over far across the road were fans that started booing. In the perfect world, I would have never walked over there and I just kept going because that’s most of what I do every single day. If someone boos me you just keep walking, but you know every now and again they just catch you in a moment and I had a moment.”

However, there were plenty of other moments that made fans feel that Danica Patrick has been ‘rude’. When Martin Truex Jr’s long-term ex-girlfriend Sherry Pollex passed away due to ovarian cancer, the driver expressed his condolences along with a heartfelt tribute. However, this prompted Patrick to harshly criticize Truex Jr for no apparent reason, calling his message “the most insensitive disconnected statement from a guy I have never liked”. Did she know something that others didn’t? Irrespective, her statement regarding the driver came out as unnecessary and rude to fans.

Considered somewhat of a journeyman, Danica Patrick has competed in a variety of competitions throughout her career. From the British Formula Vauxhall Championship in the late 1990s to driving for Rahal Letterman and Andretti Green Racing in the IndyCar Series in the mid-2000s. Her experience in the motorsports spectrum has been vast, yet results haven’t always gone her way.

Despite the media attention, long-term sponsorships, a top car, and time to adapt, Danica Patrick failed to secure a single top-five result in almost 200 starts in NASCAR. This may have tinted fans’ opinions about her as well, as many fans believed she was undeserving of the many opportunities she received in her racing career.

Fans hand Danica Patrick the rudest NASCAR driver crown

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In a conversation that began on NASCAR’s subreddit, fans were asked about the rudest driver they had ever met. While it’s understandable that every driver can have ‘a moment’ when they might not be at their best, plenty of fans had just one name on their mind. Writing on X in response to NASCAR on Reddit’s question, one fan wrote, “Danica and it’s not close at all.” Echoing an almost identical sentiment, another fan said, “Danica, not even close either.” Coincidence? Highly unlikely.

While most NASCAR drivers are friendly and accommodating, especially making time for some of the younger fans by signing autographs and engaging in small talk, one fan had a very different experience with Danica Patrick. Writing on X, the fan responded to the ‘rudest driver’ question by answering, “Danica. She didn’t stop for kids wearing her merchandise on multiple occasions.” Another fan couldn’t decide between two former NASCAR drivers, saying that the rudest driver crown would go to either “Danica Patrick or Tony Stewart.”

Other fans also voiced similar sentiments, sharing their unpleasant experiences with the former Stewart-Haas Racing driver. A fan did not have any doubt in his mind about who was the rudest driver he encountered, writing, “Danica Patrick by a landslide”, while one fan simply wrote “Danica Patrick.”. While Danica Patrick may have had her ‘rude’ moments, drivers could do well to remember that fans are the lifeblood of any sport, particularly NASCAR, and a little kindness could go a long way in improving their reputation.

What are your thoughts about Danica Patrick? Let us know in the comments!