Written by:
Kevin Krefting
02/20/2008
Indianapolis, Ind.
Highlights of a media teleconference with Andretti Green Racing IndyCar driver Danica Patrick.
Q: Dario Franchitti said at Daytona that he expects you’re going to win your first race this season. Secondly, on the [Sports Illustrated] swimsuit issue, do you expect to get any criticism on that?
DANICA PATRICK: As far as your first question, sounded more like a statement, didn’t it? Dario (Franchitti) is a great guy. I guess I never thought in my career I’d be toe-to-toe with him at any point and earn those kinds of respectful and honoring words from a guy like Dario Franchitti. He’s a great friend and a great guy. I think that I’ll hope that his words are more of a statement than a question or anything.
Then as far as your other question about the swimsuit issue, you know, I think, I guess I would ask, are you criticizing it or have you heard about anything? Because, to me, the swimsuit issue is beautiful. It’s women looking beautiful. They do a tasteful job.
I am one of a long line of celebrities that have been in that magazine. You know, it’s the biggest issue of the year for magazines. So I am completely honored to be in it. I had a great time. Everybody was very respectful and did a great job of putting together that magazine. I think it’s one of the best swimsuit issues I’ve ever seen. So it was beautiful.
Q: I agree with you that the SI thing looks great. And I have to admit I laughed pretty hard at the GoDaddy commercials.
DP: Good. It was meant to make people laugh.
Q: Well, good. It succeeded with me, anyway. But it was pretty edgy. What’s the line? What would you not do and where is the line between sort of promotion and distraction?
DP: Well, I think that the line for me is my line of how I feel. If I get into a situation that I feel uncomfortable in, if you get that gut feeling of, ‘Yeah, this isn’t right,’ or you feel self-conscious or embarrassed, that’s where I draw the line. So I would never do anything that I feel uncomfortable in.
I’ve had situations where if a photo, somebody wants to take a photo a certain way, I’ll say, ‘Look, I’m not real happy with this idea. But, take a Polaroid. Let me look at it and see what I think.’ Then I can look for myself to see what it looks like as well. So I take very many precautions to make sure that I feel comfortable in every situation, and then I can never really be embarrassed.
It doesn’t matter what people say. I’ve respected my own line. I haven’t crossed it. So, for me, I think that swimsuit issue is probably, obviously, about as far as I’d go with as little clothes. But I have a hard time with never saying never, because I think that that can come to bite you later on. But let’s just say I’m pretty happy with that line right there.
Q: Do you see a correlation between the fact that the [IndyCar] series has lost two champions and two Indy 500 winners, and the fact that all the promotion lately is about a guy who dances and a girl who wears a swimsuit?
DP: No, those are great things. Let’s take Helio [Castroneves] for instance. A lot of people do that show. Twenty million people watch it, which is great. And the things that I’ve done, 97 million people watched the Super Bowl. And the swimsuit issue sells more copies than any other issue of the year. So I think those are amazing things for the Indy Racing League to have as far as marketing tools and personalities.
I’ve always known that the IndyCar Series has great potential for personalities and interests within the media. So I think it’s just great that it’s showing now. You know, I think it’s great for everybody.
