NASCAR Dover 2013: Danica Patrick admits she was mad at boyfriend for wreck; relationship fine now

Danica Patrick admits she was angry at her boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., for setting off an accident which collected herself and defending Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski.

Stenhouse was racing Patrick three-wide in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 when he pushed up the track, causing his girlfriend to clip the nose of Keselowski’s Ford. Earlier in the week Patrick said the couple exchanged few words on the car ride home.

“I was definitely upset and angry about the situation,” Patrick said Friday at Dover International Speedway. “I was a little bit upset with him. Yeah, I was and we talked about it. It’s absolutely fine now and we were fine by the end of the ride home. That’s what happens out there. Tensions are high and so are emotions.”

While she has put the accident behind her, Patrick is still not absolving her boyfriend of any wrongdoing. Because Stenhouse was multiple laps down, he should have been less aggressive in that situation Patrick feels, though she called what happened a byproduct of hard racing.

Sunday’s run-in was the first between the couple since announcing in January that the two were dating. And because of her celebrity status and the fact she is dating a competitor, the incident garnered mainstream coverage throughout the week.

Patrick, who is used to the spotlight of the media, understands the accident was unique because of the circumstances involved and isn’t shy about discussing her relationship publicly.

“We’re just very honest and keep things simple,” she said. “We didn’t even talk about what we should say. The only thing to know is that we are just honest about the things that happened and it was a racing incident. We’re going to give our perspectives on what it was. I understand it’s interesting. I’m sure I would want to know how that all went down after the race too. We’re an entertainment sport, so I get it.”

Less understanding was Patrick’s car owner, Tony Stewart, who in remarks to the media earlier in the week said he wanted “to choke” Stenhouse for continually blocking him during the 600. Stewart used to field a USAC car for Stenhouse and the two continue to have a close friendship. Patrick downplayed Stewart’s remarks, saying his comment was made “out of love.”

“Everybody wants to choke their kids, or their dad, or son, or significant other at times,” Patrick said. “(Stewart) loves him like a son he said. So, you would never hurt your son. You would only try to help your son. I think that’s the moral of that story.”