2013 Quaker State 400: Danica Patrick not bothered by criticism

Taking the high road, Danica Patrick calmly deflected questions about the pointed remarks Kyle Petty made about her ability to compete in NASCAR.

As Patrick noted Friday at Kentucky Speedway, she is used to being criticized; it’s something she lives with everyday. All she can do is worry about what she can control and continue to work to be the best driver she can be.

“I really don’t care,” Patrick said. “It’s true that there are plenty of people who say bad things about me. I read them. People want me to die. At the end of the day, you get over that stuff and trust that you are doing a good job.”

During a segment that aired on the Speed program “Race Hub” Thursday, Petty, a commentator for Speed/TNT, called Patrick a “marketing machine” and said she was “not a race car driver.”

High expectations -- some may say unreasonably high -- are something Patrick is accustomed to since bursting onto the motorsports scene in 2005 with a fourth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500.

Success, however, has been fleeting for Patrick since transitioning to NASCAR in 2010. In her rookie season in Sprint Cup she has just finished in the top 15 just three times in 16 starts.

One particular area that she has struggled with is qualifying. On the year, Patrick’s average starting position is 32nd -- fifth-worst among drivers who have qualified for every event this season. But she has shown improvement in races, as her average finishing position is 6.8 spots lower than where she starts.

This is contrary to what Petty said, who observed that Patrick was better at making laps in practice than she was in race conditions.

“I just think it’s funny how he said I can qualify and I can’t race,” Patrick said. “Those of you who actually watch what I do know I can’t qualify for crap and in the race things go much better.

“The most important thing to me is I can keep my team happy; we’re going in the right direction.”

Both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick defended Patrick Friday. Earnhardt called Patrick a “tough competitor” and someone who continually strives to improve, while Harvick said Patrick has adjusted well despite the steep learning-curve she has faced.

So is there anything Patrick can do to silence her legion of doubters? Many of whom don’t think she’s deserving of a ride with Stewart-Haas Racing, one of the sport’s better teams.

In a word: no. Not that it bothers her any.

“Do you really think I will silence naysayers?,” Patrick asked rhetorically. “I’m sure every driver has them. You surround yourself with people that believe in you.

“You meet a little girl who wants to be like you and you know you’re doing something right.”