NASCAR mailbag: Why Danica Patrick was wrong to confront hecklers

Each week SB Nation’s NASCAR reporter Jordan Bianchi answers your questions about the latest news and happenings within the sport. If you have a mailbag question, email jordanmbianchi@gmail.com.

With Ryan Blaney being the ninth winner already this season, do you think we end up having more than 16 different drivers winning during the regular season and someone missing the playoffs even with a win?

--Chris

Factoring in the list of prominent names who are proven winners though still winless this season (Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, and Matt Kenseth), young stars on the cusp of breaking through (Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, and Daniel Suarez), competitive veterans (Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray), two wild-card races in the form of a restrictor-plate track (Daytona) and a road course (Watkins Glen), it’s conceivable the entire 16-driver playoff field is filled out by regular season winners.

But if you’re wondering if it’s probable, the answer is no. What’s likely to occur is a few of those who’ve already been victorious will win again, while it would shock no one if the currently winless Busch or Harvick each scored multiple victories in the remaining 12 regular season races. Also, there tends to be a big name or two each year who, for whatever reason, fails to reach victory lane, and based off the names above there are no shortage of candidates this year.

It’s also worth noting that though it may seem like an inordinate number of winners through 14 races, it’s actually in line with what’s transpired in each of the past three years. There were nine different winners a year ago, and 10 in 2014 and 2015.

Can we be done with Danica? She’s doesn’t do anything on the track and now she’s telling off fans who only wanted an autograph.

--Cassie

Without question it was not a good look for Patrick, who’s experienced a frustrating year where she found herself unexpectedly without a primary sponsor, success has continued to be fleeting, and her future has come in doubt. All of which likely contributed to her outburst last weekend.

Where Patrick really crossed a line was by saying it’s not her job to sign autographs, a disingenuous statement considering the backbone of racing is sponsorship that turns drivers into corporate spokespeople. While Patrick may not believe she needs to sign autographs, her sponsors almost assuredly think the opposite and expect her to interact with the public on their behalf.

In hindsight, she could’ve saved herself substantial grief if instead of lecturing fans about their decorum and proclaiming how she doesn’t have time to sign autographs, she would’ve either taken that same time to accommodate those who wanted her signature, or just flat ignored the jeers. To her credit, she admitted as much in an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday.

“In a perfect world, I would have never walked over there and I’d have just kept going,” Patrick told the AP. “That’s mostly what I do, every single day, if someone boos me, is you just keep walking.

“But every now and again they just catch you in a moment. And I had a moment.”

It happens. Everyone has bad days. Unfortunately for Patrick, hers came in front of someone who was recording it so the world could see.

There’s no way Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes the playoffs without a win, right? Looking at the standings, I don’t see any other way he gets in and that bothers me because it’s not how I wanted his final season to end.

--Dave

Sitting 133 points behind Joey Logano for the final provisional playoff spot is a deficit Earnhardt will be challenged to erase based on his current performance that’s seen him record six finishes of 30th or worse in 14 races and only 10 laps led. Even with the availability of bonus points through the multi-stage format, too much would have to happen in Earnhardt’s favor for him to obtain a playoff berth via points.

In all likelihood, if Earnhardt’s final full season is to end with a shot at a first-ever championship, he will need to win somehow, someway over the next 12 races. Luckily for him (and his legion of fans) he’ll have a great opportunity to do just that when the circuit visits one of his best tracks, Daytona International Speedway, on Fourth of July weekend.

But barring anything short of a victory, Earnhardt’s postseason hopes are effectively over. And that’s not how he, nor NASCAR, nor his sizeable number of supporters want to see him conclude his career.