Danica Patrick -- Bunnies, Kittens, Rainbows and Baby Seals Version

Danica Patrick, unplugged. Unfiltered. Unguarded at times. Feeling saucy. Using voices to dramatically emphasize points.

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats, living together, mass hysteria.

I went inside Danica's Lair (team transporter), thanks to PR Queen Haley Moore, and had a 15 minute throw down with the D Unit. Me. Danica. Haley. On like Donkey Kong.

Actually, I found Danica quite pleasant to talk to. She seemed willing to play along and have some fun. Read below for Danica on NASCAR. Danica on being preceived as "a bitch and mean," on "faking it", heaps of kittens, rainbows and baby seals, and Danica on Simona De Silvestro, which ended when I got The Look.

pressdog: The whole NASCAR thing, has that been weirder than you thought it would be, or what you expected? I mean the reaction to you racing over there.

Dancia: I think that day (first ARCA race at Daytona) was probably bigger than I thought it was going to be. I had my own ticker at the bottom of ESPN for a while. I said it was crazy that Tiger had his own ticker, and then there I am with a little ticker with my name on it. I was pretty blown away by all that.

I had a lot of fun too. I was really blown away by how nice everyone was. So all of those things were a little bit of a surprise.

pressdog: They had the camera inside the actual car ...

Danica: Oh my god, yes. They can hear EVERYTHING and they can see EVERYTHING, and I really didn’t know that. I thought for sure it was like a during-the-race thing, but they had it on all the time. All the time. (Even during practice sessions.) So that was kind of amazing too. Well I started using it to my advantage in Daytona when I found out ARCA was broadcasting every thing we said on their web site so people could just listen to everything.

At first I’m like, you know, it will be like if somebody told you 'Oh yeah I could hear everything you said in your house' and when you got home and you’d be like, 'What did I say? Oh shoot, maybe I was swearing. I don’t know what I was doing (that they heard).' It was kind of like that at first. Then after that I tried not to swear and tried to get free Krispy Kremes out of it (by mentioning how much she wanted Krispy Kremes to her crew, knowing everyone would hear it).

pressdog: We you afraid you are going to pick your nose or something and it is going to be on TV?

Dancia: I can pick my nose. They can’t tell. I can pick it in side the helmet they can’t tell. I could just be itching it. But it’s hard to get the glove up your nose. The glove is too big.

pressdog: Do you worry about f-bombing or something?

Danica: I guess I kind of do because I don’t want the kids to get scared or parents to have an opinion of me because I am at work and they can hear me working and I’m in an adult working arena. I find it a little unfair we can be judged on our language when we are 'on the field.' We don’t hear football, basketball all those people, really, when they are out there. And thank goodness because it would be an education in language, probably.

It is what it is and it’s good for the fans. It’s part of what keeps them entertained out there so, yeah, if I swear it’s not like I feel that bad. I try not to think too much about it. I am always encouraged not to key up. If you get mad, just say it. Don’t key up.

pressdog: Is it weird having all that room inside the car? You could have cup holders and all kinds of weird stuff in there with you.

Danica: And you do. Yeah. I think probably what is most surprising about the space and the car and the driver fit and everything, is that the belts don’t have to be very tight. There is so much difference between an Indy Car and a stock car and how you tighten up the belts and everything. They are like three times tighter in an IndyCar just because of all the Gs you are puling in the corners and acceleration and deceleration. Stock cars are more lethargic to do all those things so you don’t quite need the suffocation from the belts.

pressdog: When you are in a stock car, does it seem like it takes forever to go down a straight away due to the difference in speed?

Sometimes, like at Daytona, it kind of felt like you are on the straightaways for awhile but it’s a big track. So you kind of notice but it’s not too bad. Only really at Daytona. At Fontana, I felt like I was at warp speed but going so slow because I was not comfortable. So I guess there is relevance from being in an IndyCar and a stock car; when you are comfortable it’s easy and when you are not comfortable it’s all chaotic.

 pressdog: Curt Cavin did a story a while back about a group of your advisers -- it’s you, your mom, your dad, your husband, I can't recall the exact group -- that gets together and decides if things are right for you to do. Is that how you decide what to do and what not to do?

Danica: The group has expanded and changed a little bit. I have people and people and people and people. I have (PR Czarina) Haley (Moore), which is who I talk to every day many times. Actually, Haley, she’s the only phone call that I always answer. Nine out of 10 times I’ll always pick it up. I would say most people if I see it I don’t and it’s because I’m either busy going to the next thing or whatever, but I know that Haley has something important to tell me and I love to hear her happy happy voice on the phone. (Sing-songy, I swear) Kitties and rainbowwwsssss. And baby seals. And funnies. (Pretty sure the world stopped rotating here and we all floated weightlessly for several seconds.)

I’ve got three agents, really, a couple attorneys, parents, husband, Haley, and you know I have met enough people in my life that there is always someone I can ask who is a professional in some area or is a good kind of withdrawn voice of reason for thing. I don’t think there are many decisions made without a couple of phone calls. A publicist, I forgot about the publicist. I have two publicists, Haley and one in LA.

pressdog: If I’m Danica, aside from being female and in much better shape, I think I’d be all “Oh my God, this is too much." All the media and the fans and the people like me who want to talk to you, does it ever get to be too much?

Danica: I think on a bad day, which I’ve had a few of this year. I mean, it’s just hard to be upbeat for them. I care and I’m working and, you know, I don’t show up at your office when you just got bad news, or when you just had a really bad day and I don’t come and say (exaggerated excited voice) “Hey! How you doin'! Oh my gosh! And I want the best out of you right now."

Everyone, if they’ve not met me before, they have an expectation level and it’s very difficult to live up to that. You might see me on a bad day and I might not live up to their expectation level. And that’s the thing I feel kind of bad about. Because it’s not the right time. But that’s kind of where you live it’s where I live and I do the best I can.

pressdog: So when you have to walk by the little girl with the thing to sign because you have to get onto the next thing ..."

Danica: I kind of I wish I could sign. There are some times where where I have little regret when I go away and I’m like 'man I wish I had more time.' I feel kind of bad. But it’s hard because there is someone waiting around the corner or someone else when I’m just getting ready to go somewhere. I make special efforts for the kids but, you know, hopefully the adults are mature enough to understand I would stop if I could.

pressdog: The fans reaction to your driving in NASCAR and both worlds has been “Danica doesn’t love us anymore ...“

Danica: (Semi-shriek, which I think was sarcastic exaggeration.) What?

pressdog: and Danica is going to leave us for NASCAR ...

Danica: What?

pressdog: And she’s about the money ..

Danica: (I'd describe this as an incredulous chuckle) If I was about the money, I would have left long time ago.

pressdog: How do you deal with it?

Danica: I don’t think that anyone could ever know what’s going on in my world, or what I am curious about or interested in. Nobody knows. I know. My group of (exaggerated French accent) confidants know. I’m trying it out. Maybe I will leave, I don’t know. Maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll never go back (to NASCAR).

pressdog: Did you have to grow a thick skin for this or did you always have it or is it something you had and you were like "I’m going to do what I want to do ..."

Danica: I think I had it when I came home from England. Because I had just such an awful time and there was only one way to cope, and that was to emotionally turn off a little bit more. So I think I have been a little cold since then.

pressdog: Do you make your decision ...

Danica: And I think that also after I won in Japan ... everybody was always on the up and up, saying good things and nice things and it was right after (I won), and then all of a sudden that you hit such a popularity level and such a mainstream level hat people are like 'Oh,' and then they try to write bad articles and come at you and finding ways to bring you down and so many people are writing stories that there are a lot of negative stories too and I think that was the only other time that I think people came at me. It was kind of a tough summer.

pressdog: So how do you deal with the bad stories?

Danica: I cry my eyes out for about an hour and then I just get moving. I just kind of ... yeah yeah. You just kind of, like, mind over matter. You just kind of have to fake it. I really faked it a lot to try and be happy, and eventually I was.

pressdog: This bunnies and kittens and rainbows and now even baby seals, ...

Danica: That was kind of like our (Haley and Danica's) motto. (sing-songy .. I am not making this up) "Whooo kittens and rainbows everywhere!"

Haley Moore: You even said you were spending too much energy on being mad.

Danica: I was definitely spending too much energy on things like, why did this happen? and  why didn’t I get that? or what the hell what was he doing out there? and wasting tons of energy on stuff that never got me everywhere and just literally complaining (a lot). I say negative things every now and again still, of course, but I know that I am doing it. Where I never used to know I was doing it, it was just kind of what was on my mind. At least I know now it’s not productive.

pressdog:  After qualifying you talked to the media that you were going to probably be pissed if the car in front of you is very close...

Danica: And I am because I looked because there was the next person from me in 9th was on the same tenth as me, so even if I would have done any better it would have been a spot better. So I know that, and I think that is a little tough.

I think I would have been more mad had I gone out and qualifying and just lifted all away around and like (exaggerated scared voice) "Ahhh it’s so slippery!"  and I would have started my lap and it was going to be slow and I was just “I guess I should have tried harder.” At least I went out there kind of went out there and did the best I could.

Reminds me of qualifying at Indy. The first time I was like "I’m not going to lift. I don’t care what happens, I’m just not going to lift." I have to at least know that if I’m not on pole it’s not because of what I have done. I had to be flat out. So it was kind of like that. I had to  get on it  and I did, and I got loose and I had to down shift (during Kansas qualifying). So at least I tried.

pressdog: I’m asking a lot of drivers about qualifying for Indy. Is that the freakiest moment, like you have to change your underwear afterward?

Danica: No, no-no-no. If the car is right, it’s not. I’ve had various different cars (at Indy). My first year I almost hit the wall. In the first corner and then every other lap was just like fast and qualified fourth with an enormous problem on lap one. So there was that. And the next year was just kind of straightforward and easy and it was no problem and I was tenth and I was thrilled to be tenth and it was pretty much like 25th all month before that, so I was "All right; here we go!!" And the third year it was loose and I remember not being flat in qualifying and I put it on pole for a little while and practiced some more and couldn’t get it any better. And the last year was the first year I actually re-qualified.

Morning warm up is so deceptive. If you are in the first group, and its kind of cold and maybe you wait and it’s just deceiving and you get out there and it’s just a swirl an the car feels very different in actual qualifying when the air is very still and body else is out there. Usually it’s so much better, which is what I thought was going to happen out there (at Kansas Speedway) today (Friday). But was windy. So then you got the wind at Indy. It’s really, I would say, the biggest thing about Indy is that warm up is deceiving because everyone is out there practicing but it never feels quite like that.

pressdog: So I’m trying to make this whole Danica Simona thing with the lightsabres and the rivalry have you seen this?

Danica: (Blank look. She clearly has NOT seen this.) Trying to make a rivalry? Why?

pressdog: Yes, between you and Simona.To get people excited. Have you talked to Simona?

Danica: Why would you be doing that? Why would you do that?

pressdog: Because I want to see you and Simona battle. That’s what I want. Have you talked to her?

Dancia: Yeah, she’s nice. I think she’s done a good job.

pressdog: When you passed her at Long Beach was that ...

Danica: Sure I was happy. I was happy to pass her. I was happy pass anybody.

pressdog: Anybody, not just Simona.

Danica: Don’t dig. Look how long I am standing and talking to you.

(Right here, Danica tilted her head down while looking up at me, and I swear I felt holes burning into my skull. Formidable is putting it mildly. Behold, the Alpha Female ready to scruff shake pressdog if he persists. Um, time to move on.)

pressdog: And I appreciate that. What’s the one thing about Danica that people think that’s not right.

Danica: I’d like to say that I’m a bitch and that I'm mean. But I don’t think that’s complete true because I am kind of, I can be (mean and the b-word), but I can be really nice too. And Haley says I can be funny too. And that’s always subject to the opinion of to whoever is listening to me (for the record, Danica made me laugh several times), but so I wouldn’t say it is completely wrong that I am mean sometimes. But only when it’s appropriate. More so when it’s appropriate now, right? (Refer back to bunnies and rainbows Danica.)

pressdog: Is there a difference between work Danica and off-work Danica?

Danica: I am very on time at the track and I am not very on time when I am at home. Time is all I worry about here. If I have to be somewhere eat 8:30 in the morning, I wake up an hour and a half early so I can eat my breakfast, drink my coffee not be rushed, not be late. You can’t be late here.

You can’t be late to an autograph session. You can’t be late to a driver’s meeting. You can’t be late on track. You can be late to dinner. You can be late to a flight and catch it. And I'm not nearly as serious either (away from the track).

Haley: You can be 10 minutes away from the track and it's like (laughing giggles).

pressdog: The bunnies come out?

Danica: It is, and then you get to the track and it’s like all business all the time. 

Read Q&As with other Women of pressdog.com HERE.

Comments

[Demond Sanders]

Nice effort on everyone's part.

I don't think there is any question that Danica is the single most important person in Indycar (followed by Andretti and Rahal).

[Oilpressure]

Excellent...excellent!

Again, the Pressdog has set himself apart from the rest of us, mere mortal, bloggers. I blew my chance with a face-to-face interview (Randy bernard) with a bush-league brain-freeze. These were well framed questions and an engaging exchange. Don't fret "The Look" on the Simona topic.

Good stuff!

[ramblinman]

Great interview p-dawg. I'm so impressed. In a word, courageous. The Danica/Simona cat fight thing. Dude, you're lucky to have walked out of there alive. Journalism at it's best. Have a blast at Kansas!

[Tom M.]

And you got out alive. Excellent.

[Leigh O'Gorman]

"...Formidable is putting it mildly. Behold, the Alpha Female ready to scruff shake pressdog if he persists. Um, time to move on..."

Haha brilliant. We could've been talking about the ex-Pressdog by now.
Great job Bill and Danica comes across very well too - good stuff
:D

[GeorgeK]

Great interview. You showed us a side of Danica that doesn't usually show through in other media, print or televised.

I am know officially intimidated to post other comments on any other topics!

[delta3]

Very interesting interview. Certainly not your average canned questioning. Probably gave us a peek behind the facade a little better than most interviews would. And my mother used to give that "look" ...tilting her head down while looking up at you with those twin lasars ...yeah, time to move on. BTW, stay on that journalistic road "less traveled by". It's a refreshing change for us readers.

[Liz]

Nice interview. Seems like you captured a side of Danica not seen during television interviews.

[wmarshallmoseley]

This is the most personal interview I have ever seen with Danica. It certainly personifies her as much more human, and far greater than her being pimped by go-daddy, which contributes towards her being villified. Great job, great interview!

[Peggywillenberg]

Nice job, Pressdog. But catfights...don't go there buddy! Those cats have claws.

[Roy Hobbson]

Damn you, Bill. Damn you to HELL!!! Scooped again. In my defense, though, Danica's stupid quote-unquote "restraining order" prevents me from being w/in 500 yards of her. (Hahaha! Just kidding! It's only 250 yards.)

[Shawn Kendall]

Nice job P-Dog. Looking forward to seeing ya in Indy!

[NaBUru38]

It was you who faked on us, you pressbitch! :D