"Look at Tiger Woods' dad": When Danica Patrick's father justified 'hard' upbringing for IndyCar and NASCAR success
Former IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick is, to date, one of the most successful female racers and continues to inspire many. Danica’s father, Terry Joseph Patrick, spoke about her daughter’s hard upbringing, which he felt made the 43-year-old female the icon she is in motorsports.
Patrick dropped out of high school to pursue her dream of racing and moved to Europe, where she competed in the Formula Ford championships. After that, she moved back to the US and got her big break in IndyCar with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Danica went on to become the first female to win an IndyCar race when she won the 2008 Indy Japan 300 and was also the first female to take the Daytona 500 pole position and lead a lap at the marquee NASCAR event.
Like most athletes, success doesn't come easy, and there's a load of hard work and sacrifices that go on behind the scenes. Danica Patrick’s father, TJ, detailed that while he was hard on her, it was all because he knew what it took to reach the top level. Speaking about the same, he said on the Kenny Wallace podcast in July 2024 (via the Mirror):
“You know, she's never had an easy pass in her life. Nobody's let her by. Everybody that races with Danica races harder than they do any other guy.”
"So I was very hard on her. I mean, she claims it was too hard at times, but then again I'd like to ask, would you have made it if I wasn't? I mean you look at Tiger Woods' dad; he was the same way with him. So I wanted her to be the best that she could be, and I didn't want her to slack off a bit,” added Danica Patrick's father.
Top-level motorsport is very competitive, where only a handful of drivers make the cut, and a small percentage of those achieve any amount of success in the series. Max Verstappen's father, Jos, was also known to be hard on the now four-time F1 champion during the Red Bull driver's early days.
Danica Patrick’s career post-racing retirement
Danica Patrick retired from motorsports at the end of the 2018 season. After her stint in NASCAR, she raced in the 2018 Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 as her farewell races in the respective series.
Since retiring, Patrick has worked as an F1 host and has made appearances for Sky Sports. Danica was also a part of the 2025 Indy 500 broadcast team on FOX. The 43-year-old also owns a winery in Napa Valley known as Somnium Wine.
Patrick has also recently been involved in the world of politics, making appearances at the Turning Point USA Amfest and supporting Donald Trump during the 2024 US Presidential election.