‘They Suck’ – Danica Patrick Once Slammed NASCAR’s Workplace Dating Rules Amid Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Romance

Former NASCAR star Danica Patrick didn’t hold back when once asked about NASCAR’s unspoken discomfort with workplace relationships. She had openly criticized NASCAR’s rules after her high-profile romance with fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came into the spotlight and not for the right reasons.

In an interview with Forbes in 2013, the former NASCAR driver, who was recently divorced at the time, dismissed office dating taboos. Her explosive interview came at a time when her relationship with Stenhouse, another Rookie-of-the-Year contender, was making headlines.

Back then, Patrick and Stenhouse were not only the only two rookies consistently battling it out to qualify for Cup races but were also locked in a tough fight with Timmy Hill for the 2013 Rookie of the Year honors.

Danica Patrick Hated NASCAR’s Views on Dating Between Drivers

During her initial Cup Series career, Patrick’s relationship with Stenhouse occasionally grabbed more attention than her achievements on the field. That came as people constantly questioned her choice for dating a fellow driver in such a high-intensity sport.

When asked during the interview about her feelings on the matter, Patrick had bluntly stated, “Those rules in offices about dating people you work with suck. They suck.”

However, their relationship had always added intrigue to an intense rookie rivalry, where tensions had occasionally boiled over on the track. One such moment was during the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte when Stenhouse had nudged Patrick into another car, causing a wreck that ended the race for her. “Was I mad? Yeah, he knocked me out of the race,” she added.

Dating History For Five Years

Despite everything, the two drivers continued their relationship off-track while remaining fierce competitors on it. Patrick and Stenhouse went on to date for about five years, ending their relationship in late 2017. Patrick’s comments in 2013 highlighted the often-unspoken strain NASCAR drivers face while managing their personal and professional lives.

To date, Patrick is the most successful female driver in NASCAR’s history. Although she never won a Cup Series race, she was still a trailblazer for women in racing. She began her career in IndyCar, where she claimed the title of the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race in 2008.

In 2012, she switched to full-time NASCAR, competing first in the Xfinity Series and later in the Cup Series. Patrick was also the first woman to win a Cup Series pole, securing P1 for the 2013 Daytona 500. Her 8th-place finish in that race is still the best finish by a woman in Daytona 500 history.