Feb. 24, 2013 - Daytona Beach, FL, USA - NASCAR Motorsport USA Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick stands near her car prior to the start of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, Sunday, February 24, 2013. Daytona 500 - ZUMAm67
Feb. 24, 2013 - Daytona Beach, FL, USA - NASCAR Motorsport USA Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick stands near her car prior to the start of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, Sunday, February 24, 2013. Daytona 500 - ZUMAm67
"I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl." Those were the inspiring first words of Danica Patrick after she rewrote Daytona 500 history on February 17, 2013. That day, she became the first woman ever to secure pole position for the Great American Race.
Patrick's average speed during her qualifying run around the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway was 196.434 mph. She was the eighth of 37 drivers to go out for their runs, and no driver could come near her average.
Jeff Gordon was the only other driver to breach the 196 mph mark, with a 196.292 mph run, securing a front row spot for the race. However, all eyes were on the then-30-year-old Danica Patrick, who drew global eyeballs on NASCAR.
February 17, 2013 - Daytona Beach, FL, United States - NASCAR Motorsport USA Sprint Cup driver Danica Patrick (10) and Jeff Gordon (24) after qualifying for the top two spots in Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb 17, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Florida. ..ZUMA PRESS/ 2013 Daytona 500 - ZUMAm63_
February 17, 2013 - Daytona Beach, FL, United States - NASCAR Motorsport USA Sprint Cup driver Danica Patrick (10) and Jeff Gordon (24) after qualifying for the top two spots in Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb 17, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Florida. ..ZUMA PRESS/ 2013 Daytona 500 - ZUMAm63_
"I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl," she said (via ESPN). "That was instilled in me from very young, from the beginning. I’ve been lucky enough to make history, be the first woman to do many things. I really just hope that I don’t stop doing that. We have a lot more history to make. We are excited to do it.”
After starting from pole, Danica Patrick also became the first woman to lead the Daytona 500. On the last lap, she was third, before experienced drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr and Mark Martin overtook her, and she eventually settled for an eighth-place finish.
That result, too, was historic, as Patrick became the first woman to finish in the Top 10 at the Daytona 500. Tony Stewart, whose team she was racing for, was overjoyed for her and his squad.
Tony Stewart's feelings about Danica Patrick's Daytona 500 pole
Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart followed similar paths in their racing career. Both drivers made their professional debut in IndyCar and smashed records before moving to NASCAR and following suit.
In December 2024, in conversation with Mobil 1, Stewart looked back on that emotional Daytona 500 moment for Stewart-Haas Racing. Despite qualifying fifth for the 2013 race, he was called to attend the post-qualifying press conference because, as a team owner, his driver was on pole.
"I actually got to go to the media center as a owner, not a driver, but I was still in my tri-first uniform. But it was really neat to see the smile on Danica’s face and to get started off on the right foot."
"What that means to qualify on the front row to the Daytona 500 is huge, and to see the excitement on her face and know that we had made history that day. I could just tell it was going to be a lot of fun racing with her," Stewart concluded.
Before coming to NASCAR, Danica Patrick recorded multiple firsts for a woman in IndyCar, including becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar race and leading the Indy 500.
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