IndyCar star Danica Patrick avoids wrecks, finishes 6th in stock car debut at Daytona

Danica Patrick finishes 6th in stock car debut

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — IndyCar star Danica Patrick has finished sixth in her stock car debut at Daytona International Speedway.

Patrick, racing a part-time schedule in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series this season, passed several cars in the closing laps of the ARCA season opener and got as high as fifth with three laps left. But she didn’t have enough to catch winner Bobby Gerhart. Mark Thompson was second, followed by John Wes Townley, James Buescher and Patrick Sheltra.

Still, it was an impressive start for Patrick.

Patrick spent much of the race among the top 10, but she bumped fenders with Nelson Piquet and spun through the infield grass on lap 54. She dropped to 17th, but worked her way through most of the field.