FOX Sports - NASCAR - Patrick feels more pressure for third Indy 500

FOX Sports - NASCAR - Patrick feels more pressure for third Indy 500: "Patrick feels more pressure for third Indy 500"
I guess I do feel more pressure this year," Patrick said on Wednesday. "It's many things that contribute to that, though. As the years go on, you get more impatient. You just want to go out there and run up front."
Danica-mania hit the Indianapolis 500 two years ago, when she was the first woman to lead the race and finished fourth. She was the Indy rookie of the year and won three poles later that season, but never managed a finish better than fourth. She left Rahal Letterman Racing after last season and joined talent-laden Andretti Green as a teammate of Michael and Marco Andretti, Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti.
Photo Gallery...Danica on track ... and off it
Through the first four races this season, Patrick is eighth in Indy Racing League points and is coming off her best finish of seventh at Kansas Speedway.
"It was definitely a frustrating year last year, driving better but not finishing better," she said. "There are many people who have invested into me and into performing well and winning races, so I want to return that. I want to do it more for me than them, though."
Patrick was sixth fastest on Tuesday in the first full day of practice for the May 27 race, turning a top lap of 224.457 mph (361.21 kph).
Rain delayed the start of practice on Wednesday, three days before pole qualifying.
"There's less excuses," Patrick said. "The team is better prepared, I believe. It will happen and people still believe that, and that's a good thing. It's not like anybody's saying, 'Well, maybe you can't.' I haven't heard that yet. So that's very positive. I know it's a matter of time and a matter of everything falling into place at the right time."
Last year at Indy, Patrick qualified 10th and ran as high as fifth, but handling problems kept her out of contention most of the race and she finished eighth. She matched her career best with fourth-place finishes at Nashville and Milwaukee.
"Unfortunately, the first year I had a fast car but not as much experience; the next year I had more experience and I was prepared as a driver more, but the car was bad," Patrick said. "As we get comfortable with each other on the team that I'm at now, it will come."
The best finish by a woman in an IndyCar race was second by Sarah Fisher at Homestead, Florida in 2001. Fisher and Venezuelan rookie Milka Duno also are entered at Indy.
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