Danica Patrick knows the ins and outs of the Indianapolis 500 better than most.
And after eight career starts and being part of NBC’s last three Indy 500 broadcasts, she understands the mentality of a driver headed into the biggest race on the IndyCar Series schedule — and one of the biggest in the world — and how to convey that to the masses.
In those eight starts, Patrick became the first woman to lead laps in the Indy 500 on her way to becoming the race’s Rookie of the Year with a fourth-place finish in 2005. Her career-best finish was third in 2009 — also a record for a woman.
After competing in the 2018 Indy 500 — the final event of her racing career and a return to her IndyCar roots — Patrick made the jump to NBC’s broadcast team for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” She’s returning for her fourth consecutive Indy 500 broadcast, and, as an analyst, she’ll be joined by some familiar motor sports names, like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and James Hinchcliffe, along with host Mike Tirico.
Ahead of the 106th running of the Indy 500 on Sunday (12:45 p.m. ET green flag), For The Win spoke with Patrick, who’s in Indianapolis and staying with her parents — “nobody in their late 30s into their 40s stays with their parents as much as I do,” she joked — about being an experienced broadcaster, Hinchcliffe and her predictions for the 2022 race.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.