Patrick Makes History But No One Notices

Danica Patrick made history last night when she became the first woman to win a major auto racing series' race. The fiesty Patrick, whose team I interviewed in 2005, won yesterday's IndyCar race in Motegi, Japan.

Too bad the world isn't taking notice. Today's Courier-Journal dedicated a few column inches, but on the last page of the Sports section.

As for ABC/ESPN? They didn't even broadcast the historic race on a network many can access, relegating the race instead to ESPN Classic.

Unfortunately, the timing just didn't work out. The IndyCar series should (and will) be on an upswing. With the recent IRL/Champ Car split eliminated and the two series set to unite, this last weekend marked one of the very last for the two series to compete at different venues.

Would having competitors from both motorsports series in the Motegi race changed the outcome? Doubtful. Patrick's skills are proven, as are the cars and systems her Andretti Green team brings to the table. She earned this win, no doubt about it.