Controversy
Some racing journalists, IndyCar fans, and other drivers (such as Robby Gordon) have claimed that Patrick's relatively low body weight gives her an advantage in a competition where engine size and car weight are strictly regulated. [1] Patrick's low body weight means that overall, her car has the highest power-to-weight ratio of any car on the track. Competing teams have estimated this advantage at 1 mph.[2]
Gordon's reference was a reference to Indy Racing League regulations where cars are weighed without driver. Some sanctioning bodies, such as NASCAR, have weight rules where cars are weighed without driver and with driver.
Others have countered that Danica's light weight may actually be a disadvantage in some respects. IndyCars use front and rear wings to create aerodynamic downforce which, when added to the inherent weight of the car and driver, aids in vehicle stability and traction during cornering. Because drag is a coefficient of downforce, varying degrees of minimum wing downforce angle have been mandated by the IndyCar league on some tracks to deliberately limit speed and increase the margin of safety. Irrespective of mandated minimum wing angles for a given track, Patrick's significantly lighter-than-average body weight necessitates a higher-than-average amount of wing downforce to achieve equivalent handling stability compared to heavier drivers, and that additional downforce generates greater aerodynamic drag which lowers her theoretical top speed.
In either case, IndyCar has given no indication that they will start considering the weight of the driver in their race specifications.
Other fans have claimed Patrick, as a rare female driver, has benefited from reverse discrimination. They claim that most rookie drivers would have faced much tougher racing competition and would have had more difficulty in finding a ride with a top racing team than Patrick did. American drivers in particular have struggled to reach Champ Car and IRL in recent years, with drivers such as John Fogarty, Townsend Bell and Jeff Simmons having struggled to earn rides despite strong performances in junior championships.