Quote from amp88 :

If you went to the cities of the US and asked the first 1000 people you saw to name a racing driver (not even a current IRL driver) who do you think they would say? The older ones might say Mario Andretti or Jim Clark, some might say Dale Earnheardt but I'd bet a lot of young people or people who aren't interested in motor racing would say Danica Patrick because of all the media attention she gets. An icon is just someone or something that represents something else, it doesn't have to mean the icon is good or deserving of that status.

Less than 10 of those first 1,000 people would say her name.

Icon could represent something else, yes, so that makes her not a Motorsports Icon, but a godaddy.com Icon.

Anymore than 10 and I'm moving out.

We have 31 people who work in my office...(FTR, ages 24-56) I just asked each of them that very question... not one said Danica Patrick, not even the two females we have here. ( I did have one that said Jimmie Gordon :shrug

I would be willing to bet that less than 10% would answer with Danica. And you're right, the ones that would say Danica would only say her because she is in commericals. Dale Earnhardt Sr would get the majority of the mentions... but this is due to the fact that he IS an Icon.

Is she an Icon? she very well may be, but not a Motorsports Icon.

Quote from th84 :

We have 31 people who work in my office...(FTR, ages 24-56) I just asked each of them that very question... not one said Danica Patrick, not even the two females we have here. ( I did have one that said Jimmie Gordon :shrug

I would be willing to bet that less than 10% would answer with Danica. And you're right, the ones that would say Danica would only say her because she is in commericals. Dale Earnhardt Sr would get the majority of the mentions... but this is due to the fact that he IS an Icon.

Is she an Icon? she very well may be, but not a Motorsports Icon.

But isn't Georgia in NASCAR territory? PMD, get your ass to Miami and let's see

Yes, it is.

I promise you it would'nt change no matter what part of the country you were in.

Quote from amp88 :

But isn't Georgia in NASCAR territory? PMD, get your ass to Miami and let's see

WTF will Miami give me lol? I don't even think there are many race fans in Miami.

Quote from PMD9409 :

WTF will Miami give me lol? I don't even think there are many race fans in Miami.

That's my point. An icon is someone that the general public recognises, not just the people who are interested in the subject. If you ask people for a pop icon they're likely to say Madonna or Michael Jackson even if they're not interested in their music. If you just stop 1000 people in the street and ask them to name a racing driver I think the most named might be Patrick in a cosmopolitan city like LA, New York or Miami. If you ask people in a NASCAR town they'll probably say Dale Earnhardt or their favourite driver.

But how does it make her an icon when many people know her name?

Well-known yes, but an icon?

Quote from amp88 :

That's my point. An icon is someone that the general public recognises, not just the people who are interested in the subject. If you ask people for a pop icon they're likely to say Madonna or Michael Jackson even if they're not interested in their music. If you just stop 1000 people in the street and ask them to name a racing driver I think the most named might be Patrick in a cosmopolitan city like LA, New York or Miami. If you ask people in a NASCAR town they'll probably say Dale Earnhardt or their favourite driver.

I dont care what city you're in, Danica will not be the first driver mentioned.

An icon is much more than just a person that others recognise, it is someone who has excelled in their area of work and also have major influence over that same area. Danica has neither.

Yes, Michael Jackson and Madonna are Icon's in their respective lines of work. They are both multi-platinum artists with huge fan bases. You think they would be icons if their albums didnt sell? I dont.

Just for shits-n-giggles I asked my brother-in-law who lives near San Fransisco Cal. to ask all his co-workers to name a driver off the top of their head... of course he asked me why then proceeded to laugh uncontrollably. Anyway, his results were much like mine... only one said Danica Patrick (technically not even one, his words were "does that chick from the go-daddy commericals count?").

While people may know who she is when they see her, that dosent make her an Icon.

She's the most famous woman driver behind the wheel today. Not iconic enough for you?

Nope, that still doesn't make her an Icon, just a famous female driver. There is a difference.

There are tons of famous people, does fame alone make them all icons?

I can't imagen what will happen if in the future there is actually a woman who can drive well, the coverage will be insane.

Quote from Mustafur :

I can't imagen what will happen if in the future there is actually a woman who can drive well, the coverage will be insane.

Only if she is easy on the eyes.

Quote from th84 :

Nope, that still doesn't make her an Icon, just a famous female driver. There is a difference.

There are tons of famous people, does fame alone make them all icons?

If you asked people on the street to name a woman racing driver, I'm sure Danica would be the most common answer.

And, no, it doesn't. That's why being a woman is the key thing here.

This whole thing reeks of semantics.

It was pretty hard to root for Stewart when JGR went to Toyota but I did it anyway. If he signs Danica in 2011 just for the sponsorship money without her showing any results in a lower stock car series next year, I will probably be finding myself a new driver. It was depressing enough to know that someone would eventually sign her when she has done almost nothing in the IRL, can't believe Stewart might end up being the one to do it.

Quote from Mustafur :

I can't imagen what will happen if in the future there is actually a woman who can drive well, the coverage will be insane.

At first probably, but people would eventually get over it I'm sure. There are a few very good female drag racers in the top NHRA classes now and no one makes a huge deal about it.

Quote from lizardfolk :

Drivers in premier open wheel series before Danica:
F1: Lella Lombardi, Desire Wilson (who won a non points F1 race), Giovanna Amati, Maria Teresa de Filippis

Please don't mention Giovanna Amati, us of the fairer sex are still trying to live down her memory.

oh regarding her status as an icon, according to the American dictionary.com, definitions of icon support both arguments being presented.

* An important and enduring symbol
Which Danica, at this point in time, could'nt be described as.

* One who is the object of great attention and devotion; an idol
Which she is.

Make your own mind up based upon your interpretation of the word idol and leave the debate to things that matter

Quote from MadCat360 :

She's the most famous woman driver behind the wheel today. Not iconic enough for you?

there're not much woman driver to choose from isn't it.....

Quote from Mustafur :

I can't imagen what will happen if in the future there is actually a woman who can drive well, the coverage will be insane.

there was
she was a relly driver called Michele Mouton she nearly won the WRC some time in the 80's and gave the teams male drivers stig blomqvistand someone who i cant remember a good run for their money.

Quote from Mustafur :

I can't imagen what will happen if in the future there is actually a woman who can drive well, the coverage will be insane.

There is, but i'm not pretty enough to get sponsorship. It's not enough for a woman to be fast, she has to be pretty too :/ !

That's my excuse and i'm sticking to it.

Quote from JJ72 :

there're not much woman driver to choose from isn't it.....

To stand out in a room of three is difficult. To stand out in a room of one thousand is easy.

Quote from MadCat360 :

To stand out in a room of three is difficult. To stand out in a room of one thousand is easy.

I think you got it the other way around!

Quote from JJ72 :

I think you got it the other way around!

I agree...

Madcat reread your post please

In a room of 3, with 2 wearing gray and 1 wearing yellow, yellow is 1 in 3.

In a room of 1,000, with 999 wearing gray and 1 wearing yellow, yellow is 1 in 1,000.

sorry but in both case it is pretty easy to pick out the one in yellow as well?

I don't think it applies to the case though, in racing you need talent to stand out, and talent isn't something everybody have (unlike a yellow shirt!). To able to stand out from a competition of 1000 people, is definitely harder than to stand out from a competition with only 3.

Quote from JJ72 :

sorry but in both case it is pretty easy to pick out the one in yellow as well?

I don't think it applies to the case though, in racing you need talent to stand out, and talent isn't something everybody have (unlike a yellow shirt!). To able to stand out from a competition of 1000 people, is definitely harder than to stand out from a competition with only 3.

I agree.

Madcat, that is purely based on physical descriptions. Talent is an abstract concept and therefore is a completely different playing field (in terms of identifying) compared to physical attributes.

Quote from MadCat360 :

In a room of 3, with 2 wearing gray and 1 wearing yellow, yellow is 1 in 3.

In a room of 1,000, with 999 wearing gray and 1 wearing yellow, yellow is 1 in 1,000.

Let me put it this way.

1. Compare Danica Patrick among Giovanna Amati and Milka Duno.

2. Compare Danica Patrick among everyone in IRL, GP2, Formula 1, and Formula 2.

In option 1 she seems like a racing goddess. In option 2 she doesn't seem that special anymore.