Reactions vary about Patrick’s dating revelation

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (AP) - Danica Patrick’s now-public personal life was a popular topic at Daytona International Speedway on Friday.

And there were varying opinions on how much attention, if any, Patrick’s admission should get.

Patrick told The Associated Press she and fellow NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are a couple, ending widespread speculation about the nature of their relationship. Patrick and Stenhouse waited until the end of a weeklong media tour to confirm they are dating.

Reaction ranged from well wishes to “oh, well.” The news also prompted plenty of jokes in the garage and in the grandstands.

“Who gets the (track) position getting into the corner?” NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer wanted to know. “`You go. No, you go. No, no, you go.’ Who gets that position? There’s a lot of give and take in a relationship.”

Patrick and Stenhouse, both racing for Rookie of the Year honors in the Sprint Cup Series, insist their relationship will not affect how they drive or treat each other on the track.

That could be easier said than done.

“I think you’re going to have to wait about two weeks and ask them,” NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya said.

Added defending IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay: “I wish them all the best. It’ll be an interesting side note to watch them compete against one another. If you’re boyfriend/girlfriend, there’s not even a variable out there. If you’re married, there might be some consequence when you come home. Two different boats.”

Some drivers scoffed at their admission.

“I thought there were much more important stories to report on than someone dating someone else,” NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray said. “That’s about where I stand on that.”

Patrick remains one of the most recognizable drivers in auto racing, even if wins have been few and far between. There was a belief that her advertising appeal had waned, but sponsor Go Daddy is featuring Patrick in the website domain provider’s commercials in the upcoming Super Bowl.

And because so much of her persona is attached to things outside of the male-dominated racing circuit, there naturally would be an interest in her dating life.

The 30-year-old Patrick announced in November that she and 47-year-old husband Paul Hospenthal were divorcing after seven years. Speculation immediately shifted toward her relationship with the 25-year-old Stenhouse. While her policy has always been not to talk about her personal life, Patrick said she made an exception this time to end the gossip and so the two could be open about their relationship.

“I think I am just finally excited to tell someone about this,” Patrick told AP.

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