Danica needs to retaliate more
After contact with Tony Raines and Alex Kennedy while a lap down, Patrick tapped Kennedy to get past him with about 70 laps left in the race.
“That’s about the coolest thing I’ve seen all day," her spotter, T.J. Majors, told her.
Patrick seemed ready to retaliate against Raines, too – “I know what to do when I get by him," Patrick said – but was told under caution that Raines had apologized for getting loose underneath the JR Motorsports driver.
With about 40 laps remaining, Patrick ended up in the wall while battling Michael Annett for position. She came to pit road for extensive repairs and ended up seven laps down in 32nd.
“That’s what she’s got to do," crew chief Tony Eury Jr. said afterward. “It’s a give-and-take out there and the only way she’s going to get respect from other guys is [for them] to know she’s going to retaliate and she’s not going to take it.
“She did the right thing. She got her point across. She’ll have to do more of it." Scenedaily.com