My First Ride: Danica Patrick

To kick this thing off, we checked in with T.J. Patrick, father of Indy Racing League driver Danica Patrick. 

As you might expect, Danica didn’t learn to drive on just any car — her first set of wheels was a black ’98 Ford Mustang Cobra hardtop, also making it her first new car. According to T.J., 15-year-old Danica was looking for something with power that would let her practice shifting and braking. She certainly put the car to the test, her dad says, and picked up a couple of speeding tickets to prove it. Her Mustang frequently needed new brakes and rotors, T.J. said, and required new tires every 5,000 miles; she eventually upgraded to competition brakes and rotors.

“She drove it a bit hard,” T.J. said. “She was always grabbing 5th gear at the ‘stop ahead’ sign.”

As for what she drives now, Danica hasn’t left her love for high-performance cars on the racetrack. These days, her dad says, she splits her time evenly between a 2006 Acura MDX and a silver 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo — perfect for those last-minute trips to the grocery store.

Tell us about your first ride in our comments: What was the first car you ever drove, what was your first new car and what are you driving now?

[Ford Mustang Cobra photo courtesy of Ford]