Celebrity Autographs And Celebrity Addresses

FOUNTAIN, Colo. - Danica, Danica, Danica. Seems all anyone wants to talk about is Danica Patrick.

It's no different in Colorado.

From billboards to full-page adds, Patrick's image is everywhere as the rookie sensation prepares to make her first appearance in Colorado at this weekend's Honda Indy 225. But then it's no different from any of the previous 12 stops in the Indy Racing League series - other than the rumors that she's been followed by paparazzi in Denver.

And, as usual, Patrick has handled it with her usual aplomb, smiling, posing for photos and answering the same questions for the 100th time.

"Sometimes I feel uncomfortable. Sometimes I feel weird when people are taking random pictures and stuff like that," Patrick said Friday. "But I understand that these kind of things are beneficial to a lot of people. Mostly the series and the sponsors, and obviously it helps me in some ways too."

It's easy to see Patrick's appeal.

Talented, attractive, charismatic and levelheaded, Patrick has become the darling of motor sports, appearing on talk shows and magazine covers, racking up endorsement deals along the way.

But all the attention hasn't been easy.

Four drivers boycotted an autograph session earlier this month because they felt she was getting special attention and it seems she can't go anywhere without being asked for an autograph or photo.

And, like she is nearly every week, Patrick has been tugged in several different directions headed into the race at Pikes Peak International Raceway this weekend.

The focal point for race promoters, Patrick has appeared on billboards and ads throughout the state for weeks, including at last week's Champ Car race in Denver. She had a media briefing Friday afternoon, then was headed to a fan festival in Pueblo, where hundreds of fans waited for a chance to get her autograph and take pictures with her.

The added attention certainly takes away from Patrick's preparation time, but it hasn't dulled her focus.

"I'm trying just as hard right now as I would be if people weren't watching," Patrick said. "My inner drive to succeed and win is strong enough and that's the way it's always been for me. The extra people watching, I think it benefits more people."

Supremely confident - she wouldn't have made it this far if she wasn't - Patrick always expected to be successful. That it happened so fast and became so big has caught her a bit surprise. Then again, it's hard to imagine that in a little over a year anyone would be able to become a national icon and become an inspiration for girls and women in all walks of life.

"I've always had big dreams and big ideas for myself, that if things went well there could really be a big impact and there could some big changes in the sport for young girls in the sport," Patrick said. "The one thing I didn't really expect was it happening so fast. It's pretty quick."

The talent that lies behind Patrick's good looks and charm has made it all possible.

She finished fourth at the Indianapolis 500, the best showing by a woman in the race's 89-year history, and became the first woman to earn a pole in an Indy car last month in Kansas City. Patrick then earned her second pole last week in Kentucky, leaving her one short of the IRL rookie record.

But Patrick realizes that just because she has done well so far doesn't mean a win is around the corner. Of the 25 drivers on the IRL circuit, only 12 have won races and they needed an average of 33 races to get to the winner's circle.

Patrick has made 12 IRL starts and is still learning the nuances of the car, picking up little tricks with each race. She's also under immense pressure to become the first woman to win an IRL race, though she seems ready for that end of it.

"It's something I think about randomly here and there," she said. "I don't necessarily think of it from the standpoint of a female winning the first race, but that if people are going crazy now, what are they going to do when I win? Then the question pops, am I going to be ready for all that? I am. Sure I am, so bring it on.