Through some completely unscientific research I’ve done while reading interviews with NASCAR drivers during yesterday’s Media Day in Daytona, I’ve determined that nobody gives a flying fig about Danica Patrick dating Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and people should probably stop asking them about it.

I, for one, am totally over it. Let’s move the eff on.

Casey Mears

This has been on the Hollywood entertainment shows. Is that good for NASCAR?
Casey Mears: Like I said, I really don’t care enough to comment. Whatever they want to do, have fun. If they want to wreck each other, love each other, hate each other, I don’t honestly care. I am here to go race.

Tony Stewart

The elephant in the room, Danica and Ricky dating. Is it an issue for you at all?
Tony Stewart: Why would it be?

I don’t know. They could on track…
Tony Stewart: I had a run-in with Matt Kenseth, but I’m not dating him, so… I still don’t see the relevancy in it.

Racing is about give-and-take. Relationships could play a part in whether you give somebody an inch, who you might push at the end of a race. That’s the way we perceive it.
Tony Stewart: Okay, we’ll move on to the next thing (laughter). God. We’re at Daytona and this is the stuff we’re talking about at Daytona. Amazing.

Carl Edwards

What do you think of the whole Danica, Ricky thing?
Carl Edwards: I don’t think about it honestly. It doesn’t really matter to me. Ricky is a good guy and Danica seems really nice so if they are happy then that is good for them.

Jimmie Johnson


Do you think that whole thing is a good thing for nascar or is it a distraction?
Jimmie Johnson: I haven’t thought about it at all until just now. I mean in some respects it’s just a relationship, clearly there is more to it. I mean, I have no clue. It doesn’t hurt anything. It will keep people looking and watching, curious to what that dynamic is on the track I’m sure.

Do you think it will impact the way they race?
Jimmie Johnson: If it does it’s going to impact their lifestyle and their job. We are paid to go on the race track and race. If they are handling things differently on the track because of their personal relationship, it’s going to affect their jobs. Their owners aren’t going to be happy or their sponsors.