Danica Patrick talks about this year's Indy 500

 Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 7 GoDaddy car for Andretti Autosport, will be attempting to qualify for her sixth Indianapolis 500. She finished third at last year's race and has four top-10 finishes at this event. Here is a partial transcript from here news conference this week:

Q: A lot of people talk about on a normal IndyCar race, you practice for an hour and a half, then you go out and qualify and then you run the race, but this isn't a normal IndyCar race. Do you think more thought probably should have gone -- this format only works in a perfect weather situation.

PATRICK: Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I'm sure that there was some logical reasons to shorten up the month, like money. And, you know, I don't know, maybe -- I don't feel the tradeoff because I don't own a team, but maybe it is worth the tradeoff to the team owners. There are a lot of entries, so maybe that's why we have so many car entries as well, because it's -- I mean, well, think about it. In years past you'd see 90 percent, 95 percent of the field out there the first week, and then you’d see cars that planned on starting on the second week, probably for the money reason obviously. So maybe that’s why we have so many entries to start with.

But, yeah, I just hope that it doesn’t take away from the racing, because the longer we have to make the cars better for all situations, the closer we can run to each other out there on the track and inevitably the better the racing is. So hopefully it doesn’t take away from that.

Q: Danica, Saturday trying to make that first nine, do you sort of sandbag early to not show your strength or do you go all out? Is it a different philosophy?

PATRICK: I don't think anyone really knows exactly how it's going to shake out except we know when the track is the quickest due to humidity and ambient temperature and stuff. So as cool as it can be and as good for horsepower, which is important around here. So beginning and the end of the day are usually the best. So I imagine there will be no sandbagging whatsoever; it's the Indy 500. You never know what you're going to be up against on the next round.

So I actually view the first run to be probably one of the most important to getting into the top nine, just because it will be cooler out. If you have to make up time, I mean, you can lose a mile an hour at least just in conditions. So you can't -- shoot, you work your butt off to find a couple of tenths a mile an hour with setup and things like that. So I think that first run is going to be really important.

Q: Danica, I'm wondering what comes to mind when somebody asks you about Tony Kanaan, specifically how he's helped you or maybe a story you can share about your time with him.

PATRICK: My time with him, you make it sound like it's over or something like that or like he's gone, your memories.

You know, I think of Tony and I think of someone who's a great driver and someone who has been very helpful. I mean, he's one of those guys that if I have a question, he'll give an answer. I think he's a great guy and great for the team. And he's funny, he's a good storyteller, he's always good for stories. Every time I hear the same ones, they get bigger and bigger every time, but I'm sure somebody's had that situation before. But that's the charm of Tony. He's a great storyteller, and he's very animated, which keeps it fun.

Q: Danica, ever since we saw the old video of you as a little kid talking about the Indy 500 but you've had a lot of different things going on in your life since then, a lot of different endeavors, but is the Indy 500 still that one thing, that ultimate goal? If so, how do you approach knowing it just comes around once a year despite everything you have going on?

PATRICK: I said on the way out of the track yesterday -- I had somewhere to go -- if only there was an Indianapolis series, we could race like tons of time here, but I guess then it would dilute it all. So that's the excitement is that you're only here the one time, and it is the biggest race of the year. It’s the biggest race in the world to me. And it still is. As I said when I was 13 or 14, however old I was when that video came, when I said that the only thing, only trophy missing from this room is the Indianapolis 500 trophy, that’s still true.

Q: Danica, Castroneves is going for his fourth Indy 500, and obviously as a competitor you don't want to see him get that. But the drivers in the garage, can you kind of empathize on how special it would be to be part of that, something that hasn't happened in this generation of drivers?

PATRICK: You want me to comment on how exciting it would be to be around Helio for his fourth win? (Laughter)

Q: Just, I guess, the special importance of something that hasn't been done with this generation of drivers.

PATRICK: Rick Mears is around, and he did it four times. I don't know. If it's not you, it doesn't really matter. So, you know, everybody wants their own win. I was saying last night as I was driving by the billboard that said "Triple Triumph," I'm like, ‘He's got three, some of us want just one, even,’ you know, just one. I mean, that's great for him. It's a massive accomplishment, for sure, but it doesn't affect me.

Q: In years past, you've kind of come in here and have been the big story. But this year it just kind of seems like with the way the season started and with some of the other story lines that are going on, you know, you're not as much in the spotlight as you were and also with the start of the season the way it's been with you. Is that something you kind of relish, kind of being a little bit off the center stage a little bit, or is it something you want to be back to being the big story?

PATRICK: No, I'd like to be the big story because it usually means I've done something good, usually. But I don't know, what is the big story? What's the big story this year?

Q: Helio, the new format, fast nine.

PATRICK: Yeah, so we're talking more about racing. We're talking more about the activity and the racing. And Helio has been fastest both days, so he's well deserving of that media. So, yeah. No, I would love to be the lead story, but it will come when good things happen. If we get out there and I'm quickest today, it will be the story then.

Q: Danica, you've got a couple of new women added to the field this year. What advice, have you talked to them and advice -- you had a lot of experience, they don't have the experience here and on ovals that you had when you came.

PATRICK: I only raced two ovals before I came to the IndyCar Series.

Q: You were on as lot of racetracks around central –

PATRICK: I’m sure they have a lot of racing experience.

Q: Anyway, do you give them any advice or have you talked to them?

PATRICK: No. I’ve met Simona (De Silvestro) and Ana (Beatriz), and they both are really nice. They both have talent. If they ask me a question, I would answer it. But, you know, I don’t even see them. It’s funny how you can all be in the same area so often and even my teammates sometimes, you cross paths, and if we didn’t have the communal engineering room where we are around each other all the time, I mean you’d – you don’t see very many people just because you head out to pit lane and you do your thing, and you come back in and you’re in the garages and we’re in garages with no windows. So it’s amazing how little you see people. I probably see more people in the gym than I see out on the racetrack.

Q: I’m wondering as you learn more and more each time you race and you get older and wiser, how much easier is it to get over when someone takes you out in a crash? Is there such a thing as people holding grudges still, because I know some drivers have long memories. But do you get past that and –

PATRICK: Depends on how dumb it was.

Q: Really? Some you hold on to?

PATRICK: It depends on how dumb it was. I mean if it was a completely bonehead move, then you're going to be mad. If it was a racing accident where it was, ‘Oh, well, I did a little of this; they did a little of that,’ then what are you going to do? It was just something that happened, and you took a risk, probably. So, you know, I would have to say that you still get just as mad no matter what, no matter what point in your career you're at.

Q: I've heard some older drivers even back in the day, they hold that grudge as long as they're in the car. I'll never forget that guy or I'll never forget that person or whatever.

PATRICK: Well, I guess you can forgive but you never forget, right? That's how it goes on in every aspect, isn't it?

Courtesy, IndyCar