There were a lot of cars on that track, and a lot of drivers. I venture to suggest that many of those male drivers (for there were only three women) were commenting to their pit crews via radio that they were too slow, but the author of the SI piece on this race chose to describe Danica Patrick's comments. He uses an interesting choice of words:
Patrick, who became a national phenomenon when she led late in the race and finished fourth as a rookie in 2005, had hoped to follow her first IndyCar victory, at Japan last month, with a win in the biggest race of all.
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But she never made a serious run for the lead, complaining incessantly about an ill-handling car while talking with her crew over the radio. She started fifth but quickly fell back and got no higher than sixth the rest of the day.
"I can't do anything," she screamed during one tirade. "I am sloooooow. I am damn slow."
Any hopes of challenging at the end were ruined by Briscoe's mistake in the pits. The Australian spun his tires trying to get out and slid sideways into Patrick's blue-and-black car, which rolled helplessly to a stop, its day done with a broken suspension.
A frustrated Patrick slammed her steering wheel as she sat motionless along the lane leading back to the track. Then, after being pushed back to the pits, she climbed out of the car, ripped off her gloves and stomped angrily toward Briscoe's Team Penske pits. A track security official cut her off before she could get there.
"Probably best I didn't get down there anyway," Patrick said.
So, she a complainer, and she has a tirade.
You telling me those other drivers didn't have "tirades" themselves - or whatever the equivalent is when a man does it?
The author (his name isn't given) describes the other guys as acting in a much more calm manner...)
Andretti apologized over the radio for his aggressive move. When told that his youthful teammate was sorry, Kanaan responded, "He'd better be. That was a very stupid move. Me being a good teammate, I didn't want to turn into him and take out two cars. So I give up today."
Kanaan has led 214 laps in his Indy career -- running out front in every one of his seven trips to the Brickyard -- but he's never tasted milk in Victory Lane.
"Every time I lead, something happens," said Kanaan, who finished 29th, the worst of his Indy career.
Of course, it's easy to understand Andretti's eagerness to get to the front at Indy considering his family history.
Mario spent the last quarter century of his career trying to win a second 500, only to be disappointed every time. Michael led more laps than any non-winner in the race's 92-year history. Marco was a straightaway away from winning as a rookie in 2006, only to get passed by Sam Hornish Jr.
Kanaan "responds", he doesn't "shriek" or "spit" or whatever word the author would have used if he were talking about a female driver...
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