Danica Patrick loses control of her car but keeps it intact during the ARCA Racing Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)

Quotes of the week: The following are excerpts from the “Women in the Winner’s Circle” exhibit, which is currently on display at Daytona USA. (More information is available at lynstjames.com/foundation.)

“Change is the only constant. Hanging on is the only sin.” – Denise McCluggage, journalist and sports car driver during the 1950s and 1960s

“I don’t feel like there’s anything I need to do for anybody else. I want to win bad enough for myself.” – Danica Patrick
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Short stops: Maybe it’s just me that notices this, but as soon as Danica Patrick demonstrates she can handle a race car, the boo birds fall back on another excuse. Something along the lines that she didn’t deserve the chance in the first place or only got it because she’s an attractive woman. Why don’t people just say they don’t like the idea of an attractive woman who gets the job done behind the wheel? (Answer: because they can never admit she gets the job done.)

The biggest snag regarding the decision on whether Patrick would run in Sunday’s Nationwide Series race at Daytona was likely found in the offices of NASCAR. The sanctioning body typically bars drivers from the 300-mile Nationwide Series race, which includes a lot of NASCAR veterans, until they have run races at Daytona in ARCA or at Talladega. (Back in the day, an IROC race could also be used as a means to demonstrate one’s stock car racing ability at Daytona.) This procedure is one reason why Indy 500 champions Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti started their stock car careers in ARCA races at Talladega. If nothing else, the procedure makes sure the competitors know who’s in charge.

Nelson Piquet Jr., who did a nice job in the ARCA race at Daytona only to be slowed by a problem getting his Toyota refired after the red flag, will return for the Camping World Truck Series race with Red Horse Racing. After that, there are no NASCAR plans in place for the son of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet Sr.

See ya! …At the races.