Danica Patrick Flooded With Fan Mail From Nation's Inspired Little Girl

PHOENIX—Following her historic 8th-place finish at the Daytona 500 last weekend, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick confirmed Thursday that she has been inundated with thousands of letters from the country’s inspired little girl. “I’m thrilled to be a role model for the young woman who aspires to one day become a professional driver like myself, but unfortunately I just don’t have the time to get to all the mail from her,” said Patrick, who in the last day alone received over 200 handwritten letters from the adolescent girl in America she has influenced to pursue racing. “Even though I don’t have enough time to respond to every letter, I greatly appreciate and try to read every single note from my fan. I’ve sent back as many signed headshots as I can to the return address, but the letters just keep coming in. It’s amazing and of course very humbling.” At press time, Patrick had just received another shipment of 130 letters from her admiring young supporter, as well as an additional 17,000 from various middle-aged men across the nation.