“I think it’s great that Danica Patrick won the Indy 300 Japan,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Dallas-based exotic car rental company. “She is a supremely talented driver.”

After winning the Indy 300 Japan, Patrick told the New York Times, “This reaches outside racing. This is about finding something you love to do, and following through with it.”

A longtime fan of exotic cars, Patrick has worked hard to get where she is today. Before entering the forefront of the automobile racing scene three years ago, Patrick quietly gathered years of racing experience. Her father introduced her to the world of racing early. At the age of 16, Danica moved to Europe to compete.

“Reaching the winner’s circle takes perseverance in any sport,” said Sturgeon. “Danica has showed that she can win anywhere she goes. She’s a fierce competitor, and it was only a matter of time until she got the checkered flag,” said the Dallas car sharing club owner.

“Danica’s success might help attract new fans to motorsports and to exotic car driving,” says Sturgeon, owner of DFW Elite Auto Rental.com, an exotic car rental company in Dallas-Fort Worth. “I think a lot of people who think exotic car rental is just for men would be surprised by the number of women who rent exotic cars in Dallas,” says Sturgeon.

“Both men and women like a change of pace from the car that they drive every day,” says Sturgeon. “Renting red 2008 Dodge Viper convertible for an afternoon of dream car driving is a fantastic way for a couple to experience the pleasure of driving an elite sports car together,” says Sturgeon.

Patrick told the Associated Foreign Press that she credits having the “right attitude” with her amazing win. “I grew up with never really using guys as a reference, using drivers as a reference, and if I wasn’t fast enough, I wasn’t fast enough,” she says. “I didn’t think, oh, I’m the best girl out here today. I grew up with the right attitude to translate into a more competitive world. I thank my family for that.”

Way to go, Danica.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a freelance writer living in the Twin Cities. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services