Danica--Crossing the Line Hardcover - 2006

From the publisher

Writing this book is an opportunity to share my story of overcoming all the challenges of being the only girl successfully competing in a mans sport. For fourteen years, I have had to prove my skill as a driver and earn the respect of my competition through hard work, determination, dedication, and perseverance. I want to show anyone trying to succeed that anything is possible and that, though being a woman might describe me, it doesnt define who I am on or off the track."

Danica Patrick's life moves at 220 mph. She drives every race and lives every day like she has something to prove -- and she does. A 5-foot 2-inch,100-pound woman, Danica had to qualify a little quicker and race a little faster than the boys. And that was just to earn the respect she would otherwise be given if she werent the "girl on the track, driving the princess mobile." Shes had to defend herself, her skill, her ability, and her gender. But you don't get to be an IndyCar driver without talent and determination. Even the drivers who stay at the back of the pack are skilled and capable, but the back of the pack is the last place that Danica wants to be -- on the track or in life.

Danica is a small-town girl who had a big-boy dream and a family who helped her believe that anything was possible. She is living proof that if you work hard and aim high, you can do whatever you set your mind to, that you can rise to any challenge, and that what makes you different is what makes you great. Danica shares secrets and stories, tales from the track, and insights into her personal life that reveal the spirit and drive packed into this all-star athlete and woman. From the exhilaration and freedom she felt when she stepped on the pedal of her first go-kart at age ten through her sensational rookie season that turned Indy racing on its head, Danica invites readers into her life.

Danica takes us through her early racing years, competing against the boys she now beats as men, and her time in England, battling homesickness, insult, and injury. She talks about the support of the legendary Bobby Rahal, having the best crew in the league, and adjusting to the frenetic pace and attention of "Danica mania." Through all this, shes been blessed with a close-knit family and has been fortunate enough to find true love. Danica competes on a man's level and in a man's sport like no other woman in sports ever has. This book details her extraordinary rise from a ten-year-old go-kart champion to a twenty-three-year-old Indy star, and her unique perspective on how to compete in life, how to stand out, and how to get the respect and attention we deserve.