Ricky who?
Just weeks after breaking up with fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse, Danica Patrick was reportedly spotted with Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, having dinner at his favorite restaurant right after Christmas. The report comes from the gossip website Terez Owens.
The rest of the report says the two are hitting it off, and then dives into some tried and true gossip column innuendo (couldn't keep their hands off each other). But beyond that, it doesn't say much.
But the fact that a supposed meal out makes news (the Green Bay Press-Gazette and others have written about this, and it's blowing up social media ) shows her wide-ranging popularity, and that NASCAR needs to do what it can to get her in the Daytona 500 (more on that in a bit).
Rodgers himself is coming off a high profile breakup with the actress Olivia Munn.
The news of Stenhouse and Patrick exploded lat month.
A spokesperson for Danica Patrick says Danica and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are ?no longer in a relationship? and ask for privacy regarding the situation.
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) December 18, 2017
The two had been together for five years and there were no prior indications of trouble in their relationship.
Patrick, who announced she wouldn't return to Stewart-Haas Racing his coming season, is still hoping to land rides in the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 and finish her career with those two races (she raced in IndyCar before making the move to NASCAR). It's been slow going on that front, with no team (so far) willing to give her a ride in either race.
But as we at Alt-Driver have said, both NASCAR and IndyCar would be foolish not to get her in those races. Her presence will help boost ratings, especially given the retirement of the sport's favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
In the meantime, she's been busy moving on to the next phase of her career by promoting her new book and other endeavors.