Danica Patrick paved the way for female drivers in NASCAR, and her presence in the sport has impacted the future generation of female drivers.
Julia Landauer has the best chance to become to next female driver to reach the Cup Series, and she currently races in the K&N Pro Series. She was recently interviewed by Forbes about her racing career.
Landauer was asked what she loved about racing, and she said she loves the intensity of each race.
"I really love the intensity," Landauer said. "I really love the emotionally-driven aspect of racing. I love how all of us are in the same boat in having to put together what amounts to an incredibly complex 3D puzzle: the car has to be perfect, the driver has to be perfect, the crew has to be perfect, the team has to be perfect and all of the equipment has to be perfect.
"All of it has to fit together over the course of a 2 to 4-hour race. There is incredible sophistication at work from everyone; this is where I think NASCAR gets a bad rap in their image of just a bunch of guys going around in a circle. There is no one unintelligent driving or working on that car."
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She said it takes a collaborative effort as it takes teamwork and communication on multiple different levels to win a race and to win a championship.
Landauer also said that the fact there are only 40 drivers in the Cup Series is a testament to how challenging the sport is for drivers.
In 2016, Landauer finished fourth in the K&N Pro Series West. She finished seventh in 2017, and the 26-year-old has a chance to move up in NASCAR over the next few years.
Given her ability and determination, NASCAR fans can expect to hear and see more for Landauer in the near future.