Kyle Petty, the son of late NASCAR legend Richard Petty, had harsh words for Danica Patrick, one of the most famous faces in NASCAR despite subpar results on the track.
On Speed Channel's Race Hub show, Petty blasted Patrick and called her skill into question.
Danica has been the perfect example of somebody who can qualify better than what she runs," said Petty. "She can go fast, but she can't race. I think she's come a long way, but she's still not a race car driver. And I don't think she's ever going to be a race car driver."
He went on to call her a marketing tool for NASCAR, insisting she isn't to be taken seriously as a quality racer. The only compliment he was willing to extend Patrick was that she can "go fast."
"Where fans have bought into the hype of the marketing, to think she's a race car driver," Petty said. "She can go fast, and I've seen her go fast. She drives the wheels off it when she goes fast."
Dale Earnhardt Jr., the son of another NASCAR great, defended Patrick against Petty's verbal assault during a press conference. "If she was not able to compete and not able to run minimum speed or finishing in last place every week, I think you might be able to say Kyle has an argument. But she's out there running competitively and running strong on several counts. I think she's got a good opportunity and a rightful position in the sport to keep competing, and she might even surprise Kyle Petty.
Patrick has not won a NASCAR Nationwide or Sprint Cup race in her career, but the does own seven Top 10 finishes in the Nationwide series, and another Top 10 finish in the Sprint Cup series. She has also gained pole position once in each series, likely what prompted Petty to claim all she can do is "go fast."
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