The journalist who wrote the article has written a clarifying one:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/irl/indy500/2005-05-31-gordon-patrick_x.htmR. Gordon meant no disrespect of Patrick in weight remarks
By Jenna Fryer, AP Motorsports Writer
CHARLOTTE — Robby Gordon was not being critical of Danica Patrick when he said she had an unfair weight advantage in the Indianapolis 500. Rather, he said he was simply discussing a flaw in the Indy Racing League's rules.
"The only thing I was saying was that I have a problem with the rule, not any particular driver," Gordon said Tuesday. "I've been impressed with Danica from the first time she got in an IRL car earlier this year, and I certainly did not mean to disrespect her or any other driver."
Patrick wowed the racing world by becoming the highest-finishing female driver in Indianapolis history with a fourth-place finish on Sunday.
Gordon stated the day before the race that because Patrick weighs just 100 pounds, her car is lighter than everyone else in the field. Unlike other series, the IRL does not include a driver when setting its weight limit.
In NASCAR, where Gordon currently competes, the minimum weight requirement includes the driver.
But in the IRL, a car must weigh 1,525 pounds before the fuel and driver are added. A smaller driver would have at least a slight edge over heavier ones because of the rule.
"This rule has been around for years, and it's something that Paul Tracy and I have talked about for a long time," said Gordon, who weighs nearly 200 pounds.
Gordon's comments actually echoed those of several drivers in Indianapolis who complained that Patrick had an advantage.
"It makes a big difference," race winner Dan Wheldon said Tuesday. "If it didn't in qualifying, you wouldn't worry about the fuel. We try to make it basically run out during qualifying, and that's what a difference of six or seven pounds makes. I definitely think it's an advantage and I'm pretty sure in due time you'll have a rule change on that."
Sam Hornish Jr., who weighs roughly 60 pounds more than Patrick, said two days before the race that the size difference gave her an edge.
"That's got to be worth something," Hornish told the Toledo Blade. "Whether you calculate speed or fuel economy, that little difference is a factor."
Hornish's bosses at Penske Racing even figured out the mathematical advantage Patrick had.
"That's probably worth something like 0.8 of a mile an hour," team president Tim Cindric said.
Gordon, who didn't run in the Indy 500 this season for the first time in 10 years, said he was trying to make the same point.
Instead, his comments were interpreted by many as Gordon being critical of Patrick. He stressed Tuesday that was never his intent.
"Indy is one of the toughest races in the world to finish, let alone win, and the fact that she ran up front for most of the 200 laps proved her ability to drive," he said. "Given that she is so young, I would be amazed if she didn't win at least one Indy 500.
"Had she won, it would have done more for the IRL and the Indy 500 than could ever be imagined. As one who loves that race as much or more than any other, it would have been great to see because it would have been huge for the IRL."
IRL officials have said they are not considering changing the weight requirements.
Wheldon said the rules have forced the IRL regulars to be as light as possible.
"A lot of us have changed our training regimen for that," he said. "I'm not lifting as much weight as I used to, and I'm running like a son of a gun."
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