In the late 2010s, Danica Patrick didn’t just step into NASCAR; she crashed through its door with a bold presence. Coming from IndyCar, where she made history as the first woman to win a race in 2008, she entered NASCAR with more spotlight than most rookies could ever handle. The transition wasn’t smooth. NASCAR demanded a different skill set. The cars were heavier. Tracks are more punishing. And the competition was relentless. Patrick admitted it felt like starting again. “It’s like starting over again. It’s not the same,” she said in 2012.
And that’s exactly what it was, a new world where even the most celebrated IndyCar driver had to prove herself all over again. What made her journey harder wasn’t just the sport; it was the noise around it. Media and fans dubbed her a “marketing machine.” Kyle Petty once said, “She’s not a race car driver. She’s a marketing machine.” Danica’s face was everywhere: Super Bowl ads, billboards, talk shows. Her partnership with GoDaddy turned her into a household name, but also a lightning rod. Critics argued that her fame was built on image, not performance.
Still, she pushed forward. “If I didn’t want to be a driver, I wouldn’t be doing it. I don’t race for publicity. I race because I want to win,” she once said. Now, years later, Patrick isn’t holding back. She’s showing what kept her going when the spotlight burned and the results didn’t come. And in a twist, few saw coming, her unapologetic words found an ally in Kelley Earnhardt-Miller, sister of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kelley didn’t just agree, she amplified the message with a bold message.
Danica Patrick’s mantra finds home in Kelley’s hearts!
On June 6, Danica Patrick took to Instagram with a striking post. Dressed in a sleek black dress, she shared a message that felt more like a wake-up call than a caption. She wrote, “When you’re aligned. You’re alive. The further you get from who you are and what you want and what you love and what brings you joy… the more miserable you’ll be. And less successful, and less fun to be around, and less memorable. Don’t be less of you, be more. Two life hacks for me – plan more fun and be grateful. F— around and find out what I mean. Get aligned with yourself.”
The post didn’t just get likes; it got attention from someone who knows what hard roads look like. Kelley Earnhardt-Miller didn’t just like the post. She shared it in her own Instagram story and said, “This message needs to be heard!” She even dropped fire emojis in the comments. It wasn’t just support. It was a clear endorsement. Kelley, who has spent her life navigating NASCAR’s toughest emotional tracks and family breakdowns, saw herself in Danica’s words. In the idea of surviving scrutiny, healing wounds, and staying aligned with who you are.
Notably, Patrick’s post comes just days after another powerful moment. On The Sage Steele Show, she opened up about the deepest pain she ever felt. She spoke honestly about her 2020 breakup with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “The breakup with Aaron in 2020 was sudden. It felt like it was my life… And because the nature of the relationship was emotionally abusive. So that wore me down to nothing. People could never imagine that I would lack complete confidence or belief in the simple things about who I am. Like, yeah, everything was torn to bits,” she admitted.
However, she refused to carry shame. “I don’t have regret, and I don’t have shame,” she added. Her words hit harder than any headline. She turned pain into power, the same way she turned a racing career into a broader message about self-worth and healing. And now, others are finally listening, including Kelley. Even with the past still raw, Patrick isn’t hiding. She’s attacking new challenges. One of them is golf.
What began as a casual hobby is now a serious passion. With help from instructor Brian Daley, she’s grinding at Scottsdale National Golf Club. She struggled with her swing earlier this year. But lately, something clicked. Ten days ago, she found her rhythm again. Recently, Patrick posted about her progress and frustrations. “Golf is a funny game… played by those who just love to be hard on themselves,” she wrote.
But she also celebrated a 240+ yard pin-high drive. Daley confirmed the progress, calling her 250-yard drive “insane.” Meanwhile, Kelley Earnhardt Miller didn’t randomly endorse Danica Patrick’s comments. It came from someone who knows what healing looks like from the inside. Behind her success as a businesswoman and NASCAR owner, Kelley has wrestled with emotional scars of her own. In fact, she recently spoke out about what helped her get through and what she still finds hard to face.
Kelley Earnhardt-Miller’s quiet battle with the past
Kelley Earnhardt-Miller didn’t grow up with the perfect story. She and her brother, Dale Earnhardt Jr., lived through instability after their parents split. A house fire left them homeless. They were sent to live with their father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and his new wife, Teresa. But Kelley says there was no real connection at home. Her father was distant, consumed by racing, and that void stayed with her for years.
In a recent Instagram Q&A, Kelley shared just how much therapy helped her recover from that childhood pain. “Honestly, it’s taken a lot of therapy. It was not just being on good terms that took its toll, but the lack of family support and relationship with Teresa and everything that I felt my dad worked hard for watching it all fall apart in the aftermath of his death,” she said. Kelley said therapy helped her heal “little Kelley” so “big Kelley” could show up for life.
Becoming a parent herself and doing hard emotional work gave her peace. But the pain hasn’t vanished. She knows she’ll never get closure from her father. So, she made peace with that and built her own path. Now, when she sees truth like Danica’s, she knows it needs to be amplified. Because women like them? They didn’t just survive NASCAR. They’re still driving forward.
The post Danica Patrick’s Bold Words Find a Surprising Ally as Kelley Earnhardt Declares “This Needs to Be Heard” appeared first on EssentiallySports.