Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Wednesday 2 May 2018
DANICA PATRICK I told her yesterday that I
Continued from Page 18 get nervous every year be-
"I've been waiting to get cause this place is so spe-
this day over with for a long cial. I told her I'd be more
time and I say that with worried if she wasn't ner-
love. It's just the level of an- vous about getting back
ticipation and not know- in. She does have a lot of
ing." experience and although
The wait took longer than things change, the way
expected, too. She actu- you drive this race track
ally wanted to compete stays the same."
at Indy in 2013, her second To stay calm, Patrick stuck
year in NASCAR, but was her routine.
talked out of it. She didn't As she started going
contemplate a return through her pre-driving rep-
again until last fall. ertoire, more than a dozen
Then, during the winter, ev- reporters gathered round
erything seemed to be in her pit stall to document
place. everything from putting her
Patrick was scheduled to long, black hair in a pony-
do prep work in late March tail to getting buckled into IndyCar driver Danica Patrick drives at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Tues-
but poor weather forced her seat and pulling down day, May 1, 2018.
organizers to push back the the helmet visor so she Associated Press
three-day testing session to could finally pull off of pit
this week. Patrick had to road four minutes after the I don't know what the heck with enough other stuff 500 from longtime sponsor
watch Monday's practice green flag waved. Patrick I've been doing because that I wasn't really check- GoDaddy and Carpenter
and Tuesday's rookie orien- said the hubbub reminded I feel a lot stronger than ing the rearview mirror, hit- added her to his three-car
tation program before she her of her first May at Indy, when I was here before." ting buttons, moving stuff team for the series' show-
took her neon green No. in 2005. "The wheel is so heavy, around. It's baby steps. You case event.
13 Chevrolet car onto the She wasn't out long: Pat- that's really my biggest is- know, baby-stepping into To qualify and be com-
track. rick returned to pit lane sue," added Patrick, who is Wednesday. petitive in the race, Pat-
Patrick sure didn't look or after one lap and climbed among the fittest drivers in "But I did feel fairly comfort- rick knows she must get
act nervous in the cockpit out of the car so Carpen- IndyCar or NASCAR. "It's just able at the end," she said. become far more com-
even though it was her first ter's team could fix a wa- a different feel because Patrick is the only woman fortable in her car. "Riding
trip in an Indy car around ter temperature problem. stock cars have power to win an IndyCar race, a bike's much easier than
the 2.5-mile oval since 2011. A little more than an hour steering." lead laps in both the India- that," she said. "I just want
She was topping 208 mph later, she returned to the Patrick finally settled in, napolis 500 and the Day- to be flat out and comfort-
within 20 minutes of taking track did one more install settled down and started tona 500, win the pole for able and making changes
her first laps at speed and lap and again pulled back driving like the fan favorite the Daytona 500, and the and feeling the changes.
was actually exceeding onto pit lane for a brief she was at this track during highest-finishing woman in It, definitely for me, I forget
the 215 mph limit before chat with her crew. a six-year run from 2005-11. both iconic races. She left it's not really Indy. It's just a
completing the first phase Twenty minutes later, Pat- Getting re-acclimated to a the IndyCar Series after the test. We'll be back again in
of the course. rick was back in the pits be- brand new Indy car didn't 2011 finale for a full-time two weeks and that's when
Behind the scenes, it was cause the car wasn't steer- come easily. move to NASCAR, but is it really starts." Notes: Jay
different. ing like she expected. "You didn't see me come closing her storied career at Howard and Sage Karam
"I think she's a little nervous "The car, it just felt very into the pits the second the track most associated also participated in the
because it's been so long hard to drive," she said. time when I was like, 'Shoot, with her historic moments. refresher course and four
since she's been in an Indy "The weight of the wheel where's neutral?'" Patrick She got backing for the drivers went through rookie
car," Carpenter said. "But was very heavy for me, so joked. "I feel overwhelmed Daytona 500 and the Indy orientation.q

Golden Knights edge Sharks

in OT; Lightning top Bruins

won in overtime despite Point had an empty-net empty-netter with 25.2 sec-
failing to convert on two goal and three assists and onds left. Yanni Gourde,
early power-play chances. Tampa Bay Lightning found Tyler Johnson and Ondrej
Marc-Andre Fleury made a way to slow Boston's Palat also scored for the
39 saves, including a bril- high-scoring line of Patrice Lightning, which rebound-
liant one to rob Logan Bergeron, David Pastrnak ed from a 6-2 loss in Game
Couture early in the over- and Brad Marchand to 1. Bergeron, Pastrnak and
time. Couture had another beat the Bruins in Game 2 Marchand combined for
IndyCar driver Danica Patrick walks through the pit area as she chance in the sequence of their second-round play- three goals and 11 points in
prepares to drive her refresher test at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway in Indianapolis, Tuesday, May 1, 2018. before the winning goal. off series. the opener. They had four
Associated Press But the Knights broke out The victory evened the more points in Game 2, but
with the loose puck and best-of-seven matchup be- were unable to take over
By The Associated Press period to beat the San Jose Karlsson beat Martin Jones tween the top two teams the game.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Sharks 4-3 on Monday night with a wrist shot high to the in the Eastern Conference. Charlie McAvoy scored for
William Karlsson scored to take a 2-1 series lead. stick side and was mobbed Game 3 is Wednesday the Bruins late in the first pe-
8:17 into overtime and After Tomas Hertl tied the by his teammates. Jones night in Boston. riod. Torey Krug's late goal
the Vegas Golden Knights game with 1:57 left in regu- made 29 saves. Point assisted on Tampa trimmed Tampa Bay's lead
bounced back from a lation, the expansion Gold- LIGHTNING 4, BRUINS 2 Bay's first three goals be- to 3-2 with just over four
blown lead late in the third en Knights rebounded and TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brayden fore sealing the win with his minutes remaining.q