Jimmie Johnson wins Daytona and Danica Patrick wins respect

Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500, but the star of the weekend was without a doubt Danica Patrick, who ended in 8th place, the best position by a female ever.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, Danica’s ex-boss, ended up in the second place of the competition.

“Dale did a nice job,” Patrick said, with Earnhardt sitting next to her in the media center. “He showed what can happen when you plan it out at the end and get that momentum. He taught me something.”

“She’s going to make a lot of history all season long,” Earnhardt said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch her progress. Every time I’ve seen her in a hectic situation, she always remained calm. She’s got a level head. She’s a racer. She’s smart about her decisions. She knew what to do today as far as track position and not taking risks.

“I had no problem drafting with her,” Earnhardt said. “She was good all week. But I was trying to get the best finish I could and have a shot to win the race. I was going to go with whom I thought would help me move forward. Sometimes she was in that spot and sometimes she wasn’t.”

According to Earnhardt, Danica Patrick had a lot to do with the fact that the race got so much hype this year.

I noticed something last night,” he said. “There’s a different vibe. People seemed more excited about what was about to happen. I think the sport is headed in the right direction. That’s a motivator for me. It feels like we’re on the right track.”