My Memorial Day weekend went pretty well with one disappointment.

Danica Patrick failed to win the Indianapolis 500.

I was hoping she would win what was to be the last race of her 13-year career, but it wasn’t to be when she spun out in a turn, just like several other drivers. A problem, the experts (who were former 500 winners) said, was in part attributed to a change in the car chassis design that apparently hindered stability in the turns.

I have followed Danica’s career since her rookie start in the 500 in 2005, and although I’m not a NASCAR fan (I prefer Formula 1 and GT), I kept up with her career after her transition from IndyCar racing.

Danica was not the first woman to drive in the Indy 500. Janet Guthrie was the pioneer in 1977, and according to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website, 10 women have driven in the 500 from 1977 to 2018.

Among the women drivers, Danica shares the record for most Indy starts — seven — with Lyn St. James. She holds the record for the most career laps with 1,337; most career laps leading the race, 29; and the most earnings, $2.65 million. Her highest finish in the 500 was third. She is the first woman to win an IndyCar event, winning the Japan 300 in Montegi, Japan in 2008.

She was not the first woman to drive in NASCAR; that honor belongs to Sara Christian and Louise Smith, both of whom drove in a 1949 race. According to the website ESPN.com, 16 women have driven in the NASCAR Cup Series, and 22 in NACAR’s Infinity Series. Danica had 191 starts and finished in the top 10 six times during her NASCAR Cup career.

She has set a legacy that hopefully will be followed by other women, including an eventual Indy 500 winner.

The reason for all these statistics and praise is very simple. Danica Patrick overcame a lot of obstacles to be successful in the predominantly male world of auto racing.

She serves as a model, not just for girls and young women, but also for boys and young men. She’s an example of what someone can accomplish with hard work, dedication and determination. We talk to our young people, telling them they can be whatever they want to be if they make the decision to apply themselves. She is proof.

During the pre-race program, there was a video of a then very young Danica Patrick being interviewed and telling the reporter she wanted to win the Indy 500. That is determination, and it sets an example for young people, regardless of gender, that they truly can do whatever they want if they put their minds to it.

Danica Patrick has now retired from racing, although that may one day change, but she has set an example for others that truly they are limited only by their ambition, and that may be greater than her records or winning the 500.

John Surratt is a staff writer at The Vicksburg Post. You may reach him at john.surratt@vicksburgpost.com.