Modest Improvement: Danica’s Third Season Was Eventful
By Aaron Burns The statistics don’t show it, but Danica Patrick’s third season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was easily her best. Eight races into the campaign, Patrick was in contention for a Chase for the Sprint Cup berth. The 33-year-old native of Roscoe, Ill., had two top-10 finishes, was 13th in points and appeared ready to take the next step toward Victory Lane. But as has often been the case since Patrick left Indy car racing for NASCAR in 2012, things quickly came unglued. Patrick proved her short-track prowess by finishing seventh at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in March and ninth…