Danica Patrick - The 'Real Deal'

Women in motorsports was always about umbrella girls in skimpy shorts. Now it's about Danica Patrick, equally comfortable racing in a 200-mph car and posing in a leather bikini. 

Women and automobile racing? Ha.

Oh yes. We've seen them, haven't we? the ones that hang around the paddock and race grid, standing next to the drivers, with umbrella's or water bottles, nice cleavages ready to be photographed for the glamour spreads?

Those days are over, dudes. The 'real deal' is here.

Danica Patrick, all of 23, has captured fourth position in the Indianapolics 500 (or Indy 500) - the best ever by a woman driver. And if there wasn't the slightest of mistakes, she could have been the winner. When she took the lead on Lap 56  of the scheduled 200, Patrick became the 54th driver to lead the Indy 500 in his/her first start - and the first woman to lead the race. 

The celebrated rookie made her point en route to a historic fourth-place finish at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She turned in one of the most stirring rookie runs ever, coming back from a stalled car in the pits and a spinout on the track before running low on gas and settling for fourth place. Patrick led three times for a total of 19 laps, including two stints at the point in the final 28 laps. So, she effectively answered those critics who questioned her ability and stamina to run with the guys on a superspeedway - and run up front.

This weekend's Indy 500 was all about her. Not about the other cars or drivers, the only real news seems to be Danica. It also helps that she knows how to promote herself - she has been on chat shows, news, magazines and in the FHM magazine wearing only the skimpiest of clothes. She says she enjoys that - and as long as she races well, who are we to complain? And racing is what she does best.

There have been female drivers in Indy before - but no one remembers any of them. She is extremely fast according to the other drivers, and has a reasonable shot at the podium, and even the winner's spot.

Danica has earned her credentials by racing in everything from go-karts to 200-mph cars. At 22 years and 5' 2", she is petite and works out a lot, and even practices yoga. She is recently engaged, and lives in Arizona, enjoys Alanis Morisette and Sex in the City.

Indy, despite the few women who have participated, has always remained a male sport where the starting call still remains, "Gentlemen, start your engines." They are not going to change that, just because of a Danica - but the newspapers have already responded with headlines as "Lady and Gentlemen, start your engines!"

Danica's team is co-owned by David Letterman, and she recently appeared on his show in a short skirt that showed a lot of leg, and declared that if she wins, it might change motorsports for ever. It as well might - Formula One is waiting for its first female star, probably a couple of years from now - and Indy already has Danica.

After this performance, she would be to Indy what Tiger Woods is to Pro Golf.