‘Blocking the bad stuff:’ How NASCAR’s Danica Patrick relates to ‘Wonder Woman’

Danica Patrick spotted some immediate connections when her “Wonder Woman” paint scheme for May’s NASCAR All-Star Race weekend was unveiled this week.

Her first reaction to the front of her No. 10 car bearing the likeness of the next actress, in costume, chosen to play Diana Prince?

“I think that looks like me,” Patrick said, pointing and laughing.

Holding her forearms out in the way the comic book and TV Wonder Woman once did to block bullets, Patrick added “consider these my front bumper, blocking all the bad stuff.”

While Patrick understands that many women can relate to Wonder Woman, she believes the “warrior” scheme extends to everyone.

“The word ‘warrior’ ... can speak to all of us ... really,” the driver added before asking Fox Sports host Adam Alexander if he felt like a warrior.

“Wonder Woman,” set for a June 2 release in theaters, stars Israeli model and actress Gal Gadot in the namesake role made famous by DC Comics and the 1970s television series starring Linda Carter.

Carter offered a shout-out to Patrick on her Twitter page.

Danica’s car will sport the “Wonder Woman” theme in two Saturday night races, first at Kansas Motor Speedway on May 13 and at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Monster Energy Open, where she’ll attempt to race into the All-Star race later that night, on May 20.

The back of Patrick’s car will feature a different theme, one with a cause: The One Cure program in which innovative cancer treatments for pets are being researched in clinical trials to benefit people. Code 3 Associates, a non-profit organization specializing in animal rescue and recovery in disaster areas, set up the sponsorship for One Cure, led by the Colorado State University Flint Animal Cancer Center.

“I’ve given to all sorts of animal charities through the years, but One Cure is different,” Patrick said in a statement on the Stewart-Haas Racing site. “The purpose of One Cure is a game changer in finding a potential cure for cancer.”

Code 3 Associates also plans sponsorships for Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 19 and will be Patrick’s primary sponsor at Sonoma Raceway on June 25.

This story was originally published April 28, 2017 at 6:38 PM with the headline "‘Blocking the bad stuff:’ How NASCAR’s Danica Patrick relates to ‘Wonder Woman’."