IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick has announced her split from her husband after a seven-year marriage. The announcement was made on Patrick’s Facebook page last week.
In going public with their intent to divorce, Patrick described the split as amicable. Patrick is 17 years younger than her husband, a physical therapist who she met while treating a non-racing injury.
Patrick has risen to notoriety in motor racing sports as its most successful female driver. After a long and successful career in IndyCar, she made the transition to racing in NASCAR and just finished her first full season, participating in the Nationwide schedule and 10 races in the Sprint Cup Series. That season culminated in the highest points finish by a female in any of NASCAR’s three national series.
She was also named the most popular driver in the Nationwide Series, an award chosen by fan votes.
Although some wondered whether Patrick’s advertising clout had waned, she recently picked up an extension of her advertising relationship with GoDaddy.
It is not immediately known whether Patrick had a prenuptial agreement in place with her husband, or what other implications could affect the divorce process. In high-profile divorces and those where one or more parties carry significant assets into a divorce, a prenuptial contract can be an effective way to reduce the legal hassles of the divorce settlement process. It is assumed that at least Patrick had significant earnings and other assets at the time of her marriage.
Source: ESPN, “Danica Patrick divorcing,” Nov. 21, 2012
