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Uh-oh, Danica Patrick is on a magazine cover again, not posed provocatively this time or in a swimsuit. Could it be that it's time to start taking her seriously as a driver?

She did win a race a few weeks ago. Sure, it was in Japan and nobody saw it, but that didn't make it any less real when she crossed the finish line first. And spare me the "she only won on fuel strategy" argument, even if it's true. Nobody will disparage Dale Earnhardt Jr. if that's the way his NASCAR drought finally ends.

As for the magazine cover, Sports Illustrated is featuring Danica for one simple reason: With the Indy 500 approaching, she's likely the only open-wheel racing story anybody remotely cares about. If you can name five other drivers in her series without cheating, award yourself a gold star.

That's what it means to be Danica Patrick these days. After breaking into the win column (proving she isn't racing's answer to Anna Kournikova), she has an entire racing genre to herself, at least in terms of marketing and publicity. And just imagine if she wins Indy, which seems more plausible than ever.

My initial curiosity about Danica, I'll admit, had much to do with her skin-flashing layout in FHM magazine. But I actually became a fan when she led briefly toward the end of the 2005 Indy 500 before finishing fourth. It was a heart-pounding moment as hundreds of thousands stood and cheered.

It didn't keep me up nights, but since then I always hoped Danica would win a race or two. We're supposed to be objective, but I think it's OK to root for individuals. And it's certainly no crime to root for good stories, which Danica Patrick again has become.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or

smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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