Patrick going back to basics

Associated Press

TORONTO

Danica Patrick is going back to basics in the Honda Indy Toronto.

“I’m going to really try to come at it with a slightly different approach and stop chasing every little thing that I feel and just start focusing on my driving and really just try to keep it really simple,” Patrick said Friday.

“There’s a lot to be said for being able to know what you have when you go out on a street course, especially, because it’s as an old driving coach from Atlantics said, ‘It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be fast.”’

The race Sunday is the second of five straight street or road races before the season ends with four oval events. In the first five street and road events of the year, Patrick finished 15th, seventh, 19th, 16th and 20th. She was second at Texas Motor Speedway and 11th, sixth and 10th in the oval races.

Last year in the first IndyCar Series race on the 1.755-mile, 11-turn street course at Exhibition Place, Patrick started 18th and finished sixth. She also raced at the track in Formula Atlantic in 2003 and 2004.

“I love coming to Toronto,” Patrick said. “It’s a great city and a great race track. I know street courses are a little notorious for being hard to pass and being a lot of follow the leader, but I was really impressed last year, seeing just how we were able to get runs on the back straight and make things happen.”

She struggled in the first practice session Friday morning, finishing 22nd among the 26 drivers with a fast lap of 95.471 mph. She was 11th in the afternoon session at 100.452 in her No. 7 Andretti Autosport entry.

“We made a few changes from the first practice session to the second and we were able to find some speed,” Patrick said. “I think the changes that we made gave us a much better idea on where we need to go for tomorrow. Overall, I’m happy with today’s practice sessions and hope we have a strong qualifying run tomorrow.”

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon led the first practice session at 98.850 mph, and Andretti’s Ryan Hunter-Reay topped the chart in the second at 101.668.