Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, gets out of her car after qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 17 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Patrick went out eighth in the qualifying session Sunday and covered the 2 1/2-mile superspeedway in 45.817 seconds, averaging 196.434 mph.
 

She waited about two hours as 37 fellow drivers tried to take her spot. Only four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon even came close to knocking her off.

-- By Mark Long, Associated Press

Read the full story.

Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 16.

Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP

Danica Patrick (10), Kurt Busch (51), David Ragan (34) and Jimmie Johnson (48) crash during the NASCAR Daytona 500 on Monday night.

Terry Renna / AP

Crew members repair Danica Patrick's car on Monday night.

AP reports: Danica Patrick is back on the track after being involved in an accident just two laps into her Daytona 500 debut.

 After her crew made extensive repairs to her battered race car, Patrick finally returned to the race down 62 laps to the leaders — earning cheers from the grandstands as she pulled out of the garage area.

 The accident just minutes after the green flag dropped Monday night began when Elliott Sadler turned five-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. He shot into the wall, then rolled back down the track. Patrick was coming along behind the accident and was caught in the chaos.

See NBCSports.com coverage of the race.

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·        NASCAR spotlight shines bright on Danica Patrick

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Brian Blanco / Reuters

NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Danica Patrick speaks to the media after winning the pole for the Nationwide DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, Feb. 24, 2012.

Rainier Ehrhardt / AP

Danica Patrick drives her car during qualifying for Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Drive4COPD 300 Friday.

Chuck Mcquinn / AP

Danica Patrick's car slides down the track after a crash during the first of two NASCAR Daytona Duel 150 qualifying auto races in Daytona Beach, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012.

From the full story by NBC Sports: Patrick became the first woman to secure the top qualifying spot in NASCAR's second-tier series since Shawna Robinson at Atlanta on March 12, 1994.

Slideshow: Danica Daze - Images of Danica Patrick from her years with IRL, IndyCar and now NASCAR.

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