If Ms. Patrick is the first to see the checkered flag next Sunday in Daytona, she forever transforms the legitimacy of her brand as a professional auto racer.
"The more you know your teammates, the less likely you are to take comments made in the midst of sleep deprivation personally, " says Sara Ballantyne, 38, a professional mountain-bike racer who helped lead Team Vail to victory in last year's Eco-Challenge in Morocco.