Sometimes business and family don’t mix. And in the case of race car driving bombshell beauty Danica Patrick, this seems to be the case. At the urging of fellow racer Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Danica has removed her parents from running her business affairs.
According to sources, Danica’s parents, who have been involved in her career since her start were saddened and shocked by the decision which was brought about after Dale and his business partner sister Kelley poke with Danica about signing a contract to further brand with NASCAR.
A source told the National Enquirer, “A lot of what Danica did was at Dale’s and Kelley’s urging. They told her she was becoming a brand name and she needed the best professional management possible – even if it meant moving forward without her parents.”
Danica’s husband, Paul Hospenthal agrees with her decision and said, “For a long time, Danica’s career was literally a mom-and-pop operation – her dad T.J. was her coach, crew chief and handled her contracts, and her mom Bev kept the books.”
But a sad father said of her daughter Danica, “You know, we still do her laundry, we still take care of her like she’s our kid.”
And another source said, “Danica loves her parents and is grateful to them, but they were a distraction. She needed some distance. They couldn’t continue riding around in a tour bus together forever.”
