Patrick improved by responses from top drivers

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) a Danica Patrick was bummed after diminishing on the last lap of an ancient Daytona 500. Some type words from manager Tony Stewart and battle success Jimmie Johnson acquired her spirits just a little. "To have someone like Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson tell me that on some degree I made good choices out there at the very end was an extremely nice thing in order for them to say," Patrick mentioned from Phoenix International Raceway on Friday. "It makes me feel only a little better. I still feel like I want to have a better approach in the future, in that time (they said) I had made some choices, so it was appreciated." In her first full year in a Cup car, Patrick became the first person to be on the rod at the Daytona 500 and competed close to the entrance all day, leading five laps. Coming around on the final lap, she had Johnson and Greg Biffle in front, leaving her constantly in place to produce a work for the win. As an alternative, Patrick got bogged down on the exterior behind Biffle and was approved by people on the low side, fading from third to eighth. In her post-race ending up in Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, Patrick was told she made the proper move and would have lost a lot more ground if she had tried something. "I thought she did a fantastic job last week," Stewart said at PIR. "She enjoyed a very, very wise race since it is very an easy task to get over-anxious and wish to accomplish much better than where you stand at, and cause worse time yourself to have. She displayed lots of patience and that is very hard to complete. And so I thought she did a fantastic job." Patrick also received some more encouragement from Johnson after congratulating the five-time series winner on his second Daytona 500 win. "He said I did so a nice job, too," Patrick said. "I said I wish I'd a better plan, but thanks and I have a lot to learn. He stated that the two wins he had, he didn't have an idea and sometimes you simply have to go on the fly and assist what happens in the moment".