She was only the third woman to compete in what is known as "The Great American Race" but some voices in the media wondered if she merited more attention than more established drivers such as five-time Sprint Cup winner Jimmie Johnson.
So when Patrick's car was damaged as she spun off the track on the second lap when she was caught up in a five-car crash, the skeptics could afford themselves a little smugness.
But on Sunday, Patrick will start the Daytona 500 from pole position and this time no one will doubt she deserves all the attention she is receiving or her credentials to compete with the very best.
Patrick, who ran a partial Sprint Cup program last year, showed she was ready to race full-time in American stock car racing by qualifying with a top speed of 196.434 mph around Daytona International Speedway last Sunday.
Her top speed was the fastest qualifying effort at Daytona since 1990 and inevitably raised talk about her becoming the first woman to win the coveted prize.
