Aaron Rodgers will be at Indy 500 for Danica Patrick's last race

Green Bay Press Gazette

Danica Patrick and Aaron Rodgers will visit India on April 12 as part of a philanthropic mission with the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

GREEN BAY – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is pulling for girlfriend Danica Patrick to finish Sunday's Indianapolis 500. And finishing near the front would be good. In any case, he'll be there to see it.

Beloit native Patrick will wrap up her racing career on Sunday when she competes in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"(She’s) in her last race. Hopefully, she’s able to make it all the way around," Rodgers said during Packers' OTAs this week. "She’s had a lot of success at Indy over the years; I think six top-10s. So, hoping that she goes out with a bang.”

It will be Patrick's eighth Indy 500. She is one of nine female drivers to compete at Indy, the first to lead a lap and the female record-holder with 29 laps in the lead overall. Her highest finish was third place in 2009.

Rodgers watched Patrick compete at the Daytona 500 NASCAR race in February, which for her ended in a multi-car crash.

“Yeah, Daytona was fun, it was interesting," Rodgers said. "It’s different with open-wheel racing (such as Indy), not quite as much bumping."

Usually the focus of attention, Rodgers said that as a spectator he just hangs out.

"I like being on the pit for a little bit," he said. "You kind of see the cars here, then you wait a little bit and you hear them come around, and you see them again … and then you wait a little bit and you see them again. That’s kind of how it goes."

"But it’s a little nerve-wracking going 230 miles an hour. I just hope she’s safe and finishes high.”