Danica Patrick made headlines again on Sunday, but not for reasons she might have hoped. While fans tuned in for the 2025 Indy 500 on FOX, many took to social media to share their strong opinions on Patrick’s on-air wardrobe during the pre-race broadcast.
The former IndyCar and NASCAR driver, now a prominent figure in motorsports broadcasting, joined Tony Stewart and Chris Myers to lead the coverage of this year’s race.
FOX Sports had touted the trio’s presence as a power lineup for its first-ever Indy 500 telecast. But Patrick’s bold black and white, one-shoulder striped dress became the focal point of fan conversations, much more than the race itself, at least early on.
Fans React To Wardrobe Choice
As the broadcast got underway, viewers quickly voiced their thoughts online. The reaction was swift, blunt, and mostly critical. Some said they switched channels immediately after seeing Patrick. Others called her outfit “a fail” and “not appropriate” for the setting.
One fan wrote, “Get a message to Danica if you can and have her change her outfit for the day she looks like she has a curtain draped around her.”
Get a message to Danica if you can and have her change her outfit for the day she looks like she has a curtain draped around her
— Zippy 🌷 (@zippywater) May 25, 2025
A more lighthearted comment tried to find humor in the outfit, joking, “Y’all are mocking Danica’s outfit but enemy submarines can’t tell how far away she is. That’s a tactical advantage.”
The most common complaint centered on the outfit’s visual clash with the broadcast setting. One viewer noted, “That black/white diagonally striped dress on Danica Patrick for the pre-race broadcast is hideous and shows poorly on TV. How in the heck was such a dress chosen for TV?”
Patrick, who led 19 laps at the Indy 500 in 2005 and finished third in 2009- still the highest finish ever by a woman- has never shied away from bold fashion choices. But Sunday’s outfit clearly struck a nerve among many longtime race fans, who expected a different tone for such a high-profile event.
FOX Sports has not stated the backlash. Meanwhile, Patrick remained composed throughout the broadcast, focusing on delivering pre-race coverage with Stewart and Myers as the green flag approached.
The 2025 Indy 500 aired in full on FOX, with the race officially kicking off just before 1 p.m. ET.
