Danica Patrick crashes out of Indy 500, her final professional race

Danica Patrick had high hopes for the Indianapolis 500 after qualifying seventh. But her hopes came crashing down, literally, Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Patrick spun out and crashed driving through Turn 2 on Lap 68 of the 102nd running of the Indy 500.

Patrick, completing the back end of the "Danica Double" which began with February's Daytona 500 — NASCAR's crown jewel — will finish 30th in her final scheduled professional race.

"I'm not sure really what happened," Patrick said to TV reporters after being checked and released from the infield medical center. "It just seemd to come around. I mean, today was really disappointing for what we were hoping for and what you want for your last race. I'm grateful for all of it. I wish I could have finished stronger.

"I've had a lot of good fortune here and still had some this month. It didn't come on race day, but we had some good moments."

Patrick, 36, who also crashed out in her final NASCAR race at Daytona, said, "Definitely not a great ending, but I said before I came here that I feel like if it's a complete disaster, as in not in the ballpark at all, that people may remember that, and if I win people will remember that.

"Anything in between will be part of a big story. I feel like that's what it is," Patrick said following her wreck.

Patrick, who hadn't competed in the 500 since departing for NASCAR after the 2011 IndyCar season, had recorded six top-10 finishes in seven attempts at Indy prior to Sunday's race.

As a rookie in 2005, Patrick became the first woman to lead laps in the 500 en route to finishing fourth. She finished a career-high third in 2009.