Danica Patrick will be among the favorites to win the Indianapolis 500 when practice officially begins Tuesday for the May 25 race.

That’s not so much because of her historic first victory two weeks ago in the IRL IndyCar Series race in Japan as it is because she feels at home at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s a place where Patrick has felt welcome and comfortable since she first arrived there as a 23-year-old rookie in May 2005.

"I like Indy a lot," Patrick said. "I feel very confident there.

"But, at the same time, the place demands a little respect. It’s never easy and you can’t take speed for granted there. You have to really stay with the car and push it to its limit."

She became an instant sensation at the famed Brickyard by doing just that. And the fans quickly latched onto the tiny, fearless girl with the long black hair and the very fast car.

From the moment she put a wheel onto the 2.5-mile Indy oval, Patrick was quick.

Each day in practice, she was at or near the top of the speed chart, and she qualified fourth, the best that any woman had done at the speedway.

Thus began "DanicaMania," a national reaction that saw her attractive visage nearly everywhere - on TV, magazine covers, billboards and commercials.

Then, in the race, Patrick led 19 laps - a first for a woman at Indy - and survived a collision with another car to finish fourth, the best finish for a female at the big track.

Patrick, who easily won that year’s rookie of the year honors, was suddenly an indelible part of Indy lore. And her fame has hardly diminished, even though she hasn’t come close to the pole and has finished eighth each of the past two years at Indy.

There was a second round of "DanicaMania" after her win April 29 - in her 50th IndyCar start.

Now, Patrick is setting her sights on Indy, where the challenges will be twofold.

First, Patrick will have to contend with a group of additional challengers arriving at Indy in the wake of the unification of the two American open-wheel series after a 12-year rivalry.

Beyond that, she is likely to be challenged just handling all the media requests and fan interest that come with arriving at the speedway, but especially after her big win in Japan.

That’s all OK with Patrick.

"It’s great that we’re going to have more cars and more competition ... and I don’t mind the interviews and all that. I think I do better when there’s more stuff going on," she said. "It keeps me occupied, or there’s just more time to be nervous."

Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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