The Danica Patrick NASCAR Fontana crash on March 20, 2016, became a major turning point in her final NASCAR Cup Series campaigns, highlighting both her driving grit and the unbending standards of the sport. The incident occurred during the Auto Club 400 at the Auto Club Speedway, where a collision with Kasey Kahne ended her race, drew the attention of NASCAR officials, and resulted in significant penalties.
Details of the Race Day Collision
On lap 121 of the contest, Kasey Kahne moved down the frontstretch as Danica Patrick was advancing up the track, which led to the two cars making contact. The impact sent Patrick’s Chevrolet into a hard spin, careening her car into the outside wall with substantial force. Jimmie Johnson continued on to win the event, but Patrick’s involvement in the crash marked a dramatic departure from her quest for a strong finish.
After medical staff cleared Patrick at the infield care center, she spoke candidly about the incident. She expressed that she felt the move executed by Kahne was desperate, emphasizing that Kahne was a lap down and had attempted an aggressive side-draft against her lead-lap car. According to Patrick, making contact in that section of the track carried an elevated risk and could easily have resulted in her going airborne.
Kasey Kahne Accepts Responsibility
Kahne, following the event, stated that he regretted the outcome and was relieved Patrick was unharmed.
“Man, I felt bad. I’m glad she got out and is all right,” — Kasey Kahne, Driver
He also elaborated on conversations with NASCAR competition officials, noting that their discussion centered on clarifying if there were any lingering tensions or previous on-track disputes between the drivers before the crash.
“just wanted to make sure everything was OK from my perspective and there were no hard feelings prior to the wreck or anything like that. I was like, ‘Man, not at all. I’ve never had an issue with Danica at all,'” — Kasey Kahne, Driver
Kahne classified the collision as a preventable error due to his efforts to defend his newly-gained position, denying that the crash arose from prior disagreements.
Patrick’s Post-Crash Actions Lead to NASCAR Penalty
After emerging from her extensively damaged Chevrolet, Danica Patrick walked along the apron, making a clear gesture towards Kahne as his car moved by under caution. Though she remained beneath the highest white line marking the apron’s edge, her path nonetheless arched outward enough to prompt scrutiny from NASCAR competition officials. This movement, plus her approach as safety personnel responded, led to a review of her conduct under the governing body’s post-incident safety protocols.
NASCAR ruled that Patrick’s route toward the racing surface after the wreck breached the league’s safety guidelines. As a result, authorities issued a $20,000 fine and put her on probation for the next four Cup Series events. These penalties underscored the strict enforcement of safety measures regardless of the circumstances or driver profile.
Impact and Legacy in NASCAR Cup Series
Danica Patrick’s handling of adversity in the aftermath of the Fontana crash reaffirmed her reputation for resolve, while her penalty highlighted NASCAR’s unwavering stance on driver accountability and track safety. The incident additionally illuminated the pressures faced by all competitors, with both Patrick and Kahne confronting the consequences of split-second decisions. For Patrick’s career, the 2016 Fontana accident became one of the defining tests of her resilience as well as a clarion example of how the sport enforces its rules uniformly. As the series moved forward, both drivers’ responses to the incident helped set the standard for conduct, competition, and mutual respect among drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series.
March 20th, 2016, the Auto Club 400. On lap 121 on the frontstretch, Kasey Kahne would come down into turn Danica Patrick, while she was coming up. This would cause Patrick to spin out and hit the outside wall hard. Jimmie Johnson would go on to win the race.#nascar #autoclub… pic.twitter.com/0HV55bTQ4I
— Random Nascar Crashes (@Rdnascarcrashes) December 24, 2025
