Fort Worth, Texas ? The media glare focused on Danica Patrick at Texas Motor Speedway might be daunting to drivers with far more time in the spotlight.

But the 23-year-old Indy Racing League rookie isn’t the least bit bothered. In fact, she’s having a pretty good time as she balances the frenzy of fan attention and a multitude of interview requests with preparations for tonight’s Bombardier Learjet 500, a race likely to see lots of three-wide racing at more than 200 mph.

The first question Patrick fielded Friday during a packed news conference was about the cool, calm demeanor she has worn since the beginning of the month of May at Indianapolis, where she led laps and finished fourth – both firsts for a woman in the 500.

Asked if she somehow knew this “Danica Mania” was going to happen someday and had prepared herself for it, Patrick smiled shyly and replied: “Would it sound cocky if I said yes?

“I never knew what was going to happen. All I knew is that, best-case scenario, it would, that it would be big news and that it would have an impact and it would help the series and it would inspire young kids and girls and be a really great story.

IRL driver Danica Patrick responds to questions at a news conference. Patrick spoke Friday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, where tonight she will start from the third position for the Bombardier Learjet 500.

“Maybe that’s why I feel completely myself. It’s a big deal, but I don’t feel it’s something that I’m going to overanalyze and say, ‘Wow! I’m in the newspapers every day.’ I feel it’s just kind of a story right now, something that people are excited, interested and curious about, to see how it unfolds.”

Tony Kanaan, the reigning champion of the IRL and winner of four races in the IndyCar Series, stood briefly at the back of the crowded room, watching and listening. As he turned to leave, Patrick saw him and said, “Next question, Tony Kanaan.”

He smiled as he left the room, turning and saying, “You’re doing OK.”

Kanaan and some of the other IRL drivers are impressed by the way Patrick, who was racing in the developmental Toyota Atlantic series a year ago, has dealt with her new ride in Rahal Letterman Racing’s 650-horsepower IndyCar, as well as her newfound celebrity.

She has improved in each of the five races so far, coming back strong from a crash in the opener at Homestead, Fla., that left her with a concussion. The last two races have been Patrick’s best, as she has led and finished fourth in both.

“She’s done a lot for women,” Kanaan said. “She’s the fastest woman ever. But, in my opinion, she’s getting too much attention. But that’s the way it is. We go with what makes news, right?”

But Kanaan said he wasn’t criticizing Patrick for taking advantage of the opportunities she was getting. It’s just that he believes she has a lot to prove.

“It’s going to get to a point where, if she wants to be the best of all, she’s going to have to prove that she can win races, and she needs to win championships,” the Brazilian said. “Otherwise, it’s going to just die out.”

Patrick is determined that is not going to happen. But the 11â2-mile Texas oval is one of a number of new tracks that she is going to face in the next few months as she continues to learn her craft.

“It’s going to be tough, really tough,” she said. “I’ve only had one other race where we’ve run side-by-side.

“This might be a time when I start to show (I’m a) rookie again, just being at tracks where I haven’t been before and trying to learn them. … But I do have a good team and good teammates to help me accelerate that program,” she said, referring to Buddy Rice, returning from a neck injury sustained in a crash early last month at Indy, and Vitor Meira, who finished second to Dan Wheldon in the 500.