Driver Danica Patrick prepares to meet the media at Kansas Speedway. Patrick, who last weekend became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race, attended a news conference Friday in Kansas City, Kan., in advance of Sunday's IndyCar race at Kansas Speedway.

Danica Patrick made appearances on talk shows such as the “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The View” over the last week after winning one race.

But that shows just how important Patrick’s first victory in the IndyCar Racing Series really was.

“It was an exciting week. It was a lot of fun,” Patrick said. “You know, I never mind doing a lot of those live shows and talking to people like David Letterman. It’s not a bad gig.”

Patrick’s victory last weekend in the Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi was the first victory by a woman in major open-wheel racing. It took her 50 races in the IndyCar Series to make history.

Patrick will attempt to win her first race on U.S. soil starting Sunday at Kansas Speedway – site of her first IndyCar pole.

“I think that everything happens for a reason, and if this would have come three years ago (Patrick’s rookie year in IndyCar) on the heels of Indy or something like that, you know, maybe I wouldn’t have been so calm and prepared,” Patrick said, “prepared all around, from my standpoint and from the media and publicity standpoint.”

Dealing with the media – as she did Friday at Kansas Speedway – is one thing.

But what about dealing with the emotions?

“I was more emotional about it than I expected to be,” Patrick said. “I think that was probably what caught me off guard that was different than what I expected. But I would say I expected to be relieved, and I was. That was what I expected. But I didn’t think I was going to cry, and I didn’t think that I was going to be so emotional.

“I think one of the things that was always hanging and lurking in the back of my mind, or the front or whatever, is out of the way. But I think that I really see this whole process as just going up, you know? I like what it’s done more for the championship standings and just for morale and for everything.”

The victory positioned Patrick 14 points behind series leader Helio Castroneves and two points behind Scott Dixon in second.

“You don’t win championships without winning some races,” Patrick, the driver of the No. 7 Motorola car, said. “I don’t know if that ever happened. I see that as being much more realistic happening this year than in the past years, so that’s exciting to me.”

The “First Lady of IndyCar racing” said she recognized the history she made, but at the same time, acknowledged some things were meant to be broken.

“You know, there might be girls that come along that start just blowing me out of the water. I don’t know,” Patrick said. “I hope not, but I think that that’s what’s going to show in 20 years from now when I look back and say, ‘Wow, that was the start of a major wave.’ That will be something that will show itself later.”