Patrick competed in her final Indianapolis 500 on May 27, 2018, closing out her professional racing career.
On May 27, 2018, Danica Patrick made her final professional racing start at the Indianapolis 500, completing the 'Danica Double' farewell tour that had begun with her final Daytona 500 appearance earlier that same year. Driving for Ed Carpenter Racing, Patrick closed out a career that had begun at the same event in 2005 with her historic lap-leading, fourth-place rookie performance.
The race was widely covered as a celebration of Patrick's trailblazing career, with tributes from fellow competitors, team owners, and racing organizations recognizing her impact on the sport. Her final Indy 500 start, while not resulting in a top finish, symbolically closed the loop on a career that began and ended at the same iconic venue—the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—where she had made some of her most significant history-making achievements, including becoming the first woman to lead laps (2005) and her career-best third-place finish (2009).
Patrick's retirement from full-time competitive racing after this event marked the conclusion of a thirteen-year top-level career spanning both IndyCar and NASCAR. Her departure was seen as the close of a transformative era for women in American motorsport, with her achievements continuing to serve as reference points for measuring progress in gender inclusion in racing.