Patrick: I've missed 'the last little details' needed to win

Danica Patrick is still exploring her options beyond the end of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season – and contemplating a legacy that could point to huge influence on the sport as a female, offset by struggles to match the performances of her teammates.

In 182 starts to date, Patrick has yet to score a top-five finish or contend for a victory. Speaking at Dover on Friday, Patrick responded to a question about whether she'd had the equipment to get the job done by conceding that she's worked with good teams, but wondering whether all of the extra bits that can determine success were in place.

"Do I think that I've had the best car on track with the best engine, the best, best, best, best, best? Probably not," she said. "Have I had good teams? Absolutely. Have I had good equipment? Absolutely. The challenges are those last little details, and having a group of people around you that believe that you can do it and are willing to go beyond the call of duty for the job and go the extra mile.

"My very first engineer in IndyCar uses a reference that comes to mind. He called it the '100 Hand Theory'. If you stick one hand out the window, it doesn't make a difference. If your stick 100 (hands) it does. All those small, small, small little details that stack up to make something special that goes out on track, yeah, that's something that always hasn't been there. I do think that I've always had good equipment."

Her options for 2018 appear limited, and any that do present themselves will require the 35-year-old to bring funding.

"I let the business people in my business handle that, and have those conversations and figure out what options are out there," Patrick said. "And I'm going to let them do that."

What does remain unchanged for now is her focus on NASCAR's top tier. A return to IndyCar is not being actively pursued, although she says she remains open-minded about the future.

"Never say never, as I've said for many years, because I know things can change," Patrick said. "My life changes in ways that I wouldn't expect every couple of years. You just can't cross off anything on the list completely."

This weekend's race marks the return to the venue that has delivered Patrick's best result of the season to date; the Stewart-Haas driver having finished 10th at Dover in June.