Danica Patrick , the popular NASCAR driver, via her Facebook page on Tuesday that she and Paul Hospenthal, her husband of seven years, will be divorcing.
"I am sad to inform my fans that after seven years, Paul and I have decided amicably end our marriage," she said. "This isn't easy for either of us, but mutually it has come to this. He has been an important person and friend in my life and that's how we will remain moving forward."
Hospenthal is a physical therapist who met Patrick while treating her for a non-racing injury. The two were married in 2005, and he is 17 years older than the 30-year-old driver.
Her relationship status on the page is not listed; the item had received nearly 3,000 comments just five hours after being posted at 3 p.m.
The news comes at the end of Patrick's first full-time season in NASCAR. Four top-10 finishes in 33 Nationwide races with JR Motorsports helped her finish 10th in driver points - highest ever for a female driver in any of the three NASCAR series. She was voted the series' most popular driver.
Earlier this month, Patrick had her best finish in nine Cup starts this season, finishing 24th at Texas and running every lap for the first time. Tony Gibson was Ryan Newman's crew chief for Stewart-Haas Racing, but is moving to Patrick's team next season.
They got a head start with her final two races this season and she finished 10th in Nationwide points, becoming the highest-finishing female driver in the history of NASCAR's three national series. The previous record was held by Sara Christian, who finished 13th in 1949 in the Cup series.
