Danica Patrick Hit by Rock at Dirt Track, Suffers Sore Neck

Auto racing star Danica Patrick should consider keeping her helmet on even when she's just a spectator at a track.

The 30-year-old Sprint Cup Rookie and renowned female driver in a male dominated sport suffered a head injury Thursday while attending a dirt track race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, USA Today reports. Patrick wasn't participating in the race but was there as a fan when she was struck in the head by a rock thrown off the track by one of the race cars.

"I feel like I have a concussion from last night," Patrick told the media on Friday, joking about the incident. "It's really sore. It hit me straight in the head. Good thing I had a hat on, or I feel like there would have been blood." 

This latest incident comes less than a week after Patrick crashed at the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday. Patrick crashed her No. 10 race car into a wall after one of her tires blew out on the 185 lap. 

As a result of the crash, Patrick said she had a headache and sore neck. She was cleared by NASCAR medical personnel after a check up, reports say.

"I told them, I said, 'I had a headache on Sunday night and on Monday my neck was sore,' " and they said, 'Well, it sounds like it could have been worse and we're glad you're OK,' " Patrick told USA Today.

On Friday, Patrick met with NASCAR medical staff once more to fill out some paperwork related to the crash at Phoenix. She was given a quick checkup for the injury she sustained at the dirt track and was cleared.