I think all of Nascar is a media circus right now, and it won't be getting any better. You have the media playing up driver "grudges", multiple car brands (Chevy, Ford, Toyota) with the same body, transmission, differenctials, brakes and suspension (only difference is the decals on the front that simulate the front end of a particular car, and the engine). Patrick just became part of that same circus. Nascar is not really racing anymore, its entertainment/drama with racing being the stage, not the main point. Danica is a professional driver, perhaps not the best, but still a professional driver. Does she show off the T&A? Yeah, and makes money at it, so what? Tony Stewart does Armor-All commercials, Dale Jr. does jeans commercials. Doesn't make them any less a driver, why would it make Patrick any less of a driver? Does she pander the media? Oh, yeah, big time. Do other drivers, or do other drivers wish to have as much media spotlight as Danica? Undoubtedly, yes. How many of the male drivers have a large femaie following? This all, including Danica Patrick, fits in with Nascar's marketing of their drivers as "personalities", "celebrities", etc. Danica Patrick moved to Nascar specifically to get more media spotlight, no doubt. It is all, including the T&A photoshoots, marketing. Still doesn't make her, or any of the other drivers in Nascar, any less legitimate drivers.
The days of Cale Yarborough and David Pearson going at it are over. Nascar is not about racing, it is about the "show". Nascar goes out of its way to make sure that nobody has any advantage of any type, no matter if that advantage is legal or not. They want everybody to be as closely matched as possible, to make for a better "show". Danica fits into this environment very well; she improves the "show".
As for Paris Hilton releasing an album, that may be true, but the 3 copies that were sold were insufficient to cover the studio costs, I would think; she has enough personal money to cover those costs, though . In the one movie she was in, I hear the audience cheered when she was killed off. How does this compare with having won an Indycar race? Her perfume line may be successful, or not, I don't know, I really don't keep up with that sort of thing. As stated before, the Kardashian's are pretty much useless human beings.
Just personal thoughts.
Kostas