Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick has filed for divorce from her husband Paul Hospenthal, citing an "irretrievably broken" marriage, according to reports from ESPN.com.
Patrick filed the divorce papers on Jan. 3 in the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, according to documents obtained by ESPN.com on Monday. The news first came out in November after Patrick announced on Facebook the decision to divorce her husband. It came just one day after being named most popular driver in the Nationwide Series.
"My marriage is irretrievably broken and there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation," Patrick said in the filing that she signed on Dec. 31. According to the documents, Patrick and Hospenthal signed onto a prenuptial agreement prior to their marriage in 2005 that defined property interest. She stated no alimony will be necessary from Hospenthal.
"My spouse and I did acquire community property during our marriage, and it will be divided as indicated on a Settlement Agreement which will be submitted to the court at a later date," Patrick said in the filing.
According to the report, there have been no incidents of domestic violence and there are no children. Hospenthal is a physical therapist in the Scottsdale area and is 17 years older than Patrick. According to state law, divorce cannot be finalized until at least 60 days after he has been served the papers. He has a right to respond to Patrick's filing.
Patrick's only public mention of the divorce has been with the Facebook post. She has frequently avoided talking about her personal life in public over the years.
"I am sad to inform my fans that after 7 years, Paul and I have decided to amicably end our marriage," she wrote. "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."
Patrick currently is preparing to race a full schedule on the Sprint Cup series, becoming the first woman to do so. She will drive for Stewart-Haas Racing. She was testing at Daytona International Speedway last week and spoke about rumors of her racing in the Indy 500 this year. Patrick confirmed to reporters that she will not be racing in the Indy 500 and will instead fully concentrate on her season in the Sprint Cup Series. She said that she would not rule out future races, but that this year she will not head to the track.
"I can confirm to you today I will not be doing the Indy 500,'' the Stewart-Haas Racing driver said to the Associated Press during the first of a three-day Sprint Cup test at Daytona International Speedway. "The team and I decided to focus on Cup. It's going to be plenty of work as it is."
Patrick competed seven times at the Indy 500 with six top-10 finishes before last season. She did not participate in the 2012 race after deciding to run in the Coca-Cola 600 that is run the same day at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which was one of her 10 Cup races she competed in last year.
Patrick's first-ever NASCAR Sprint Cup race took place at Daytona last year and that is the place she will start her season in 2013. Patrick hopes that the competition goes smoother this year than her past races at the track.
In 2010 she raced in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the first time at Daytona and was involved in a 12-car accident. The next year in 2011 she competed in the Subway Jalapeño 250 Nationwide series race and finished 10th, but not before being involved in an incident on the last lap of the race. Last year she finished 38th in her first Sprint Cup race at Daytona and was involved in another crash, this time a five-car pileup that took down Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, and Kurt Busch.
Patrick has high-expectations for the Sprint Cup season, but said that she would not be discouraged by low placements at the start of the year.
"You can look a little bit of what happened last year as a bit of a baseline as to expectation levels and definitely areas that need work," Patrick said. "But it's a new year. It's a new car (for the Cup Series). A lot of stuff changes. ... Everything changes a little bit and you can really never know what to expect."
Last year Patrick won the NASCAR Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver Award and finished 10th place in the standings, the best result for a female driver ever. She will also be making a mark when she hits the track this season as the first woman to compete in the Sprint Cup Series full time. She will drive the No. 10 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing.
"It's been a good year," Patrick said to FoxNews.com following the award win. "I've learned a lot. I feel much more prepared for next year. I feel more comfortable with the cars, I feel more comfortable with the weekends and the schedules."
During her run in the Nationwide series last year Patrick finished in the top 10 four different times and earned over $750,000. She earned 838 points while starting in 33 races and won one pole, finishing 413 points behind the points leader. Patrick also competed in a limited amount of Cup races last season and finished in the top 20 just once after placing 17th at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Phoenix. She also led 40 laps in the Nationwide circuit.
Patrick is one of the most popular drivers in auto racing and will be in the spotlight when she takes the wheel at Daytona. Sprint Cup drivers tested the track over the weekend, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was involved in a big wreck with Cup champion Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Regan Smith, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Aric Almirola.
The Daytona 500 will be held on February 24, 2013 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.