Patrick goes down fighting at Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Danica Patrick's Indianapolis 500 ended without a historic win on Sunday, but it did not end without a fight.

While New Zealand's Scott Dixon was speeding towards the win, Patrick, Indy Car's most popular driver, was knocked out of the race in a pit lane crash with Australia's Ryan Briscoe during final fuel stops.

An incensed Patrick then proceeded to climb out of her car and storm down pit lane towards Briscoe before being intercepted by officials.

"It's probably best I didn't get there isn't it," fumed Patrick, who became the first woman to win an IndyCar race with her victory in Japan last month. "The unfortunate thing is that we worked our butts off all month.

"We were creeping forward slowly but surely.

"It seemed like it was relatively obvious what happened. You just don't come out of your pit box and swing three lanes out.

"That's why there is a get-up-to-speed lane and an at-speed lane. I was at speed."

Fiercely competitive, the diminutive Patrick has made a point of standing her ground and had several run-ins with rival drivers, including a well-publicized argument and shoving match with Dan Wheldon after a race in Milwaukee in 2007.

Briscoe was nearly the latest driver to feel Patrick's wrath, if she had not been blocked from reaching him in the pits.

An unrepentant Briscoe, however, was also not about to back down.

"From what I can tell, there was still plenty of room for her to get around me," said Briscoe. "I was trying to get around Wheldon and I was staying in the middle lane and I got ran up in the back and it's a shame.

"There was still plenty of room on the right for her to get around and there are people pointing fingers but that's not the way we are."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)