Former NASCAR and IndyCar star Danica Patrick has entered the growing debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports, publicly backing activist and former swimmer Riley Gaines amid her ongoing feud with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

In a recent social media post, Patrick praised Gaines for her outspokenness, calling her “courageous” and condemning what she described as an “irrational” push for full inclusion of transgender athletes in female-only categories. “We’re not dealing with hate—we’re dealing with reality and fairness,” Patrick wrote. “Common sense will eventually prevail.”

The dispute began when Biles took to social media to criticize Gaines, accusing her of being a “sore loser” and claiming she was only speaking out because she lost a race to a transgender competitor. The accusation sparked immediate backlash and prompted Gaines to fire back, defending her stance as one rooted in fairness and protecting women’s spaces in competitive sports.

Patrick’s endorsement adds a high-profile voice to the controversy, drawing significant attention and dividing public opinion. Supporters argue that biological sex must be considered in competition to maintain fairness, while critics warn that such views risk marginalizing trans athletes.

The issue continues to generate widespread debate across sports, politics, and social media, with no clear resolution in sight. As prominent athletes like Patrick take sides, the conversation around gender, fairness, and inclusion in sports shows no signs of slowing down.