Danica Patrick to Host "The 2018 ESPYS Presented by Capital One" Live on Wednesday, July 18 on ABC

The 2018 ESPYS Presented by Capital One will be hosted by motorsports pioneer Danica Patrick. The trailblazing racecar driver will be joined by top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments, and saluting the leading performers and performances. The ESPYS will be broadcast live on ABC on Wednesday, July 18, at 8 p.m. ET from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

"My first ESPYS was 2005, and I have been a fan, coming back every year since," said Patrick. "It is the biggest night of the year for sports. Every year I leave feeling so inspired! I am excited to be able to help celebrate, laugh and cry about the past year in sports with everyone. It's going to be a great night and one full of more than a few surprises."

Patrick, who recently announced she will retire from racing following the upcoming Indianapolis 500, has built a career punctuated by firsts. She is the first female driver to lead laps and score a top-five finish at the Indianapolis 500, after leading 19 laps and finishing fourth in 2005. She is the first woman to win a major-league open-wheel race in a North American series following her victory in the 2008 IndyCar Series Indy Japan 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi oval in Japan. She is the first woman to win a NASCAR Cup Series pole when she set the fastest time in qualifying for the Daytona 500 and then finished in eighth place, the highest finishing position ever for a woman. Throughout her NASCAR career, she broke the record for most top-10 finishes of any woman in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2015 and holds the new mark with a total of seven top-10s to her credit. She owns the most starts, laps led, and top 10s among women in NASCAR history.

"Now, Danica Patrick continues her trailblazing career trajectory when she takes the stage on July 18 as the first woman to host The ESPYS," said Alison Overholt, ESPN's Vice President and Editor in Chief, ESPN The Magazine, espnW, and The ESPYS.

Adds Maura Mandt, executive producer, The ESPYS: "We are thrilled to have an icon like Danica bring her talent and fresh energy to the 25th anniversary of the show."

Patrick has been a mainstay at the awards show over the years due to her successful career on the track, and somewhat unsurprisingly holds another record for most consecutive years in attendance by any athlete: 13.

The ESPYS gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. It was announced last week that the sexual abuse survivors who spoke out against former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State team doctor will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage sponsored by Cadillac.

The ESPYS raise more than $1 million annually for the V Foundation, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano to promote cancer research. Tickets are available for public purchase at AXS.com. For additional ESPYS news and information, please follow the official Twitter handle: @ESPYS.