Done With Danicamania: At Least Dale Jr. Won Races
It seems like wherever I go these days, I cannot escape Danica Patrick.
This morning, while attending class at Boston University, I listened to a presentation on sexuality in the media by Dr. Patrice Oppliger, one of our assistant professors of communication. She noted that many female celebrities, as they grow out of young adulthood, use sex as a way to keep the public’s attention on them, citing Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Miley Cyrus as three prominent examples.
All was well until one of my classmates asked a question about wanting “to be taken just as seriously in the office in a miniskirt as in pants.” In response to this question, Danica came up as an example of a prominent celebrity who wants to be taken seriously, but still has no problem doing Sports Illustrated swimsuit photo shoots.
Right then, right there, I decided that I had had it with Danicamania.
Danica Patrick has been more celebrity than race car driver ever since she first signed with the newly-rechristened Andretti Autosport, back in 2007. Blame it on the GoDaddy ads, blame it on the IndyCar Series using her as their only real marketing tool, blame it on whatever else you’d like, but she is no longer a race car driver first.
She is a celebrity and a brand first, and a race car driver second, and that’s a problem.
I’m sick of the fact that everybody is making a big deal about her supposed jump to the Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports, after a graphic of her in a JR firesuit appeared briefly on the web yesterday. Since when have we cared this much about the Nationwide Series? Have we ever?
Even more troubling, since when have we cared this much about a driver who has never shown the ability to consistently win?
That’s the one difference between Danica and her closest parallel in NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr., her potential Nationwide owner. We all know that they’re both highly overrated by an adoring public. But Junior has won races – plural. Danica hasn’t.
Both have had segments of their careers where they have been in top-flight equipment, albeit not quite as good as some of the other cars out there. Junior has 40 wins in NASCAR’s top two series, now known as Sprint Cup and the Nationwide Series, although he has struggled recently. (With the sheer amount of Cup drivers moonlighting in Nationwide, and their general dominance of the series, with at least 15 Cup drivers entered in the majority of the races, I am calling those wins just as legitimate for the sake of argument. Bear with me.)
To put Junior’s statistics in those two series in perspective, note that Jimmie Johnson has 48 combined wins, Kevin Harvick has 46, Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart have 45 apiece, and Carl Edwards has 41. All of these drivers, except for Busch and Edwards, entered NASCAR at around the same time. Overrated as he may be, Junior isn’t that far off NASCAR’s best when looking at his career statistics.
He’s performed on the track while also establishing himself off of it, running one of the better teams in the Nationwide Series and launching the career of “next big thing” Brad Keselowski.
As for Danica? Well, she has one win, which came on an IndyCar-Champ Car split weekend, and it was cemented by fuel mileage. She’s improved in the points every year, and was the best non-Penske or Ganassi driver in the IndyCar standings last year, but that’s about it for her accomplishments on the track. I don’t think I need to describe her “brand.”
Patrick’s one win in 81 big-league starts yields a winning percentage of 1.23. In 476 combined Sprint Cup and Nationwide starts, Junior has a winning percentage of 8.4. And let’s not forget the two championships Junior won in 1998 and 1999 driving in NASCAR’s number two series. Patrick never won any races in the Toyota Atlantic Series, nevermind championships.
The fact of the matter is, at least Juniormania has some stats to back it up.
I know that Danica Patrick isn’t Milka Duno, running ten miles an hour off the pace in every race she enters. I know that she’s more than just eye candy, that she’s led laps at Indianapolis and whatnot. I also know that stereotypes about racing exist, including that it takes no talent, the fans are a bunch of idiots who choose favorite drivers based on long-standing loyalties, the only drivers that matter are the marketable ones, and so on and so forth.
But I’m a racing fan, not a marketing fan. I don’t think I’m the only one. I grew up before the racing series put more into marketing the products off the track than the racing product on the track, and I know when a driver deserves the publicity that they are receiving.
Sorry, Danica, you’re not a winner.
I want to see a commitment to the race car first and a commitment to the celebrity second. I think the real reason why Junior has been suffering recently is because his celebrity began to outrun his on-track performance, and thus he lags behind the rest of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates. Before the plethora of marketing deals he inked over the past few seasons, Junior was one of the best drivers in NASCAR.
If Danica refocuses on driving the IndyCar and forgets about her celebrity for a while, she’ll be a much better race car driver. She’ll win races. She’ll earn a NASCAR contract if she wants it by bringing more to the table than just her sponsorship dollars.
And when all is said and done, we’ll be able to look back on her career and say “Wow, there’s a driver who really accomplished a lot.”
Until then, have fun with your hype, everybody. I’m done with Danicamania.
Looks like Danica can picture herself in NASCAR
While IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick talked only about her non-NASCAR plans Monday morning, a photo on her website might have said more about her possible NASCAR plans than she did.
Screen grab from DanicaRacing.com
Patrick announced Monday she had signed a three-year deal to drive for Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series with GoDaddy.com as her sponsor. But a picture of her as danicaracing.com loaded showed Patrick in a GoDaddy.com uniform with a Chevrolet emblem and what appeared to be a JR Motorsports logo and the Nationwide Series logo. The photo was later changed to her IndyCar Series uniform. The picture was small and appeared on the screen for only a few seconds.
A representative of IMG, which represents Patrick, declined comment, and a JRM spokesman did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
JR Motorsports co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick have confirmed interest in Patrick for what would be a part-time NASCAR schedule in 2010. Team co-owner Rick Hendrick said last week he had nothing new to report on Patrick.
Earnhardt has said he would like to run two cars in the Nationwide Series next year, one for Kelly Bires and another for a mix of several drivers, including Patrick. Sponsorship would determine whether both cars run the full season.
Earnhardt was sponsored by GoDaddy.com at the Nationwide level this year, but that sponsorship will move primarily to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin on the Sprint Cup side in 2010.
Danica Patrick signs multi-year IndyCar contract with Andretti Autosport
(Andretti Autosport PR)
Andretti Autosport announced today it has signed domain registrar Go Daddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar and Web hosting provider, to a multi-year primary sponsorship agreement and has also secured driver Danica Patrick for multiple years as the driver of the team’s #7 IZOD IndyCar Series entry.
The announcement came Monday morning as the #7 Go Daddy machine was unveiled by Patrick and team owner Michael Andretti live on ABC’s “Good Morning America” in New York City.
Go Daddy is a leading provider of services that enable individuals and businesses to establish, maintain and evolve an online presence. Go Daddy provides a variety of domain name registrar plans and Web site design and Web hosting packages, as well as a broad array of on-demand services.
Go Daddy is also well-known for its Super Bowl commercials, in which Patrick has been featured three-straight years.
Patrick joined Andretti Autosport prior to the start of the 2007 season, and during her time with the team, became the first woman ever to win an IZOD IndyCar Series event at the 2008 Japan Indy 300 and also finished third in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 — bettering the fourth-place mark she established during her breakout 2005 season. Patrick also drove to a career-best fifth-place finish in this year’s IZOD IndyCar Series championship, which stands as her best result ever.
As part of its continuing relationship with Andretti Autosport, Go Daddy provided the team with a redesigned company Web site, which was also launched today at www.andrettiautosport.com.
Report: Patrick and JRM deal entering final stages
According to ESPN The Magazine‘s Ryan McGee, a partnership that would pair two of the most popular auto racing drivers in America together is entering the final stages.
The article, which cited an anonymous source that is “close to the negotiations,” claims that Danica Patrick could soon be driving a stock car with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Nationwide Series team, JR Motorsports, for a part-time schedule as the driver will attempt to test the waters of NASCAR.
The proposed deal could have Patrick in a car at the season-opening race at Daytona in February.
Sources reported over the summer that Patrick had signed a contract extension to remain with IndyCar Series team Andretti-Green Racing for three more years. The IndyCar Series runs 17-races per season over the span of under eight months. However, an official announcement has yet to be made.
JR Motorsports currently runs two entries in the Nationwide Series; the No. 88 full-time and the No. 5 part-time. Both Earnhardt Jr. and the team have a strong relationship with GoDaddy.com, a sponsor for Patrick in the IndyCar Series.
JR Motorsports’s plans are still undecided as the end of the 2009 Nationwide Series closes in. It is known that Kelly Bires will step into the No. 88 next season for a full-time effort. From there it appears to depend on sponsorship as far as the amount of races are run with other teams.
Patrick has been rumored since February to be stepping over to stock racing as her contract was in its final year at AGR. She has one win on her resume in the series; in 2008 in Japan when she became the first female race winner in series history.
Wheldon returns to Panther in 2010
(IndyCar PR)
Panther Racing confirmed that Dan Wheldon will return to the cockpit of its familiar No. 4 machine for the 2010 season.
Wheldon, the 2005 IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 champion, finished 10th in the final point standings, with a second-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 in May as his best result in 2009.
“I’m excited for next season, honestly,” Wheldon said in a story posted on the team’s website www.pantherracing.com. “Anytime I’m out of a racecar for too long I get restless. But I feel like we made some progress towards the end of the season after some struggles that show we’re heading in the right direction.”
Wheldon led just eight laps last season – his fewest since 2003 and never finished better than eighth over the final half of the season. But despite what some consider a poor season, team officials remain positive about their team.
“What I can tell you is that we’re going to be fighting tooth and nail to improve,” team owner John Barnes said. “We’ve got a group here that we really like, and I’ve made clear in the last two weeks what my expectations are for our team and driver.”
Wheldon’s return to Panther in 2009 concluded with the former Indy 500 winner earning three top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
“My goals are to win races,” Wheldon said when asked of his expectations for next year. “Obviously we haven’t achieved everything we wanted for the season, so for next year I’d like to build on the momentum that we’ve created this year and make it a winning season.”
Franchitti wins at Homestead, claims second IndyCar title
(IndyCar PR)
HOMESTEAD, Fla—Dario Franchitti claimed his second IndyCar Series championship by winning the Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Franchitti and Target Chip Ganassi Racing used fuel strategy to beat second place Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske to the finish by 4.788 seconds. Franchitti’s teammate, Scott Dixon, finished third.
“No, I can’t (believe it),” said Franchitti. “I can’t. Like 2007, I just had to try to save some fuel and stay on strategy. And it just worked out. The Target car wasn’t great early that first stint. Chris (Simmons, crew chief) and the boys made some changes. From the second stint on, we were right there. But we had lost so much ground. We were saving fuel. We were sticking to our strategy. The car was really good at the end. A win is a win. On the cool-down lap, I was thinking of my buddy Greg (Moore). I was in a championship fight 10 years ago, but it didn’t matter because we lost him. This one is for him. It’s been a hell of a year for the Target boys. I’ve got to thank Chip (Ganassi) for giving me a job.”
The top three finishers were the only drivers who entered the season-ending race with a chance to win the title on the 1.5-mile oval. Franchitti finished the season with 616 points, Dixon with 605 and Briscoe with 604.
It was the second consecutive title for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, as Dixon won in 2008. Franchitti won his first season championship in 2007 with Andretti Green Racing.
The three title contenders led 198 of the 200 laps.
Briscoe took the lead on Lap 151, with Dixon in close pursuit, when Franchitti entered the pits for the final time on Lap 150. Briscoe and Dixon had stopped on Lap 144.
Briscoe and Dixon then pulled away from Franchitti over the next 35 laps, as Briscoe led Dixon by .1850 of a second on Lap 187. Franchitti was the only other car on the lead lap, 23.8841 seconds behind Briscoe.
But Briscoe and Dixon were forced to pit for fuel in the last eight laps, Dixon on Lap 192 and Briscoe on Lap 194. Franchitti was able to stretch his fuel over the last 50 laps for his fifth victory of the season, a career best.
“It’s pretty frustrating,” Briscoe said. “It was one of the best races I’ve ever run. I just hate that it came down to fuel strategy. It’s a whole championship. Dario (Franchitti) has been great all year long, so congrats to him. It’s hurts.
“I thought it was going to be between me and Scott, definitely. I guess the 10 car (Franchitti) had the advantage.”
Franchitti’s average speed was 201.420 mph, the second-fastest race in series history. It was the first caution-free race in series history.
Earnhardt acknowledges JRM’s talks with Danica Patrick
FONTANA, Calif—Though he’s not directly involved in the discussions, Dale Earnhardt Jr. acknowledged Friday at Auto Club Speedway that his JR Motorsports organization has been talking to IndyCar Series star Danica Patrick about her foray into NASCAR racing.
The talks have been the province of his sister, Kelley Earnhardt, JRM’s general manager. Earnhardt Jr., however, expressed respect for Patrick’s ability and determination.
Recent reports have Patrick negotiating to drive selected races in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series next season. Given the relationship with GoDaddy.com, which sponsors Patrick’s IndyCar as well as JRM’s No. 88 Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series, JRM is a logical place for Patrick to try her hand in a stock car.
On the eve of his 35th birthday, however, Earnhardt seemed more concerned with his lack of speed in time trials for Sunday’s Pepsi 500 at the two-mile track.
“Kelley’s been managing the conversations between Danica and our team solely and entirely on her own,” Earnhardt said. “That’s in the early stages, I would suppose. I haven’t really got in the middle of it. We’ve been on the road, and we’re working like hell all this month and next month, so I’m not involved in it as much as I’d like to be.
“I have to call and get updates on what the heck is going on with our sponsor searches (for JRM) and all these other things. So it’s pretty frustrating, but I’ve got good people in the right places to handle all that stuff. Kelley’s going to do a good job — always has — so I can focus on what I’ve got going on with this car here.”
Earnhardt expressed positive feelings toward having Patrick in one of the cars he co-owns with Rick Hendrick. Kelly Bires will drive full-time for JRM next year, replacing Brad Keselowski, who is departing drive a Sprint Cup car for Penske Racing in 2010.
“I like Danica a lot,” Earnhardt said. “I consider myself friends with her, and it’s interesting to see her interest in NASCAR. It’s interesting for all of us — everybody. If we’re a piece of that, and if we play a part in that, we’ll see, going down the road. Right now, it’s just Kelley and her having a few phone conversations about it, and it really hasn’t gotten any further than that, as far as I know.”
Earnhardt believes Patrick possesses formidable intangible qualities as well as the talent to drive a racecar.
“She’s made it to the top level of motorsports in open wheel in North America, and any driver in that position has talent. She’s very competitive — has an extremely competitive side to her around the racetrack and in and around her program. She’s really dedicated to it. She’s dedicated to keeping herself in shape and having every personal advantage she can have, and she has high expectations of herself.
“She has a lot of those intangible values in a racecar driver that are really important, that you don’t learn. You learn how to drive cars, and you learn how to go around racetracks, but there’s a lot of things inside when it comes to initiative and willpower and passion that — either you have it or you don’t have that.”
Wheldon Qualifies Fourteenth for Homestead Season Finale
Panther Racing PR
HOMESTEAD, Fla—Three-time Homestead-Miami Speedway winner Dan Wheldon qualified 14th on Friday afternoon for the Firestone Indy 300, which will be the final race of the 2009 IndyCar Series season. The race will be highlighted by a three-way battle for the series title, but Wheldon and his National Guard Panther Racing team could reach as high as fifth in the point standings with a good finish and some good luck in tomorrow’s event.
The team’s four-lap qualifying average of 210.407 mph was comprised of laps of 210.362, 210.514, 210.498 and 210.524 mph.
Wheldon qualified on pole here in 2007, the lone win from the point here in his three race victories. He has finished on the podium in each of his last five starts, and has never finished outside the Top Ten in his six starts on the 1.5-mile oval. Panther has two poles in its history at the track in 2002 with Sam Hornish Jr. and more recently with Tomas Scheckter in 2005.
While championship competitors Ryan Briscoe, Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon will capture most of the attention tomorrow as they duel for the league crown, Wheldon still hopes to conclude the 2009 season with a race victory. In his first full season with the team, the former Indy 500 winner has captured three Top Five and nine Top Ten finishes.
The Firestone Indy 300 will be broadcast live on VERSUS at 4 p.m. with additional coverage provided by the IMS Radio Network, www.indycar.com, and XM Sirius Channel 211.
Saavedra paces first IndyCar Lights practice in Miami
(IndyCar PR)
HOMESTEAD, Fla.—Sebastian Saavedra topped the charts as Firestone Indy Lights teams began preparations for the season-ending Homestead-Miami 100 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Saavedra, driver of the No. 27 Automatic Fire Sprinklers Inc. car for AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing, posted a top lap of 28.5564 seconds, 187.208 mph.
“I think after a month away it’s great to be back at the top of the charts,” Saavedra said. “But it’s just the beginning of the weekend. We need to focus on things to move forward. There is still some speed in the car. We just need to find it. The team has done an incredible job in the last month putting everything in the perfect way. I’m very happy and hope we can be on top tomorrow with our third victory.”
In all, 18 cars turned 1,037 laps in the practice session without incident. Wade Cunningham (28.7510, 185.941) was second fastest in the No. 11 Lucas Oil/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car.
Pippa Mann (28.7543, 185.920) was third in the No. 16 Panther Racing car. J.R. Hildebrand, who has already clinched the Firestone Firehawk Cup as the series’ champion, was fourth on the chart with a best lap of 28.7831, 185.743. James Davison (28.8073; 185.578) was fifth.
The IndyCar Series will compete in the Firestone Indy 300, a 200-lap race at 5 p.m. (ET) Saturday. The Firestone Indy Lights series will compete in the Homestead-Miami 100, a 67-lap race at 6 p.m. Friday.
#–#
Other notes from Day 1:
James Hinchcliffe may not be ready to give up his racing career. But if he does, he may have a future as a chef at a Benihana restaurant.
Hinchcliffe, driver of the No. 7 Hinchtown.com car in Firestone Indy Lights, joined IndyCar Series driver Will Power and several members of the Indianapolis Colts and other Indianapolis-area celebrities Oct. 6 as they displayed their culinary skills for the 12th Annual Dave Thomas Celebrity Cookoff.
The event, which is held in major cities across the United States in conjunction with Wendy’s International, The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and Benihana Restaurants, is the annual fundraiser for the Children’s Bureau of Indianapolis, which supports children awaiting adoption in Central Indiana.
Hinchcliffe was paired with former New York Yankee Ryan Thompson as preparing the three-course hibachi steak and shrimp tableside dinner.
“I’m not usually the one that does the cooking at home, so it was a good experience to get behind a grill,” Hinchcliffe said. “It was for a good cause, and I was happy to get the opportunity to do it. I met some really cool people, and we had a great group at our table. We had a lot of fun, and we raised money for a great charity. At the end of the day, everybody benefitted, and I also learned how to make a volcano out of an onion.”
***
Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver Gustavo Yacaman has been cleared to return to the Firestone Indy Lights grid for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Dr. Michael Olinger, Indy Racing League director of medical services, gave Yacaman clearance to resume racing activities. Yacaman, 18, suffered a back injury in a first-lap accident on Aug. 29 at Infineon Raceway.
“I’m very much looking forward to getting back into the car this weekend,” Yacaman said. “Besides the long time in between races in Chicago and here, it’s been much longer for me since I haven’t run since the race in Infineon. We’ve been quick all year, and I have a lot to prove. I’m definitely looking to put up a solid result this weekend.”
***
Racing For Kids wrapped up its 20th anniversary year with an inspiring visit Thursday, Oct. 8 to Miami Children’s Hospital by IndyCar Series driver Tony Kanaan and Firestone Indy Lights driver Daniel Herrington.
Kanaan and Herrington met with young patients from the Child Care Center in the hospital courtyard, where the children had a chance to sit in the Racing For Kids show car. Kanaan and Herrington also met hospitalized youngsters in the playroom and signed autographs, posed for photos and distributed Racing For Kids hats and coloring books.
The trip to Miami Children’s Hospital capped an exciting anniversary year for Racing For Kids and the Indy Racing League with 20 hospital visits across the U.S., Canada and Japan, as well as several special fundraisers.
IndyCar Series drivers who made Racing For Kids hospital visits during the 2009 season included: Kanaan, Mike Conway, Milka Duno, Roger Yasukawa, Robert Doornbos, Raphael Matos and Justin Wilson. Indy Lights drivers making visits included Herrington, Ana Beatriz, James Hinchcliffe, James Davison, Logan Gomez and Ali Jackson.
Special events give green flag to Championship Week in Miami
(IndyCar PR)
It’s a taste of Indy, the beach, fashion, food and fun as IZOD and Apex-Brasil, in partnership with the Indy Racing League, kick off IndyCar Series Championship Week with special events Oct. 2-3 in Miami that are free and open to the public.
The IndyCar Series championship and a whole lot more will be decided in the Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
On Oct. 2, fans can mingle with IndyCar Series drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, Raphael Matos, Vitor Meira and Mario Moraes from 6-7 p.m. at Macy’s at The Falls, located at 8888 SW 136th St. at U.S. 1 in Miami. Or get an autograph from Al Unser Jr. and Arie Luyendyk, who represent four Indianapolis 500 victories, and take a ride in the IndyCar Series street-legal two-seater (5-8 p.m.).
And check out these bonuses: The first 150 customers to make an IZOD apparel purchase of $50 or more will receive a complimentary IZOD/INDY baseball cap and autographed driver hero card. Also, the first 25 customers to purchase $20 of IZOD/INDY merchandise will receive two complimentary tickets to race day at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The hot-selling IZOD brand this year introduced a line of sportswear commemorating and drawing upon 100 years of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The scene shifts Oct. 3 to scenic Miami Beach and the recently-opened luxury W Hotel for a full day/night of activity, including what should be a YouTube-worthy 3 p.m. beach volleyball competition between IndyCar Series drivers and lifeguards.
“Playing volleyball is great, especially when it is on the beach. That is my favorite place to be,” said HVM Racing driver and Miami resident E.J. Viso. “I’m really excited and I’m sure I will have a blast.”
Drivers will reconvene at the hotel at 6:30 p.m. for a remote water car competition – Mattel Hot Wheels cars that run on water. At 8 and 8:45 p.m. will be poolside fashion shows featuring IZOD attire and Brazilian swimwear and lingerie collections. In between, drivers will swap stories about the ’09 IndyCar Series season with Michael Young moderating.
The event will be capped with performances by Vince Mira, N.E.R.D. and Pharrell Williams. The W Hotel is located at 2201 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach.
Patrick signs IndyCar contract; NASCAR plans still to be decided
According to the Indianapolis Star, Danica Patrick has signed a three-year contract to remain with Andretti-Green Racing in the IndyCar Series. The contract, which was said to be signed last week in Japan, will keep Patrick in the No. 7 Motorola car for the team after a summer full of rumors that the IndyCar sensation would make her way to the NASCAR circuit next season.
However, as the Indianapolis Star also reported Thursday night, Patrick still has options in the Sprint Cup Series for next season.
According to Tony Stewart, who has been mentoring Patrick in her talks to come to the sport as he did a little more then a decade ago, he believes that she will be racing a part-time schedule in the Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA RE/MAX Series before making a transition to the Cup Series full-time.
“I know that she’s serious about it (coming to NASCAR),” Stewart said at Richmond earlier this month. “She’s come over and just talking for things right now. I know that’s what she wants so do. She looked me straight in the eye and said this is what I want to do — it looks like fun, looks like a lot of work, but it looks like fun. I don’t think she has some misguided idea that it’s going to be easy doing it. She wants to do it the right way, she has the intentions of doing everything right and she’s kind of come to us to see our opinion about how she should go about it.”
Stewart, who is a first-year team owner in the Sprint Cup Series, said at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend that Patrick would not be driving for their team next season.
Currently fifth in IndyCar Series points, Patrick is out of championship contention in the series. In 80 career IndyCar starts, she has one win, 16 top-fives, 46 top-tens and three poles. Her only career win came at Japan last year, which made her the first female to win a race in the IndyCar Series.
Stewart: Patrick wants to be in NASCAR
Even though it appears a deal may be imminent for Danica Patrick to stay with Andretti Green Racing for next season in the IndyCar Series, Tony Stewart knows that NASCAR is a series Patrick wants to try.
How does Stewart know? From Patrick herself.
Saturday morning at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Stewart reflected on comments by Patrick to him.
“I know that she’s serious about it (moving to NASCAR),” Stewart said. “She’s come over and just talking for things right now. I know that’s what she wants so do. She looked me straight in the eye and said this is what I want to do — it looks like fun, looks like a lot of work, but it looks like fun. I don’t think she has some misguided idea that it’s going to be easy doing it. She wants to do it the right way, she has the intentions of doing everything right and she’s kind of come to us to see our opinion about how she should go about it.”
It is obvious why Patrick has talked to Stewart so much already. After all, in 1999 it was a young Stewart who came to NASCAR after a three-year career in the IRL, in which he already had recorded a championship.
Joe Gibbs decided to get him in a full-time Cup Series car in ’99 after a handful of starts in the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. In his debut season, Stewart recorded three wins, 12 top-fives, 21 top-tens and two pole to finish fourth in the Sprint Cup Series points.
In the ten years Stewart raced for Joe Gibbs, he only finished outside of the top-10 in driver points once — the 2006 season when he finished 11th.
Then for the 2009 season, Stewart parted ways with Joe Gibbs Racing to form his race team from the old Haas-CNC Racing. So far, the two-car team of Stewart-Haas Racing has both drivers, himself and Ryan Newman, securely in the top-10 in points.
However, before rumors of Patrick coming over to Stewart-Haas Racing next season will already be put to rest as Stewart confirmed to the media today that it is too late to add a third car for next season.
“No (we won’t be adding a third car next season), it’s too late to do something for next year,” Stewart said. “We’re two weeks before the Chase and we’re going to be very focused on hopefully keeping two cars with a chance to possibly win a championship. We just didn’t get far enough down to get something done for next year and I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. This is a decision where timing is everything for it and when we do it, it doesn’t matter when it happens, but when it does we want it to be the right timing and the right situation.”
According to Stewart, the key for Patrick if — which he believes is actually when — she makes the move that she needs to run in the ARCA, Nationwide and Truck Series before trying a full-time Cup Series effort.
“You have to learn before you get here (in the Sprint Cup Series),” Stewart said. “In all three of the national series, even the truck series, is competitive. You can’t expect, even Juan (Pablo Montoya) and Juan was the exception to the rule and even Juan ran some ARCA races and some Nationwide races before he ran Cup full time. You have to get used to a heavier race car and you have to get used to less down force, smaller tires — it’s a lot of learning and there’s a lot of race tracks that you have to get used to. It’s sensory overload and that’s why you have to pay your dues before you get to this level.”
Bottom line, Stewart says that he “can pretty much guarantee you that at some point, she’s going to be over here.”
Powers not expected to compete until next season
Penske Racing announced today that injured IndyCar Series driver Will Powers will not return to the series until March of 2010 for the series’s first race.
Powers visited orthopedic specialist Dr. Terry Trammell on Monday in Indianapolis to confirm that he suffered fractures of his second, third and fourth lumbar vertebrae, and a fracture of his fifth thoracic vertebra after an accident Saturday, August 22 in Sonoma during a practice session.
Powers will begin physical therapy this week for his injuries, which also included a concussion and a chipped left front tooth. Dr. Trammell does not expect Powers to have surgery. However, Powers will wear a back brace for the next four months.
Danica close to re-signing with Andretti Green Racing
After rumors of Danica Patrick moving from IndyCar Series to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series after her three-year contract with Andretti Green Racing after this season dominated summer-time headlines in both series, team co-owner Michael Andretti told the Indianapolis Star that he feels Patrick is nearing an agreement of a contract extension as soon as next week.
“Getting close,” Andretti told the Indianapolis Star. “We’ve been back and forth a lot, but they want it and we want it. We’re just going through the particulars right now. I’m happy with the way things are going.”
AGR announced Thursday that the team co-owners Kim Green and Kevin Savoree will no longer be involved in the race teams operations. Instead, they will move over to manage Andretti Green Promotions. The race team will change its name at the end of the season.
“Since becoming partners in 2002, we have been fortunate to see our companies expand and diversify quickly and successfully,” read a joint statement released on Thursday by the team. “All of us believe that this decision will maximize the potential of both companies in the future.”
AGR will also be renegotiating contracts with Marco Andretti and Hideki Mutoh, as their contracts also expire at the end of the season.
