Danica Patrick has signed a multi-year deal to stay in the IndyCar Series, according to a pair of published reports on Friday.According to the Indianapolis Star and SI.com, Patrick signed a three-year contract extension with Andretti Green Racing (AGR). Patrick, nor the team, have confirmed the deal. There is nothing on her personal website addressing the situation.
"I think we'd all welcome her (to NASCAR), but I'm really happy for Michael (cousin Michael Andretti) and for his team,'' said NASCAR driver John Andretti. "That is great for them and maybe Danica can still try some of this stuff too and see what she thinks."
Patrick told reporters last month that she was close to re-upping with AGR and that any formal announcements about her future were weeks away. Most expect a press conference around the Oct. 10 IndyCar season finale in Homestead, Fla.
But there has been a lot of speculation about Patrick's future because she has so openly entertained moving from open-wheel ranks to stock cars. Talk of a full-time move has been replaced with a more realistic approach -- a part-time schedule in addition to vying for an IndyCar championship.
She visited with several NASCAR teams this summer, most notably Stewart-Haas Racing, whose owner, former IndyCar Series and two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, essentially "guaranteed" Patrick would be trying out a stock car at some point. He said last weekend at New Hampshire that he has never made an offer to field a car for her, however.
The most likely options are for Patrick to make a few starts in the ARCA, Camping World Trucks and/or Nationwide series, perhaps after this year's IndyCar Series finishes up and again next year as her open-wheel schedule permits.
John Andretti, a former IndyCar Series regular who raced in this year's Indianapolis 500, recommended that Patrick start off in the Nationwide cars and that laps on the 1.5-mile tracks might be best for her early development.
"I think if she were to try some stock car stuff, you need to take out your ego and emotion -- and that's for anyone making the transition,'' Andretti said Friday.
"You need to say to yourself, 'Just because I'm an elite open-wheel driver doesn't mean I'm going to be good in stock cars.' You need to get experience.
"It doesn't matter what she eventually decides to do -- there will still be a lot of attention on her. You want to build in some success.''
Patrick, who became the first woman to win an IndyCar race last year, is currently ranked fifth in the championship -- the highest ranked American driver in the series -- with one race remaining.
A three-year commitment for Patrick to remain in IndyCar would be a major coup for that sanctioning body in a time when major open-wheel stars have been lured to NASCAR, which offers fatter paychecks and immense popularity. It would also afford Patrick the opportunity to truly undergo some sort of development program in stock cars that would better position her for success should she move there full-time.















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
9-25-2009 @ 1:08PM
Welcome Dawn said...
That's where she belongs with the other 19 wannabe drivers. Not one single driver has gone over to NASCAR and win consistantly. Indy racing needs something to draw spectators and whats better than this brat.
Reply
9-25-2009 @ 3:09PM
oil5800 said...
How about Tony Stewart ?
9-25-2009 @ 4:54PM
pugz said...
if she can't win in go-carts, she can't do any better in a full-sized car.
9-26-2009 @ 4:12AM
Hello David said...
Uh the other 19 wanna be drivers? what about Dixon, andretti, kanaan, franchitti, castroneves, wheldon? Have you ever even watched an indy race before? FYI these guys are racing wheel to wheel within centimeters of touching wheels on a normal consistent rotation, going 50 MPH faster on any given race track that is shared with the nascar tour! a drivers reflexes must be allot quicker at those speeds! And I keep hearing the same thing from dumb nascar hicks like you over and over again! "them Indy guys ain't got no talent! ain't none of them been competitive in nascar" Well! that's funny cause it appears that Juan Montoya, Sam Hornish and Marcos Ambrose are all doing amazing jobs at transforming themselves into stock car drivers from having been career open wheel drivers whom none of them had any stock car experience at all before jumping right in to stock cars premier series and racing on the same track as the top stars of nascars sport, while there has NEVER been a single nascar star; or driver period who has ever attempted to try and make a move to open wheel racing!
9-26-2009 @ 11:01PM
CRAPBUSTER DUDE said...
ABOUT TONY STEWART; 2 CHAMPS 39 WINS AND A TRUCK LOAD OF TOP 5 AND TOP 10's.
And give up your jelousy against DANICA SIS, you been on her ass for few months. She is pretty, talented, gorgeous, skilled, smart and way too wealthy for you to match her intelligence and entreprenurism.
9-28-2009 @ 12:52PM
Hampton Short said...
She is young, talented, fast and beautiful....people just cant get used to her in the good ole boy network.
9-25-2009 @ 2:25PM
illsell4u said...
Yeah, it's such a shame Tony Stewart has not been able to win consistantly.
mbl
Reply
9-25-2009 @ 4:17PM
xxxsexyveronica said...
So hasn't jeff gordon,illsell4u.However stewart has an outstanding record in nascar for being an
indy driver transfer and this is a loyal JJ fan
telling you that.
9-25-2009 @ 4:26PM
illsell4u said...
Ha, that was sarcasm I was using. Tony Stewart has proven he can drive anything with wheels, including INDY cars.
9-25-2009 @ 2:28PM
papam11 said...
Big mistake Michael. Patrick's mind is on red carpets and magazine covers, not on checkered flags and winner's crcles.
Reply
9-25-2009 @ 2:52PM
mstrunn400 said...
papam, thank you so much, you took the words away from me, I've been saying that for a while now, another one who can't make up her mind whether she wants to be a glamour girl or pro driver.
9-25-2009 @ 4:07PM
Saundra said...
Mstrunn400,
Why can't she be both?
9-28-2009 @ 12:40PM
Hampton Short said...
Part of the business is promotion and doing all you can for your sponcers.
9-25-2009 @ 2:39PM
lawman823 said...
As much as I dislike her ( little B- - - - H )would have been fun watching her run w/the big boys rubbing fenders.
I not 100% sure but didn't Juan Pablo come over from Indy car.
Reply
9-25-2009 @ 10:41PM
xxxsexyveronica said...
LMAO BREAD where ya been hideing?
Ya shall be on more often; i did not know he goes to PIGGLY WILLIE. BUNP CARS OR GO KARTS? OR BOTH?
DID YA ALL READ TRESPASS POST " 18?????
HIS CONSPIRACY THEORYES ARE EVEN BETTER THAN EMERSON ONCE, LOL.
9-25-2009 @ 11:37PM
anzajoe said...
HEY VERONICA, IT'S ME ANNA.
I just wanted to say that i did not post the message above. I know it looks like 1 of my posts but i did not post it. SOMEBODY has been playing games and does not look like a post from you either.They even use my bread wards and wrong spelling. BREAD, WELCOME BACK but was not me before. works for me...
9-26-2009 @ 4:31AM
Hello David said...
No! Juan Montoya migrated from F1! he was an F1 driver for 6 seasons and won 7 races 13 pole positions and 30 podiums while he was there; and all this mind you, while driving cars that could not compete with the Ferrari's and later the Renault's, so that's actually allot considering he never had the right equipment for winning championships in the first place! (consider in 2001, Montoya ran very well as a rookie in F1, but had 11 DNF's all do to reliability problems with the Williams BMW he was driving there. Before F1, he won the seven races and a CART championship as a rookie, followed by a disappointing sophomore season plagued by mechanical failures, but still won another 4 that year, oh and he did race in the IRL for one race in 2001! a little race known as the Indy 500, setting a record for most laps lead with 167, only surpassed by Scot Dixon at this years Indy 500.
9-25-2009 @ 4:13PM
Randy said...
well I guess littl e can rest easy. A damn girl can drive better than him. I thought hendrick would sign her up for the 88 car
Reply
9-25-2009 @ 8:48PM
Brad said...
AAAhhh come on Randy, just because you can't catch the girl in front of you at the front entrance to Piggly Wiggly's on the toy car ride don't mean you can't put in another quarter when your done cryin and try again.
9-25-2009 @ 9:46PM
illsell4u said...
That was just too damn funny. I did not even know they had Piggly Wiggly on the west coast. I thought they were strictly a south eastern chain.