With Aric Almirola signed, JR Motorsports focusing on developing Danica Patrick, finding co-driver for No. 7 car
Kelley Earnhardt introduced Aric Almirola as the new Nationwide Series driver for JR Motorsports Friday. // Jim Fluharty, NASCAR Illustrated
BRISTOL, Tenn. – With Aric Almirola signed for a full season as the driver of its No. 88 Nationwide Series car, JR Motorsports is focused on filling out its 2011 sponsor and driver roster, running for a championship with Almirola and continuing the development of Danica Patrick.
The Patrick experiment has gotten off to a tough start with no top-20 finishes in her first six races. The IndyCar Series driver has seven remaining events this year.
“She’s definitely had a difficult year getting used to these cars from where she’s came from,” JRM General Manager Kelley Earnhardt said. “Still everyone has to keep in check that she has run six Nationwide races and pretty much six stock-car races in her career. She is still very fresh and new at this and still has a lot to learn about the way these cars work.
“She’s on board again next year. I’m just waiting for the IRL schedule to get pinned down so that we can put together what her schedule looks like for 2011.”
Kelley Earnhardt, a co-owner of the team, seemed content with Patrick’s performance.
“Just sitting back watching, she has not wrecked cars,” Kelley Earnhardt said. “I don’t think she has pissed any of the other drivers off by being in the way. She’s gone out there, she’s done her thing, she’s finished races but she’s struggled.
“I think she’ll admit that it’s more of a difficult challenge than she thought it was going to be at the beginning. … She’s just got to get more experience.”
NASCAR’s ban on testing has impacted her development, Earnhardt said. The team has tested at tracks in Milwaukee and Orlando but NASCAR rules prohibit testing at tracks that play host to national series races.
“She needs as much seat time as she can,” Kelley Earnhardt said. “We’ve got to figure out how to put her on the track when we can.”
The team also must decide who will share the No. 7 car with Patrick next year. She will run 13 races GoDaddy.com sponsorship.
“Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. will run the 7 car for four to six races,” said Kelley Earnhardt, who co-owns the team with her brother, Dale Earnhardt Jr., cousin Tony Eury Jr. and Rick Hendrick. “The balance of those races, we haven’t completely put in stone what we are doing there.
“We have enjoyed working with Josh Wise. He is running our car this weekend. Josh has done very well for us. He has kept the car in the top 20 in owners points and hasn’t put a scratch on the car that I can recall. He’s done what we’ve asked him to do.”
GT Vodka has signed to sponsor Almirola for 15 races next year and Kelley Earnhardt said she hopes Unilever will sponsor 12-15 races.
