Danica Patrick says no deal done, but she is serious about running in NASCAR in 2010
IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick continues to consider competing in NASCAR on a limited schedule. // Chuck Yadmark, NASCAR Scene
Danica Patrick said Tuesday she’s still serious about driving in NASCAR next season but does not have a deal done yet to drive a partial stock-car schedule.
Speaking during a national teleconference set up by the Indy Racing League a day after her announcement about her agreement to drive in the Izod IndyCar Series for Andretti Autosport, Patrick answered several questions Tuesday about the possibility of driving in NASCAR next season.
“We’ve been working on this and talking to people since the summer,” Patrick said. “We are serious about this. Whether or not things come together or not, we don’t know. But there’s no contract. There’s no deal right now. As I’ve said, if I could do both, I’d like to do that.”
The contract with Andretti Autosport is for two years with a joint option for a third year, team owner Michael Andretti said. Patrick has driven for Andretti the last three years, and while she flirted with running full time in NASCAR, she said she wasn’t ready to make that big of a change.
“We evaluated our options midsummer as to what was possible and the opportunities, but I really want to win the Indy 500, and I really like driving for Mike, and I like my teammates,” Patrick said. “I wanted that to happen, if it could. … I’m curious about NASCAR, but curious doesn’t mean I want to jump in with both feet.
“I still love IndyCar racing and where I’m at and the team that I’m with.”
JR Motorsports is considered the leading candidate to land Patrick for a NASCAR ride, which likely would include some events in the Automobile Racing Club of America series and Nationwide Series competition.
“In all the talks over the summer and meeting with people, there was a lot of emphasis on learning,” Patrick said. “I’d be very prepared to start small and grow and really learn the cars.”
Andretti admitted Patrick’s interest in pursuing another racing genre could be a distraction.
“It’s always a concern for sure, but having said that, I also support her if she wants to try it because first and foremost, she is a race car driver,” Andretti said. “I’ve been there. You always want to challenge yourself. For her to go and give it a try, I don’t want to get in her way if she really wants to do that.
“The goal will be we’ll have to work the programs to make sure that the IndyCar is her main focus. The main goal is to win [the] Indianapolis [500] and the championship with Danica, and I think we have a good shot at it.”
The IndyCar Series runs from March 14-Oct. 2.
“The primary focus is IndyCar and the Indy 500, but in and around that, there’s opportunity to drive the stock car,” Patrick said. “There’s not a necessarily an event amount I’m limited to, but the focus will be to run before and after the IndyCar season.”
Patrick, one of the most notable female racers, has one IndyCar victory in her career, winning in Japan last year. She finished fifth in the IndyCar standings this year.
And while she hasn’t accomplished all of her open-wheel goals, Patrick said the challenge of NASCAR has piqued her interest.
“I’d like to see how I get on [racing] the cars, and I just think the racing looks fun,” Patrick said. “I enjoy IndyCar racing through and through, but I mostly enjoy the oval racing.
“When you have wheel-to-wheel racing all day – it’s challenging, don’t get me wrong, it’s very stressful – but it’s a lot of fun at the same time, and they have a lot of it [in NASCAR].”
Patrick denied suggestions that the financial aspect of a potential move to NASCAR was a high priority in her decision-making process.
“It has come up in the past to run NASCAR, and I never really was [interested]. My heart wasn’t there; I didn’t want to at all,” said the 27-year-old Patrick. “I wasn’t really curious. Trust me, there were financial reasons why it would have been a much better idea.
“So that takes [money] out of the equation. I’ve always thought that the most important thing for me and my career is I go with my gut and go with what I want and not worry about the rest. So now my curiosity is there, and I’d like to just try it.”
