Eddie Gossage says Danica Patrick good for NASCAR but needs to help promote races

By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Danica Patrick is considered to be in the running for a NASCAR Nationwide Series ride at JR Motorsports next season.

Ivan Veldhuisen
NASCAR Scene

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Michael Waltrip Racing out of the Danica Patrick sweepstakes?

FORT WORTH, Texas – Danica Patrick will be good for NASCAR but she will need to help promote stock-car racing and the Nationwide Series, said Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage.

With JR Motorsports emerging as the leading candidate for the IndyCar Series driver for a partial Nationwide schedule in 2010, Gossage talked about her potential impact on the sport.

“She is a figure that has grabbed the American attention and I think she’ll be really good for NASCAR if she comes here,” Gossage said Thursday at TMS, which plays host to the three NASCAR national series this weekend. “At the same time as an IndyCar promoter, I really hate to lose her more over there than I would like to gain her over here because she is an incredibly valuable, marketable icon for IndyCar racing.”

Will she help sell Nationwide Series tickets?

“A little bit,” Gossage said. “Performance will be more important in NASCAR than IndyCar racing. She’s going to have to run at the front of the Nationwide field to make an impact on the ticket gate because there are more drivers and Nationwide races are typically paired up with a Cup race.

“At IndyCar races, you have 18-22 drivers and it’s the feature event of the weekend, so there’s less clutter for her to have to break through, so performance is less critical in the IndyCar stuff.”

Patrick, who has one career IndyCar win and finished fifth in the 2009 season standings, will have to go to markets to help promote the sport, Gossage said.

“She needs to understand that she has to take on an active role in promotion of the sport,” Gossage said. “That is something that I don’t think that the people around her have made her understand as much as they should in IndyCar racing.

“And so I think NASCAR will make her understand that we’re all in this together and she’s going to have to be more proactive in the promotion of these Nationwide races. She needs to come to the market in advance, she needs to do the advance media work and things of that nature. She does at some of the IndyCar races. If I were around her, she would do a lot more of that.”

Gossage said that those people who don’t do that aren’t respected in the garage.

“Those people that don’t want to do that stuff don’t make it in this business,” Gossage said. “Every driver I know is reasonably accessible. I can’t name a driver that hasn’t come to the market and done things to promote these races, to promote the series and, of course in the process, promote their sponsors, their team, etc.

“It’s the circle of life. … That is institutionally not as recognized in IndyCar racing as it is in NASCAR racing.”

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Comments

12 responses to "Eddie Gossage says Danica Patrick good for NASCAR but needs to help promote races". Post a Comment.

1

wmvjr1960 said:
Nov 6, 2009 at 3:44 PM
Check out this quote: "A great deal of driving is mental. You cannot afford to get angry behind the wheel. A good driver needs emotional detachment, concentration, good judgement, and desire." Janet Guthrie
2

Werner said:
Nov 6, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Gossage...isn't that your job?...
3

fanofreed43 said:
Nov 6, 2009 at 5:25 PM
We don't need her.
4

48addict said:
Nov 6, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Just have her unzip like she does for GoDaddy. She can't go any lower than she already has so let her go for it. So much for Nascar being a family sport. She obviously can't get attention with her driving skills so she has to go for sex appeal. Sad.
5

meanjoegreen59 said:
Nov 6, 2009 at 5:57 PM
Danica Patrick with be 1000% good for NASCAR.She will draw a lot of new fans to NASCAR. WELCOME, DANICA, WE LOVE YOU ARE HERE!!
6

bajafishin said:
Nov 6, 2009 at 6:26 PM
Just what we need. A Kyle Busch with PMS.
7

antifan said:
Nov 6, 2009 at 6:51 PM
Amen Baja
Danica avoids the fans like the swine flu.
8

RonSchwalbe said:
Nov 6, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Danica couldn't be bothered to promote ANYTHING but herSELF !!- "SHE"---is the "BRAND" - just listen to her talk. And watch her in the pit stops - she's a menace.
Even the B roll ESPN had running during NASCAR NOW's "All Danica All the time" show showed her overshooting her pit TWICE !!!
With any luck -she might win a pole-"Dancer" award !
Sara Fisher is TWICE the driver Danica is but -Sara keeps her cloths ON so - no media coverage - but, after walking out on Rahal, (who gave her her start) Danica gets the press coverage and sponsorship -- because ?????????????
9

bthompson133 said:
Nov 6, 2009 at 11:52 PM
more proof nascar is going down fast. MAN THE LIFE BOATS!!!!!
10

pws1011 said:
Nov 7, 2009 at 12:19 AM
Danica needs a new agent,cause she's been handling herself much too long.Maybe Jr.can work her in.Possibly take the heat off his butt.it's time she either puts up or stay in indy,She might need to RE-Think her asking price cause I don't believe she will find any takers on current one.Less ole Go Daddy wants to be Sugar Bucks.We'll see.
11

ipopakeg293388 said:
Nov 7, 2009 at 10:31 AM
I'm just glad they finally found that other picture of her! I was beginning to wonder! Come or not,I don't really care! Nascar is going to have to address some major's issue's that they are faced with now,she won't change an already screwed up nascar,just by joining ANY team!
12

wraldri said:
Nov 7, 2009 at 8:26 PM
I doubt she'll get involved too much with promotions, Eddie. I think she's gonna try NASCAR on a lark....because, why not, Godaddy's evidently going to pay for it. Nothin' to lose. If it weren't for her looks and sex appeal, I doubt anybody would give a rat's a** whether she came or not. After all, she only has one win in how many years of trying.