After her first race of spins and banging fenders, Danica Patrick’s team has announced that she’ll be making her NASCAR debut in the Nationwide Series race this Saturday at Daytona Beach.
In a press release, from JR Motorsports Kelley Earnhardt co-owner and team manager, said “I think Danica proved to everyone that she can compete in stock cars at a high level, and right now seat time is extremely important,” Kelley Earnhardt said. “She has worked extremely hard during the past two months for this opportunity. Her dedication and work ethic is infectious.
Patrick’s ARCA outing on Saturday evening, where she finished sixth after being sent into the grass, spinning and recovering, has fired the up the diminutive driver, the only woman to win an IndyCar race.
“Racing in the Nationwide Series race was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do. The ARCA race was a blast, and I’m not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing,” Patrick said in that statement.
She’ll likely have a drafting buddy in the person of Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of the team and multiple-time winner of the upcoming race.
On Sunday following a team owners’ meeting consisting of Kelley, Dale Jr., Tony Eury Jr and Rick Hendrick the decision was made to add this to her previously announced schedule.
And she’ll also be racing on the following Saturdays at Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The good news? She won’t have to qualify because she’s guaranteed starting positions in all three races based off JRM’s acquisition of points from CJM Racing’s No. 11 team, which finished 15th in the 2009 Nationwide Series owners point standings.
photo:Éric Gilbert Motorsport.com
In a press release, from JR Motorsports Kelley Earnhardt co-owner and team manager, said “I think Danica proved to everyone that she can compete in stock cars at a high level, and right now seat time is extremely important,” Kelley Earnhardt said. “She has worked extremely hard during the past two months for this opportunity. Her dedication and work ethic is infectious.
Patrick’s ARCA outing on Saturday evening, where she finished sixth after being sent into the grass, spinning and recovering, has fired the up the diminutive driver, the only woman to win an IndyCar race.
“Racing in the Nationwide Series race was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do. The ARCA race was a blast, and I’m not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing,” Patrick said in that statement.
She’ll likely have a drafting buddy in the person of Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of the team and multiple-time winner of the upcoming race.
On Sunday following a team owners’ meeting consisting of Kelley, Dale Jr., Tony Eury Jr and Rick Hendrick the decision was made to add this to her previously announced schedule.
And she’ll also be racing on the following Saturdays at Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The good news? She won’t have to qualify because she’s guaranteed starting positions in all three races based off JRM’s acquisition of points from CJM Racing’s No. 11 team, which finished 15th in the 2009 Nationwide Series owners point standings.
photo:Éric Gilbert Motorsport.com