Danica Patrick, the only woman to win an IndyCar race, ended months of speculation when she announced a deal that would have her race, part-time in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series, for JR Motorsports a team co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“I’m finally able to talk about it and I want to show you the car,” Patrick said at the announcement before unveiling her stock car adding “I’m very excited we’ve all been working hard to bring this together.”
Her first stock car event will be February 6th in an ARCA series race at Daytona. ARCA is a minor league, with NASCAR-type cars based in the Mid-West. In preparation she’ll test at Daytona from December 16-18th.
The Nationwide Series is a stepping stone to Sprint Cup NASCAR’s senior series.
Patrick recently announced a multi-year renewal of her IndyCar contract with Andretti Autosport. She’ll try to schedule her NASCAR races when they are not in conflict with her IndyCar commitments primarily before and after the IRL season
The 27-year old Patrick said, “we’re not 100 percent sure of all the details as IndyCar is the primary focus.”
Her IndyCar owner, Michael Andretti, himself a former driver told said in a statement to Auto123.com supports her decision to go to NASCAR "This is something she wants to try and I support her. I don't want to get in the way of her going out and giving it a shot. First and foremost, she is a race car driver and I've been there. You always want to challenge yourself.
"That said, we have to work the programs to make sure the Go Daddy IndyCar is still her main focus because our goals are to win the Indianapolis 500 and win the IZOD IndyCar Series championship. And, I think we have a good shot at accomplishing that with Danica."
JR Motorsports is also co-owned by Rick Hendrick (owner of four-time Sprint Cup winner, Jimmie Johnson’s team), Earnhardt’s sister Kelley, and his cousin and former crew chief Tony Eury, Jr.
NASCAR stock cars are more than twice as heavy as the IndyCars which Patrick has raced since 2005 when she became the fourth woman to compete in the Indy 500. She won the IRL race in Japan in April 2008.
“I’m finally able to talk about it and I want to show you the car,” Patrick said at the announcement before unveiling her stock car adding “I’m very excited we’ve all been working hard to bring this together.”
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Her first stock car event will be February 6th in an ARCA series race at Daytona. ARCA is a minor league, with NASCAR-type cars based in the Mid-West. In preparation she’ll test at Daytona from December 16-18th.
The Nationwide Series is a stepping stone to Sprint Cup NASCAR’s senior series.
Patrick recently announced a multi-year renewal of her IndyCar contract with Andretti Autosport. She’ll try to schedule her NASCAR races when they are not in conflict with her IndyCar commitments primarily before and after the IRL season
The 27-year old Patrick said, “we’re not 100 percent sure of all the details as IndyCar is the primary focus.”
Her IndyCar owner, Michael Andretti, himself a former driver told said in a statement to Auto123.com supports her decision to go to NASCAR "This is something she wants to try and I support her. I don't want to get in the way of her going out and giving it a shot. First and foremost, she is a race car driver and I've been there. You always want to challenge yourself.
"That said, we have to work the programs to make sure the Go Daddy IndyCar is still her main focus because our goals are to win the Indianapolis 500 and win the IZOD IndyCar Series championship. And, I think we have a good shot at accomplishing that with Danica."
JR Motorsports is also co-owned by Rick Hendrick (owner of four-time Sprint Cup winner, Jimmie Johnson’s team), Earnhardt’s sister Kelley, and his cousin and former crew chief Tony Eury, Jr.
NASCAR stock cars are more than twice as heavy as the IndyCars which Patrick has raced since 2005 when she became the fourth woman to compete in the Indy 500. She won the IRL race in Japan in April 2008.