NASCAR team co-Owner Gene Haas "has no desire to fuel speculation but neither will he rule out entirely the possibility of Danica Patrick racing for his new Formula One team next year," according to Alan Baldwin of REUTERS. When asked whether the world's best-known female racer might make a sensational switch from ovals, Haas said, "If the right sponsor came along, then anything is possible." Even as he spoke "his F1 team principal Guenther Steiner grimaced." Steiner said, "Don’t put anything in that Danica is coming to F1." Haas, who nonetheless "left no doubt" that his Stewart-Haas NASCAR driver
would be given "serious consideration" if the deal was right and she
wanted to do it, said, "We’ve been down that path last year." Recent events, however, "may make it easier." Patrick's long-term backer, Internet domain name service GoDaddy Inc., announced last month that it was leaving NASCAR and "that has left her future in doubt although Haas sounded positive on that score." He said, "Danica Patrick is highly marketable and if anything we’re very lucky that GoDaddy is giving us enough time to find a sponsor that she’ll fit with, because she can sell anything" (REUTERS, 5/13).
