Danica Patrick Reportedly Near NASCAR Deal With JR Motorsports
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Patrick Reportedly Plans To Run 12 Or 13
Nationwide Races Next Season If Approved |
IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick is "nearing completion of a two-year contract" with JR Motorsports (JRM), the NASCAR Nationwide Series team co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick, according to Ryan McGee of ESPN.com. One source said the talks are "in the final phase," while another said it "would probably be a surprise if it didn't happen." Sources yesterday indicated that a deal is "expected to be completed within a week or 10 days, but likely won't be formally announced until the offseason." Sources said that Patrick "plans to run 12 or 13 Nationwide races" next season, beginning with the ARCA event at Daytona Speedweeks if approved by NASCAR. She will "continue to race full-time" for Andretti Green Racing in the IndyCar Series. Sources noted that Patrick is "negotiating to drive the No. 7, her number in IndyCar," which would replace the No. 5 car at JRM. The sources added that GoDaddy.com, which sponsors Patrick, is "expected to be the primary sponsor" for her Nationwide car (ESPN.com, 11/4). Earnhardt yesterday confirmed that there were "still ongoing discussions between JRM and Patrick," but noted that "no deal has been formalized" as of yet. Earnhardt: "We've been talking to her -- we've made that known for quite some time and other teams have talked to her as well." He added, "She's really serious about it and she's going to do it with somebody. So we're working on details and trying to be a part of that puzzle." Sources from Michael Waltrip Racing and Kevin Harvick Inc., two teams "previously linked with Patrick," yesterday said that there "hadn't recently been dialogue with her camp" (FOXSPORTS.com, 11/5).
CHANGING LANES: YAHOO SPORTS' Jay Busbee noted if the deal goes through, Patrick is "going to bring some much-needed new eyes to NASCAR." If she is a "gimmick, so be it -- she'll be gone and back to IRL before her contract is up." But Patrick is "not going to totally embarrass herself or her sport." However, Busbee added Patrick has to "prove she can handle a Nationwide car" before a move to Sprint Cup can be discussed (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/4). FORBES' Kurt Badenhausen wrote the Patrick-Earnhardt partnership "would seem to be more hype than substance based on their track results with a combined 3 wins in the past 3 years." But Patrick is "making a good choice to get her NASCAR debut at the lower profile Nationwide Series instead of the Sprint Cup where former Indy champs like Sam Hornish and Dario Franchitti struggled" (FORBES.com, 11/4). ESPN's Rusty Wallace said, "This is going to be a three-year plan for Danica. Don't expect anything out of her on a consistent basis the first year, or even year two." ESPN's Mike Massaro: "We may need to be patient" ("NASCAR Now," ESPN2, 11/4).
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