NASCAR driver Danica Patrick admitted that her sponsorship approach needs "to be altered" in light of GoDaddy's decision to end its ties to her Sprint Cup car, as she has mostly been "insulated from the tough economic climate" in the sport, according to Nate Ryan of NBCSPORTS.com. Patrick, who will likely remain as a personal-services endorser for GoDaddy, said, "Someone asked if it’s just a matter of picking a new sponsor, or if I’ve been able to do that sort of thing, and I have been. I’ve been very fortunate as a brand being able to be somewhat picky about who it is. For me, it’ll be more about what their plan is, and my two cents as to whether or how it fits in, or how I fit in. ... We’ve been able to be a little selective. It is a tougher environment than it’s ever been, so you also have to be open-minded.” Patrick said that her agent, Alan Zucker, and other advisers are "working in concert with Stewart-Haas Racing’s marketing team in scrounging for new funding." She added of her role with GoDaddy going forward, "More smaller events, more specific events for them as opposed to getting their name out there" (NBCSPORTS.com, 5/1).
I'M NO DAMSEL IN DISTRESS: Patrick said, "We knew that it was possible that GoDaddy would go away. We were all ready and prepared to move on and figure other things out." ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass noted in seeking sponsorship, SHR "will tout that it is a championship organization with Cup titles" in '11 and '14. SHR will "try to show that Patrick has started to show promise since her move from IndyCar" (ESPN.com, 5/1). ESPNW's Tony Fabrizio wrote there "is no need for Patrick or her huge fan base to panic." Conversely, "haters and doubters on the Internet can stop gloating." Patrick "needs to keep performing, and if she does, her opportunities will come" (ESPNW.com, 5/1). USA TODAY's Brant James wrote, "For most of her career, Danica Patrick has been remarkably able to avoid 'silly season,' the manic prelude to and consummation of sponsor and driver contracts that heightens as the season progresses. Not anymore" (USATODAY.com, 5/1).
