IndyCar Honors ………………

Danica Patrick and Pippa Mann

2010 MOST POPULAR DRIVER AWARD WINNERS

During the 2010 INDY DownForce Banquet, two women were honored with the 2010 MPD Awards. Danica Patrick was recognized in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Pippa Mann in the Firestone Indy Lights Series.

Danica’s season in the IZOD IndyCar Series ended with her placing 10th in the overall standings. With 2nd-place finishes in Texas and Homestead, she ran 2,408 laps for the season.

Although this was Danica’s sixth consecutive MPDA, she stated, “I’m very flattered that I’ve received this award once, let alone six times. Every person has the ability to pick their favorite driver, and it can change so it's a real honor to receive an award from the fans.”

Pippa Mann has two seasons under her belt in the Firestone Indy Lights Series. Pippa led all 67 laps at Kentucky, winning her first race driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in 2010. She also managed to finish in the top 10 while driving with a broken hand when she competed in Toronto.

Mann missed one race during the 2010 Season due to surgery on a broken hand, but still came out with a 5th-place finish overall in the Firestone Indy Light Series.

Upon receipt of the MPDA, Pippa felt it was an honor and a “flattering and fantastic feeling.” Perhaps one of the most memorable achievements for Pippa was being the first woman to win a pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The MPDAs are determined through a fan vote during all IndyCar racing events during the season. Voting is also done via their website and at Indycar.com as well.

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Let's Hear It for the Ladies

ARCA driver Alli Owens (Motorsports Images & Archives)

This weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, no less than nine female racers will be looking to make the field across four series of motorsports.

The IZOD IndyCar Series leads all series with five women entered for Saturday's Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300. Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick (who's also running part-time this season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series), rookies Simona De Silvestro and Ana Beatriz, and Milka Duno are in the 29-car field, which is the largest for any IndyCar race this season. The record number of women entered matches that for the Indianapolis 500 in May.

On Saturday it became official that all five women entered in the PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 will start the race, the most in the history of the IZOD IndyCar Series.
 
In the Firestone Indy Lights Series, which is the developmental series for IndyCar (similar to the Nationwide Series in NASCAR), Pippa Mann is the lone female behind the wheel in Saturday's Chicagoland 100, prior to the IndyCar race.

On the stockcar end, there are two women competing in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series and one in the ARCA Racing Series.

Rookie of the Year contender Jennifer Jo Cobb and Billy Ballew Motorsports driver Johanna Long will be running in Friday's EnjoyIllinois.com 225 truck race. Cobb recently made history, becoming the highest-ranked woman in the Truck Series points standings, reaching 16th place after Darlington. Long, a Late Model champion in the Blizzard Series and Gulf Coast Series, will be making her third start in the series.

In ARCA, Venturini Motorsports driver and fan favorite Alli Owens will be the only woman in Friday's Ansell Protective Gloves 150 at Chicagoland. Owens was featured in Skirts and Scuffs' Women in Racing/NASCAR series earlier this year.

As any of these drivers will tell you, they are racers who happen to be female. They're in it to win it as much as the next driver, regardless of sex. But as the faces of motorsports become more diverse, it's nevertheless exciting to see more and more women making their presence known on the racetrack.

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Danica – Racing Into History or Spinning the Wheels?

I have been struggling for almost a week on this post. I wanted, very dearly, to be able to offer some real, positive facts regarding Danica and her NASCAR racing, but every time I began to check a fact or statistic, I had to reevaluate my position. As a result, it’s been difficult to determine my own feelings and opinions on the subject.

While I am certainly not the lead trumpet player on the Danica bandwagon, I like Danica. I like her focus, her competitive nature, and her desire to do well, despite the tremendous pressures. While watching the ARCA race at Daytona in February, I was extremely encouraged. Danica finished a respectable 7th, even after a free slide down the front stretch. She asked questions, improved her technique, and generally brought the car home with little damage. Not a bad day’s work in the world of stock car racing.

Her Nationwide stint has not impressed me as much, regardless of her gender, which I will be the first to admit should not be a factor. In short, she’s had 4 starts, all of which she finished in the low to mid 30’s. Twice she was involved in wrecks, whether of her own making or not, meaning she has a 50% record of finishing a race on the track. And, there’s little numerical difference between the finishes on the track and the finishes in the garage. She arguably has one of the best rides in the Nationwide series, and this is the best she can do?

I understand about learning curves. I totally ‘get’ that she’s jumping from one style of racing into another. But, at times, I can’t help but wonder if she even has a clue about NASCAR. Has she ever actually watched a race as a spectator? Furthermore, this is her JOB. When I find myself in unfamiliar waters at my job, I study, investigate, collect data, ask questions, turn to more experienced colleagues and finally, I do my freaking homework. As a driver, how can she seriously expect to be competitive if she doesn’t understand some of the more simple concepts (at least to me) of stock car racing? I have seen footage of drivers and crew chiefs watching reruns of race after race to gain information and a potential advantage. Some very prominent drivers have admitted using video games to familiarize themselves with tracks. Danica’s chatter on her radio at Louden makes me question her commitment and basic understanding. Don’t believe me? Check some of the articles out there. I suppose I should mention that she IS asking questions – relevant questions. I can’t help but wonder if a little study and prep could have eliminated the need for rudimentary questions and driving, thus allowing her to perform better. I don’t expect top 5 or top 10 finishes. I do expect someone with a racing license and incredible hype, male or female, not to perform at a level equal to pulling a random fan from the stands and throwing them in the car.

As I stated in my first paragraph, I’m having personal difficulty reconciling Danica’s performance, or lack thereof. A part of me wonders if she is perpetuating the myth that women can’t hack racing with the “big boys”, thereby bringing more harm than good. Is she honestly there because she’s petite and pretty and possesses a racing license, or because she can drive the heck out of a car? How will these impact current and future attempts by women to be taken as serious racing competitors? The current numbers don’t look good. Danica is 63rd in the points, and if you’re out there checking women drivers in the Nationwide series, the next closest (and only other) is Chrissy Wallace in the 82nd points position. Chrissy, however, has competed in only 2 races this season, more due to a lack of money and sponsorship than as a reflection of her driving abilities. Obviously, there are currently no women competing in the Sprint Cup series.

One potential bright spot is Jennifer Jo Cobb. Cobb is about to compete through a 4 race deal in the Nationwide series ride previous held by Greg Biffle, who brought the #27 car to 3 top 5s and 7 top 10s in 10 starts. Obviously, Jennifer has an amazing opportunity. This is a proven machine and garage. Respectable finishes will go a long way to bringing a different, more positive focus on women drivers in NASCAR.

Regardless of the outcomes, I’ll be watching with great interest, as I do every weekend.

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Danica Patrick – Back to NASCAR

Danica Patrick will be returning to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on June 26 in the New England 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. This is considered to be one of the most anticipated events to occur in the Nationwide Series because there are a lot of fans awaiting her return. Her focus has been on her Indy ride so now she will have to shift gears, which I am sure that she will do with passion and excitement.

There are constant discussions in regards to the exposure that this talented driver has been gaining even before she participated in her first NASCAR-sanctioned race. Danica has been placed under a closer microscope and I believe there are a number of reasons why she is being so closely watched this season:

1. Fans and skeptics want to see how well or not so well she will do in her quest to compete on both the IndyCar and Nationwide levels during the same season.

2. She was courted and signed to drive for the most popular NASCAR driver at JR Motorsports. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt definitely have an eye for scouting talent and utilizing their exceptional marketing skills. We know that the Earnhardt camp and their actions are always being held under public scrutiny whether good, bad or indifferent.

3. Driving talent – she is not lacking in that area; however, it is going to be an interesting process witnessing her progress throughout the remainder of her approved NASCAR events. She has held her own for the select few races that she has competed in thus far this season.

Will she successfully finish most of the remaining races? Will she be able to beat and bang with the best of them, if/when necessary? Can she keep switching gears when she has to compete in the IndyCar and Nationwide Series races back to back?

Time will tell and the proof will be on the track.

Until next time…Gear Up, Strap In For A Thrillin’ Ride

*The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer*

PHOTO FROM NASCAR MEDIA 

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Danica Patrick on racing at NHMS in the Nationwide Series - NASCAR teleconference (6/22/10)

Danica Patrick spoke with the media during a NASCAR teleconference Tuesday. Patrick talked about her return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series this Saturday, June 26, driving for JR Motorsports at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.


Click here to listen to audio of the teleconference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. We're pleased to be joined today by special guest Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 7 GoDaddy.Com Chevrolet for Junior Motorsports. Danica is back with NASCAR after a four-month absence coinciding with the start of the IZod IndyCar Series season. She has three Nationwide Series races to her credit this season at Daytona, Auto Club Speedway in Las Vegas. And after New Hampshire, she's scheduled to make nine more NASCAR Nationwide Series starts this season.
           
Thank you for joining us today. You're doing sort of your own version of double duty now with open wheel and stock cars. How do you think the transition is going to be coming back into NASCAR after this little break? And have you had any opportunities to reacquaint yourself with the stock car before this weekend?

DANICA PATRICK: Hi, everybody. Thanks for coming on. Yeah, I really am not concerned about -- there's nothing that sticks out where it's something completely, you know, something different that I have to prepare for.
           
I don't know. It's really hard to answer how the transition will be, because it's going to be what it is. And it's kind of unknown. And I've started doing more stock cars, and then went to Indy cars. There wasn't much overlap, necessarily. But there was some testing in amongst. But I've gone back and forth, I guess you could say, between the two.
           
And they're just so different that you don't get confused, you know? So I'm just looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to getting back to the team, to the fans, to the paddock and everybody in it.
           
Everybody was so nice when I first came into the series at the beginning of the year. So I'm just really looking forward to seeing everybody again.
           
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Danica.
            
Q. Just wanted to get your reaction to the news that the IRL is planning to come to New Hampshire next year. What thoughts do you have on that and do you think this is going to give you a little bit of a leg up, getting a look at the track before anybody else?
           
DANICA PATRICK: I didn't know that was news. I kind of heard little rumors about it. But that's great news. I love the fact we'll be putting another short oval back on to the schedule, because we're down to one this year that we just finished with.
           
So I always think short oval racing in an Indy car is great. And so it will be even better that I'll get a chance to get a look at the track and get familiar with it all this year if it's on the schedule next year. That's awesome. It's a real positive.
           
Coming into that area, too, and being up in the northeast a little bit more, I think will be good. So that's great news.
            
Q. Two quick topics and one quick question. Specifically the New Hampshire, what are your concerns about a track you haven't done before, and it's kind of different from most other NASCAR tracks? And also with the news in your absence that the Hendrick Motorsports situation is kind of getting overcrowded with Kasey Kane, does that give you any concern about your long-term prospects in NASCAR?
           
DANICA PATRICK: The first question being about coming back in New Hampshire and racing there, right?
            
Q. Right.
           
DANICA PATRICK: So I'm nervous because it's new and there's so much to learn about the way a race goes, how the race kind of plays out normally, and the yellow flags and the pit stops and how the car changes over a fuel run and how the tires change. And there's just so much that I'm unfamiliar with.
           
And so that makes me -- that makes me nervous because I care and I want to do well. And I'm not going to know it all the first time I go there, but I hope to do a good job. So I know that people are watching and I want to put on a good show for the fans. I want to give them a reason to cheer for me.
           
So I just want to do well. So I'm just nervous for that, as it's all very unfamiliar. And then with Kasey coming over to Hendrick, I think that's great for him. He's a fantastic driver. And Hendrick is obviously the top team.
           
And for my situation, I don't really know. I think that, you know, we first have to go through this process and run Nationwide and see how it goes and see what kind of things are in the future for me.
           
But, yeah, I mean, gosh, if you had the opportunity to drive for Mr. Hendrick and NASCAR, then that's a fantastic opportunity that anyone should take. And maybe I'll be lucky enough one day. But I think we have a lot to go through to get to that point.
           
Q. You've hit your best stretch of the IndyCar season here with three straight top 10s. Is a small part of you hoping maybe you were still in IndyCar this weekend, because you could keep that role going, or could you carry some of that confidence and momentum despite being in a totally different car this weekend at New Hampshire?
           
DANICA PATRICK: I think that it can keep going. It can stop. I don't know. I mean, it was a little bit of a tough weekend in Iowa in the Indy car. But I think we still made the most of what was a difficult weekend.
           
But I'm indifferent. It doesn't really matter. I think that the roles kind of come from everybody around you being upbeat and positive and on their game. And that includes, if it was in an IndyCar, that includes those IndyCar people. So perhaps it does not carry on over into another series with another group of guys. But, then, again, my confidence is there.
           
I'm eager to learn the Nationwide car. And I think that -- I think that the best thing I can do for myself on the NASCAR weekends is really come up with some realistic expectation levels instead of having them be like IndyCar expectation levels where I'm hoping to win and I'm hoping to finish on the podium, those kinds of things.
           
Those are probably a little bit more unrealistic in Nationwide at this point for how much I still have to learn. So that's probably the best way that I can come away with momentum coming from Loudon, would be to set a realistic expectation level, and hopefully that happens.
           
Q. Wondered how you felt about -- I know this is down the road but I think people here are already talking about it -- racing at PIR on November 13th, I know it's a provincial question, but how do you feel about being in a place, an area you call your home when you are home?

DANICA PATRICK: Well, I was dispointed to see it go off the schedule in IndyCar. So it will be good to be there. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed. I'm excited for that. I think Phoenix is a great track. I think it's challenging, and I'm sure it will be even more challenging in a stock car with less grip.

But it is a bit down the road, and I'll have a lot more experience to that point, especially racing on a short oval or two from now until then. So, yeah, I'm really looking forward to it.
           
Q. Danica, you mentioned a minute ago in Nate's question having realistic expectation levels. What are those expectation levels this weekend?
           
DANICA PATRICK: I think it's probably better for me to say like, you know, I hope this weekend I finish in the top 20 or the top 15. And kind of build myself up.
           
I didn't really set any expectation levels in the first few races that I did. And I think it would have paid off to do that, even in qualifying, set some expectation levels. Like I've had a tough time because qualifying is so different in those cars, you never experience the amount of grip or the kind of car that you get in qualifying until you're really in qualifying.
           
So that takes some learning. So to say, hey, look, qualifying in the top 20 and maybe finishing in the top 15, that would be great. And build myself up from there and then hopefully one day they'll be the same expectation levels that I have in IndyCar.
           
But I think it's best for my confidence and my morale to set those kinds of expectation levels.
            
Q. You had three starts at Michigan International Speedway at IndyCar before the race was abandoned up here. You come in August for the Nationwide race. Can you bring anything from your previous experience at MIS to that weekend?
           
DANICA PATRICK: Well, I think it's always good to have a visual of the track. It's always very different when you actually get out there from when you can see it in pictures or you're just standing in the infield. So it's nice to know those little things, where pit road is, and the things you have to get used to very quickly on a race weekend if you've never been there.
           
And when you put all those new things on top of each other, things feel very chaotic and overwhelming. So just having been there and seeing the place and knowing what it's like and how the track surface is and everything, I think it's a really nice thing for me to have that going into the race weekend, because it always goes by very quickly.
           
Q. What I wanted to ask you about was how much you've kept in touch with NASCAR while you've been gone. I know a lot of fans have followed you. Have you watched tapes? Have you watched the races? Are you studying the races? I know you've kept in touch with your crew chief. But what have you done to keep in touch with what we're doing over here while you've been racing over there?
           
DANICA PATRICK: Well, I've not been watching anything. It's kind of one weekend at a time for me. I'm home for sort of a day or two here and there. And then it's off to the next one. So I've been very focused on the IndyCar stuff and trying to do a good job and trying to get up there and get a win, and that's definitely taken, dominated a lot of my time.
           
But I've kept in touch, and we've tested a little bit, and we're trying to make sure that I'm ready to go for Loudon and get familiar again. So just those kinds of things, and now this week preparing for that race, I'll get to the track and I'll find out more about the car. And I don't claim to know much about the car itself, though. I could go through an IndyCar top to bottom almost and be able to explain kind of the car and the things we change and everything.
           
And a NASCAR setup is much different with truck arms in a car and I find out there's two of them. It's so unfamiliar for me. So the setup is something that Tony, Jr. does a good job of adapting to me, and he knows from the first couple of races what kind of things I need to be able to get up to speed quickly and have confidence in the car. And I think Las Vegas was a good example of that, learning from Fontana. Unfortunately, our race was cut short. But I think it would have been a good race for me.
           
And so I'll look at some in car or look at some old footage just how the race goes once I get there and once I have that in my hands.
           
Q. If I could broaden the scope here to the New England sports teams in general. Celtics just went to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. They've won championships. The Bruins went to the playoffs. The Red Sox have won championships. The Patriots and so forth. What do you know about the Boston sports scene in general, and what does your presence in New England do to add to that?
           
DANICA PATRICK: I know that it's very intense for its sports in Boston. I went to Boston for the first time actually during at the end of the month just before the Indy 500, at the end of May. And I had never been to Boston before. So it's a beautiful city.
           
It's so much bigger than I imagined. I felt like I was in that bus going through downtown, I think we were in the bus for like an hour and a half. So it's a big city. Lots to see. Beautiful.
           
And I was kind of cheering for -- I was cheering for the Celtics. I was. I know that's not a popular answer with my friends in LA. But I met Ray Allen a couple of years ago at the SB Awards. He was just a nice guy. I was kind of cheering for them. But obviously the Lakers are pretty good too, and Kobe is a nice guy. But I was torn. I was cheering for the Celtics.
           
I think they obviously embrace their sports. And I've raced in Watkins Glen in an Indy car, but I really haven't been anywhere other than that in the northeast, the New England area, for racing. So I'm excited to see what the fan turnout is like, but I'm sure if it's anything like how they cheer for all the rest of their sports, it will be great.
           
Q. I know you've answered this before, but I remember earlier in the season after you'd run a few Nationwide races, Darrell Waltrip was one of the people who said racing in the Nationwide Series would help you in IndyCar racing. Since then, with some of your results in IndyCar, some people have said that racing in the Nationwide Series has hurt you in IndyCar. Would you comment on that, please?
           
DANICA PATRICK: I don't see how racing cars can make you a worse race car driver. So I put every ounce of effort into everything that I do. And you know the IndyCar Series has become the most difficult field I've been in. The drivers are so good and everybody's so equal out there that you have an on weekend, and like at Texas for me last weekend, or the weekend before, I almost won the race. Then you have an off weekend and you find yourself in 15th.
           
I guess it's a little bit maybe more like NASCAR. The fields are so good and everybody's so close, and everything needs to go right. So I'm enjoying the two of them. I think it's best -- I think it's good for any race car driver to be in the seat a lot, and that's definitely what I'm doing.
            
Q. I was wondering if it's any easier for you to go to New Hampshire after your last three IndyCar results, having the three top 10s there as opposed to maybe if you were coming back to NASCAR about six weeks ago?
           
DANICA PATRICK: I think that it's a whole different thing. I really think a lot about like what I did the last time I was in a stock car and what I need to remember for next time. And so -- and I've found that the fans and the people have been very positive and embracing. And so I really think it's just -- any time is the right time. So it doesn't matter what's happening in the IndyCar side.
           
As one of my friends told me, you're one good race -- you're one weekend away from turning it around, because it just takes one. It could be any one. It could be a NASCAR race. It could be an IndyCar race. It just so happens I've had a couple of good runs in the last few weeks. And I'm sure that helps my confidence a little bit. But it's still a whole new weekend with expectation levels and people to impress and me not wanting to let myself down on what I think is possible.

Q. Are there any courses you're looking forward to racing in NASCAR courses that maybe you've heard about or maybe ones you've raced in your Indy car?
           
DANICA PATRICK: Hmm, well, the one coming up being Loudon, I'm excited because it's a lot like Milwaukee, I heard, and I have always enjoyed going to Milwaukee over the last -- well, unfortunately not this year but for seven years previously. And so it's good to get that feel of a nice flat track and a short track. So that one.
           
I look forward to going back to Phoenix as well. It's a place I thought was cool in an IndyCar. I think it will be interesting to see how Michigan will go, since it's the Car of Tomorrow, and it's just one of those sort of big, fast tracks at least in an IndyCar. I'm curious how it will be in a stock car.
           
I felt things have been very different from one car to another at a track. So it will probably seem a lot -- at Fontana, at the beginning of the year, it was a place that in an IndyCar you are just flat out running on the white line. You never lift.
           
And then I get into a stock car and traditional line and the car is -- you have to lift and maybe even brake sometimes. And all of a sudden this track that felt really big in an IndyCar felt really small in a stock car; and, of course, I was going even slower.
           
So things are definitely different. But I'm looking forward to those few this year that I'm going to be racing at.
            
Q. You talked a few minutes ago about racing in Arizona, your current home. But you'll also be back in your home state in Joliet in three weeks. Curious, what kind of distractions do you run into and how do you deal with racing in front of family and old friends from Illinois?
            
DANICA PATRICK: Yeah, I shouldn't forget Chicago. I look forward to it. I love the city of Chicago. It's such a great city. I was just there last week for a couple of days.
           
And it's a great place. And I think that my family and my friends, I'm sure there will be extras there, because it's close. But I have great friends, great family, and they come see me in lots of different places.
           
So I keep my life as simple as possible at the racetrack on those kinds of weekends, and everybody -- everybody's warned beforehand, usually not even by me but my husband or someone who says look nothing's going to happen during the race weekend but we'll see you after or maybe not, depends on how the race goes. Everyone's always really respectful.

And my number one priority is to go out there and perform on the racetrack. And that doesn't leave me a lot of extra time to entertain. So unfortunately they won't get necessarily that entertained by me but they will when they watch the race, and that's why they're there.

Q. Can you talk about -- I guess the learning curve, and the difference between being out there and testing on your own versus being able to go out there with other drivers. Because I remember in Vegas it seemed when Kevin Harvick passed you, you were able to keep up with him. Seemed like you were out there learning based on what he was doing. Can you talk about those two differences?
           
DANICA PATRICK: You know, when you are testing, you are by yourself. Gives you a chance to not have to be looking in your mirror, doing all those kinds of things to see where people are and maneuvering around other cars. So it really does allow you the chance to be able to feel the car and feel changes and testing for me is really important at this point, because I'm so new.
           
But it's really, when you get out there in the race is really when you learn the most. You're forced to learn. You're forced to get out there and go. Something as cool as like what Kevin did at Vegas was just, you know, I mean it's stuff like that that you can't get when you're testing by yourself.

So the racing is really where you learn. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to learn in front of everybody all year and the year after. But it's the best place to do it.

Q. I wanted to ask you if you could give us some specifics on how much testing you have been able to do since the last time you were in a stock car, and if you can just explain maybe -- I'm assuming the comfort level is a lot better for you this time getting in than it was back in the spring.

DANICA PATRICK: Yeah, simple things like the car fits and the belts and the seat and the pedals, and all that stuff is no issue. And you just get in and you go.

You know, we tested at Milwaukee, and it gave me a good head start on Loudon to be able to get familiar with a car on a track that's similar. So I ran there. And hopefully it's prepared me. I'm sure Loudon will still be a little bit different. But it's good to get familiar again, and it also gives a direction to what kind of setup I like on the car and that kind of a track.

Q. I wanted to kind of build on the prior question about Chicago. I know Chicagoland Speedway is a track you're also pretty familiar with. And seems like you ran pretty well there. You were on the pole one year and had a couple of top 10s. Will the familiarity, combined with the good runs you've had there, do you think that will benefit you when you come to Chicagoland Speedway?

DANICA PATRICK: As I mentioned, it's always quite different in a stock car. Look, I don't think there's any way that being familiar with the track can hurt me. But it's really about me learning what it takes for me in a stock car to be happy on the track, to be comfortable, to get the most out of myself.

So as you see in IndyCar, sometimes it's a good week and sometimes it's a bad week. And I'm not a different driver from one to the other. But the car does change. The car suited for the track is always changing, too, and sometimes you miss it and sometimes you don't.

So I think that that's really ultimately the most important thing, is that the car is set up well for me at the track. And it's also about me learning what that means. And I think that there's probably a little bit more compromising in a stock car, because the car, the tires go off of it quicker and the car slides around a little bit more. And there's nothing inside of the cockpit as far as adjustments you can make to chase the car and help it out. Where, in IndyCar, there's a few things we can do inside of the cockpit to help with the handling.

So I think that's really what it comes down to is being the most important thing. But familiarity is always nice, because it's just one less thing to worry about.

Q. Danica, based on the economy, maybe other factors, attendance isn't always the best at Nationwide races. How interested are you to see what kind of difference you might make racing in these Nationwide races? Do you feel a little bit of responsibility that you'll be the drawing card for these remaining races?

DANICA PATRICK: No, I don't feel responsibility. I'm just a driver out there that's getting an opportunity. And I'm going out there and getting experience and trying to do well at the end of the day. So I don't feel any responsibility.

I feel lucky that I have so many fans. And I feel lucky that people follow me. And I heard that ticket sales were up like 30% or something like that at Loudon for the Nationwide race or for something. So I know that the ratings were up in the races I was in at the start of the year. That's great.

Really, that comes down to the sponsors doing a great job of publicizing that and advertising and the media outlets to let everyone know that I'm going to be there. But, really, I am just really lucky as an athlete that people are curious how I'm doing and want to see. So I just do my best to put on a show and hopefully it's something that gives people a reason to smile and cheer, and if I do that, then I'm doing my job.

Q. How are you finding this season? At Indy, before you started to turn your season around over in the Indy cars, you said it was tougher than you thought. But we're heading into the summer and you're in a race car almost every weekend. How are you finding it?

DANICA PATRICK: It's definitely more busy. I do find myself to be in a car more often than anything else, which is a nice kind of busy as opposed to spending all my time flying around doing autograph sessions or photo shoots or commercials or something like that.

I definitely am in a car a lot. And that's the best thing for me. Really, it's just about managing that part of my life to make sure that I get a maximum amount of rest when I have a day off or two. And trying to always stay upbeat and in a good mood and stay positive and look at the positives because when you're going, going, going sometimes it's a little easy to get a little negative and it's important to look at the good things. And I'm really fortunate that I get to do all of this and race this many races.
           
So I feel lucky, and I'm going to keep that attitude and keep on going.

Q. You have obviously had three pretty good top 10 finishes going into New Hampshire. But the No. 7 team seems to have picked up the pace a little by having a top 10 finish at Road America. Does it make you feel better knowing that the team's going to have that confidence this week in Loudon?
           
DANICA PATRICK: Well, I think it's great for the car to be earning those points and keeping us in a good position to always be qualifying. And it's cool that the team's done that and kept the car going.
          
I'm sure that the guys are upbeat about having a good weekend. I know they've had a tough year. I know there's been a bit of damage and a lot of drivers shuffling around in the car. So I know they're a little tired. But hopefully we can come away from Loudon with no dents and a good result and more points for the Go Daddy 7 car.
         
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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A Review of Danica Patrick's Guest Spot on CSI:NY (and the show, too!)

Before I start, let me tell you I don't watch this show. I saw 10 minutes of the original CSI about a zillion years ago but for the sake of this website and my wonderful co-writers, I am going to sit through this episode to let all of you readers know what happened on this heavily publicized episode of CSI: NY. What I mean by all of that is this may not be the best review in the world. Although I'm more excited about Antonio Sabato Jr. (hello – hottie central!), I know NASCAR/IRL/GoDaddy ad fans were more excited for Danica's appearance. And on that note, I will hit play on my DVR.

The show opens with 2 cars racing on the streets of Manhattan with Danica's face on the screen right off the bat. Her character, Liza, is losing but then hits a turbo button and zooms by her competitor, Davi Santos (Sabato, Jr.). He won't lay off her and is going for the win. While they pit, Davi's owner and crew chief tell him to calm down – but he isn't having any of it. He pulls up next to Eliza and glares at her, taking off first from pit road. He hits his turbo button and his car crashes into the wall and bursts into flames – as does he. Liza looks on in terror from pit road (she hadn't left yet). Davi is put out quickly but the crash is considered a crime scene, so the CSI guys are on the case. Davi is in critical condition with the outlook bleak. The night before the race, he received a threatening note telling him he would die if he raced but he still raced. While the opening credits roll (good music by the way!), I should note neither Danica or Antonio are given credit for their roles on the show's IMDB page but their names flash across the screen quickly.

Det. Taylor asks the owner if he had any idea who has been writing the notes and what happened at the exhibition. A race – the New York 400 – is coming up but it's on hold (so says the CSI, but how about the fact that the driver is in the ICU? Hello...). Davi's crew chief is interviewed and said because Davi was so aggressive and always won he had a lot of enemies. The CSI team wants to investigate the car but the team owns the right to the car so no one can know what's under the hood, etc. (were they looking at Chad Knaus' notebook? Hehe). They make a deal with the team to take the car to the shop and take pictures of the car there. Detective Monroe, a female detective hanging with the boys in the shop, says stock cars are better than IRL cars. WOOT FOR HER! In order to figure out what happened, they have to put the burned car back together. The mayor says the race has to happen no matter what, but um, hello, Santos is in surgery and on death's door step. You can't have a race without a driver. A handwriting analysis shows nothing unique except the handwriting matches. Then a match comes up for a threat letter that was sent to a congressman and Santos' sponsor by a political science professor. The professor starts going off about his brother being killed by a drunk driver who was coming home from a race sponsored by Santos' sponsor. He swears he's not the guy but he did send the original threats to congress and the company, but not to Santos. Back at the shop, the guys are putting together the burned car piece by piece. It's very realistic – if the car weren't burned and there wasn't music bumping in the back, it almost feels like SPEED TV. After everything is put together, they figure out someone tampered with the fuel line and there is also an extra wire, making the car itself a ticking time bomb. And the person who did it left behind a finger print. By the way, Danica has been in the show for an entire 15 seconds so far.

The test driver is interviewed and says the fuel line was perfect after his inspection of the car before the race, done 7 hours before the race. With Davi out of the picture, he is now the team's new racer. HA! The CSI guys are discussing where the drivers go to the bathroom during the race. That's funny. They investigate the hauler, where the car was kept between the inspection and the race and find signs of forced entry – and part of a jacket (of course...). Nothing was taken as all the tools are still there. They are going to test all of them to see which one was used to tamper with the line. Danica finally shows up on screen as Liza, in the form of a previous interview (oh and fake GoDaddy-like ads!) telling the story of her rivalry with Davi. He crashed her two years prior, nearly killing her and this NY exhibition race was the first one back. In her interview, she promised to get revenge on Santos. The evidence the CSI guys got shows Liza was in the hauler. She admits to going in the hauler, but only to see what was under his hood. She took photos to see what she was up against. She gladly hands over her camera. Her story seems to be legit (and, I admit, Danica is a decent actress...at least she has something to fall back on, right?). Det. Taylor talks about his days in racing, and how he had a love for speed and wanting to be Steve McQueen. He says it doesn't seem so innocent anymore. Boy, these writers might not have the best scripts, but they sure have done their racing research! Santos finally wakes up and when they go to interview him, he flatlines. Tonya (his wife) is with him and his crew chief says she's been with him the whole time. She remarks, as they are trying to revive him “this day has been long overdue” as his CC says “this can't be happening.” That's just plain weird and suspicious. I call Tonya as the killer.

Oh look, a GoDaddy commercial. SURPRISE.

Tonya is being interviewed and says his murder is poetic justice because dying is the only way he would have retired. They flashback to a conversation of the two of them talking about how he promised to retire the year before but he wanted to prove he could still drive, despite what everyone was saying. Liza's pictures show no tampering with the fuel line, still leaving 4 hours before the tampering. But her pictures do show a generator that wasn't in the original specs of the car. Det. Taylor is at the autopsy of Santos and knows everything single injury he has (ok, we get it, you're a fan...). His body shows a 2nd degree burn on his back that went through his firesuit. He was also filled with all types of painkillers, which is why he hasn't been on his game over the past few years. The generator that was put in was to turbo the car but it wasn't wired properly. It was wired to short-circuit...the more Santos pushed it, the more sparks would fly and ultimately blow up. Video surveillance from the hotel where the team is staying shows Santos' crew chief and wife having an affair as well as him disappearing for an hour in the four-hour time frame they are looking at for the car-tampering.

The wife and the CC are interviewed and they flashback to their conversation in the hotel room (“Isn't a crew chief supposed to protect their driver?” Good job on that one...). The CC admits to rigging the engine to make him lose the race so he would take a look at his career. It was just supposed to short circuit and have a few sparks. He swears what he did to the engine didn't cause the explosion. As a crew chief, he knows a lot about cars. As the CSI guys finish up the interviews, the forensic guy comes back with the tool match – and a fingerprint – to the owner of the team. Well I didn't see that one coming, did you? He wanted Santos to retire and he wouldn't so he took things into his own hands. “Life without racing is worse than death for guys like us.” Well that's a bit intense – yet somewhat anti-climactic. To end the episode, Danica has to make an appearance, as Liza treats the CSI team to a little racing. Det. Taylor flashes back to his days in the soap box car and Liza waves the green flag.

And thus endeth the Danica Patrick CSI: NY episode. Did you watch? Did you enjoy it? Did you feel it was true to racing?


Opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and may not reflect this site or its other contributors.

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Danica Patrick to Guest Star on CSI: NY

Danica Patrick will guest star on CSI: NY as the top competitor of a racing star who dies under suspicious circumstances, according to the Associated Press.

Patrick is scheduled to appear on the episode airing Feb. 10 on CBS. Antonio Sabato Jr. plays the racing great who dies in a car explosion on the streets of Manhattan two days before a race as the result of car tampering.


Photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehearttruth

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Patrick says ......YES to NNS at DIS - updated

It turns out that Danica Patrick WILL be running in the NNS race next Saturday after all. The race scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13, was a big question mark for Danica. She herself wasn't sure if she was ready to take on a race of this caliber.

One of Patrick's major concern was that Kelly Bires would be out of the event with her decision. Not only that, what if she causes another driver to lose competition points through her inexperience? There was a lot to consider with this decision.

After her sixth-place finish at the ARCA Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 this past weekend, there was no hesitation from the Danica camp when she decided to come back next week and compete in her first 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

Eury has given his approval in a recent statement to ESPN. "I couldn't ask for more. She was put in a predicament, her and her spotter worked good together. I was very impressed those last 20 laps."

This decision is not without controversy within the Sprint Cup garages. Many have voiced their opinions, including the crew chiefs, stating that California would be a better venue to make her transition into the Nationwide Series.

An official announcement will be made Monday but it looks as though Danica will begin her transition into stock car racing next weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Danica is guaranteed her place within the field using the points from CJM Racing's No. 11 team that finished 15th in points last season.

UPDATE: JR Motorsports General Manager Kelley Earnhardt announced today Patrick will make her NNS debut in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet at Saturday's race. Patrick, Earnhardt and team officials met Sunday. The decision for Patrick to compete in the Daytona NNS event is supported by sponsor GoDaddy.com and JRM co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Eury Jr. and Rick Hendrick.

“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," Patrick said in a press release. "The ARCA race was a blast, and I’m not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing.”

Kelley Earnhardt 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. She has worked extremely hard during the past two months for this opportunity."

With her NNS debut set for Daytona, Patrick will compete in 13 Nationwide races for JR Motorsports. GoDaddy.com will sponsor 11 out of the 13 races.

As a result of the decision, Patrick's teammate Kelly Bires will not compete in Saturday's race. He will debut in the 88 car the following weekend at Fontana.

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Patrick leads female competitors in ARCA season-opener

A record-setting six women competed in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, the ARCA season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, but the driver with the least experience in stock cars had the highest finish.

IndyCar racer Danica Patrick finished sixth in her stockcar debut, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the 80-lap, crash-filled race. Patrick was running in the top 11 when she and former Formula One driver Nelsen Piquet Jr. made contact on lap 54, spinning Patrick across the infield grass and back onto the track. Patrick saved the car using a "no-hands" maneuver, made a pair of pit stops and restarted the race in 24th. She worked her way up to fifth place, passing off cars and bump drafting with others, before finishing in the sixth spot.

Jennifer Jo Cobb, competing for Bowsher-Mooi Motorsports, finished 17th. Cobb has more than 18 years of racing experience. She has three top 10s in nine ARCA starts. As an owner/driver, Cobb will attempt to run a full schedule in the Camping World Truck Series in 2010 and plans to contend for Rookie of the Year.

Venturini Motorsports driver Alli Owens ran as high as third for most of the race before mechanical problems and a crash in the closing laps contributed to a 23rd-place finish. The up-and-coming driver has two top-10 and seven top-20 place finishes in 22 ARCA starts.

In addition to Patrick, three female racers made their ARCA debut in Saturday's race. Jill George, racing in a car fielded by NASCAR veteran James Hylton, hit the wall hard on lap 25, leading to a nearly 22-minute red flag as workers repaired the fencing and wall. George was credited with a 21st-place finish.

Leilani Munter and Milka Duno were eliminated from race contention when they were caught up in a 10-car wreck on lap 7.

Munter has run in IndyCar's developmental series and has tested previously for ARCA. She was credited with 39th place in a ride fielded by Mark Gibson Racing.

Duno has raced in IndyCar and is the highest-finishing woman to have competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. She was driving for Braun Racing in Saturday's race and finished 43rd.

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Daytona is ready for racing and so is Skirts and Scuffs

Danica Patrick will drive the ARCA Race (and maybe the Nationwide) during Daytona Speedweeks

Photo credit Jason Smith/Getty Images

Driving into Daytona today, one thing is obvious--Daytona Beach is ready to go racing!  And so is Skirts and Scuffs!

The signs at local motels and restaurants say "Welcome race fans and teams" and the lights from the racetrack shine brightly in the night sky.  Hotels near the track are home to media representatives who are eager to report the latest news from drivers and owners.

Excitement is in the Florida air.  Drivers and reporters have been "tweeting" all week about their expectations for the week and the season.  Skirts and Scuffs writers have been posting their predictions for the 2010 season also.  It is time to quit talking and put the pedal to the metal.

This writer will post the latest news from Daytona Speedweeks right here on Skirts and Scuffs starting with ARCA practice on Thursday and extending through the Daytona 500 some 10 days away. 

Let the NASCAR season begins!
Rosalie's Coverage of Speedweeks from Daytona

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