(By Greg Engle CupScene.com Editor,NASCAR Examiner)
Posted: Monday,February 8th, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—IndyCar star Danica Patrick will make her NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
Late Sunday night a team official, who wasn’t authorized to speak on the record, confirmed media reports that Patrick would make the announcement Monday, indicating they were ‘accurate’.
That official announcement came early Monday morning.The team said Patrick, Earnhardt, and team officials convened Sunday following the ARCA event at Daytona. They added that the decision for Patrick to compete in the Daytona Nationwide Series event is supported by sponsor GoDaddy.com and JRM co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Eury Jr., and Rick Hendrick.
“To be the one driving that Go Daddy car at Daytona means a lot to me,” Patrick said. “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. The ARCA race was a blast, and I’m not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing.”
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Patrick will team with Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet., Patrick will in the No. 7. Although Patrick will still make a qualifying attempt, she is guaranteed starting positions in all three races based off JRM’s acquisition of points from CJM Racing’s No. 11 team, which finished 15th in the 2009 Nationwide Series owners point standings.
“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,” JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt said. “She has worked extremely hard during the past two months for this opportunity. Her dedication and work ethic is infectious.”
Patrick made her much heralded stock car debut this past Saturday in an ARCA Series race at Daytona International Speedway and according to the official was pleased enough with the outing that she will race once more at the famous speedway this coming weekend. The decision to enter the Nationwide race at Daytona, a week prior to her earlier announced debut at California, ‘has been hers and hers alone”.MORE–>>
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