(By Reid Spencer Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)
Posted: Monday,February 8th, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Danica Patrick changed the question.
After her sixth-place finish in Saturday’s ARCA race at Daytona—and the way she accomplished it—no longer should we ask, “What’s Danica Patrick doing in a stock car?”
More appropriate might be: “Why is Patrick wasting her time in the IndyCar Series?”
Admittedly, it’s one race. Admittedly, she was driving one of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s old No. 8 Sprint Cup cars. Admittedly, she had one of NASCAR’s most wily crew chiefs in her corner, namely former Earnhardt pit boss Tony Eury Jr.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 06: Mark Thompson drives the #66 ahead of James Buescher, driver of the #51, Alli Owens, driver of the #15, Danica Patrick, driver of the #7, Joey Coulter,driver of the #16, and Justin Marks, driver of the #32, during the ARCA Racing Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway on February 6, 2010 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images)
Don’t forget, however, that Patrick rallied to finish sixth without benefit of any significant practice time in the draft, a critical deficiency when it comes to restrictor-plate racing. Yes, she practiced drafting during an ARCA test in December, but that was with a maximum of five or six cars, not a full field of 43.
Thursday’s ARCA practice at Daytona was limited to single-car runs in preparation for Friday morning’s qualifying session. Friday afternoon’s practice was rained out. As a consequence, Patrick started Saturday’s race with little or no idea how her No. 7 Chevrolet would behave in dirty air, surrounded by other drivers trying to make names for themselves on the biggest stage ARCA has ever occupied.
And don’t forget that Patrick went about her business as the focus of a maelstrom of attention that bordered on manic. Under the circumstances, the diminutive driver weathered the storm with consummate grace.
“Once there’s 20 interviews, what’s the difference if there’s 30?” Patrick asked Friday afternoon. “I have a lot of people helping me, making sure that I am where I need to be and that I have time to drive the car and do what I need to do there. I’ve had plenty of time to chill out in the truck and watch TV with the guys.”
Patrick’s viewing included video of the 2009 ARCA race at Daytona, and she proved a quick study. By her own admission, she was “hanging out” in the early stages of Saturday’s 80-lap Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, but the real test came when she faced major adversity for the first time in a stock car.
On Lap 54, Patrick was hugging the yellow line as she exited Turn 4 when Nelson Piquet Jr. pinched her toward the apron. Already conversant with the no-passing-below-the-yellow-line rule, Patrick held her position, and a bump from Piquet sent her sliding across the infield grass and spinning back up onto the asphalt—all without making contact with the outside retaining wall.
Forced to the pits to repair minor damage and change tires, Patrick restarted 24th on Lap 57, but another quick caution kept her in the back until a restart on Lap 64. Patrick was 23rd at that point but charged fearlessly through the field to run as high as fifth before the finish, getting the most out of a powerful car.
Patrick was smiling broadly as she climbed from the car. Clearly, she was jazzed by the experience. After offering a rambling, effusive, stream-of-conscious account of the race and answering questions from a crush of reporters around her transporter, she posted one short message on her twitter account.
“Did you see all that craziness?!” Patrick wrote. “It was so much fun!”
Saturday’s ARCA race was the warm-up act for the Budweiser Shootout, the kickoff for the Sprint Cup season, won by Kevin Harvick. Aside from some confusion over the rules of engagement, NASCAR couldn’t have asked for a better appetizer for next Sunday’s Daytona 500.
But on Saturday, the undercard trumped the main event, as Patrick continued to dominate the headlines—and based on her gutsy performance, deservedly so.
On Monday, Patrick will reveal whether she’ll compete in next Saturday’s Drive4COPD 300 Nationwide Series race at Daytona (reports say that she will), a distinct step up in class.
Based on her performance in the ARCA event, she’ll likely be taking pace laps with the Nationwide regulars and double-duty Cup drivers come 1:15 p.m. Saturday.
Let’s hope so.
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