Danica Patrick may have some decisions to make in the next few months. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver learned this week that her longtime sponsor GoDaddy would not be returning next season. The web hosting company made the announcement Wednesday morning, saying it is looking to diversify its marketing investment across more channels and regions and is trying to expand global awareness of its brand. Friday Patrick was at Talladega site of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series race. She talked about losing her primary sponsor next season.
“It’s a little bit bittersweet,” Patrick said. “I look at pictures of me in the suit and the pictures of the car and I think about I can’t believe it won’t be the green GoDaddy car anymore. In fact, that’s actually what I said to them on the phone. I spoke to Phil (Bienert, Chief Marketing Officer) and Blake (Irving, Chief Executive Officer) who are in charge of making those big phone calls and making those big decisions. And I said, ‘Are you guys okay that you’re not going to see a green car out there anymore?’ That’s actually what I said to them.”
Patrick signed with GoDaddy for the 2007 IndyCar season where, in 2008, she became the first woman to win an IndyCar race. GoDaddy has been the primary sponsor for Patrick since she joined NASCAR in 2012 and when she moved to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2013, GoDaddy was her primary sponsor for her full time efforts. In Wednesday’s announcement, GoDaddy indicated that it wants to maintain a relationship with Patrick. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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