Now that she has graciously allowed the Sprint Cup Series to have its banquet in relative peace, Danica Patrick is ready once again to take the spotlight.
The Sporting News is confirming that Patrick will announce on Tuesday afternoon at 1PM ET that she will drive for JR Motorsports next season in both the NASCAR Nationwide and the ARCA Series. Click here for the story link.
From a TV perspective, this is a big help to both ESPN and SPEED. ARCA will have ten races on SPEED while ESPN carries the entire Nationwide season. Potentially having Patrick in both the ARCA and Nationwide Series races at Daytona in February will be a great way to kick-off the year for those organizations.
Over at scenedaily.com, Bob Pockrass is confirming that Patrick will be at the Daytona ARCA testing session on the December 18th weekend. Click here for that story.
Dustin Long at HamtonRoads.com has a list of the possible races that Patrick can enter considering her IRL schedule. Click here for that link.
The most interesting part of this is that GoDaddy.com will be streaming the press conference live online at 1PM ET. This is quite different from the technically challenged NASCAR teams who struggle with awkward TV press conferences on SPEED. Kyle Busch will have one this Friday afternoon as he announces his Camping World Truck Series team plans for next season.
We will use this post to cover the live press conference as well as take your comments on Danica coming to ESPN and SPEED next season. This will be a whole new world of media issues and interaction that she is certainly not used to on the IRL side. That alone should be fun to see.
To add your comment, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, comments may be moderated before posting. Thanks for stopping by.
58 comments:
Ladies and Gentlemen...........I give you Danica.
Good luck to her. She's not gonna know what hit her. If it's attention she wants, well she SURE is gonna get it. Here comes the DANICAnation bus. Hop on. HAHA
I can hardly wait till she meets Mike Mulhern!
Additional: Press conference will have her new Nationwide Series car there to unveil.
Streamed live on GoDaddy.com/Danica with Mr. Go Daddy at the press conference.
Oh boy....uh...girl!
Well, we will be at Daytona, so it should be exciting, to say the least.
I am sure it will be all Danica, all the time.
Will Danica bring new fans? More people attending races (where she races)? New viewers to TV? Will it drive away old fans who are hanging by thread? Stay tuned.
Thanks JD. I always check your blog even before Jayski's.
I think this is great for the NW series a win win situation for them. But then again, maybe it'll bring more IRL drivers to the series that the full time regular NW series drivers will be driven out of it! Which I won't like. Can't wait to hear the announcement.
worst....news....ever....:( for Jr & Nascar.
Um, well you know, I hope it works out for her.
I am glad that she waited until the CUP guys were done basking in their glory.
Well at this point anything to take the place of the hypocrisy of the media, especially EESPN, about Tiger Woods.
I don't see this as historic or important. There have been many other female drivers in ARCA and the Nationwide series. Danica just has a lot of hype. She may bring over a few fans, but you either love NASCAR or hate it. More people may watch her first ARCA and Nationwide series starts to see how she does, but it will level off quickly - see Joey Logano.
I'm sure JR Motorsports isn't doing this because they think they will lose money. It's a win-win-win-win situation for all involved : JR, Danica, the series and the media.
It's been a pretty constant complaint on here that NASCAR doesn't get mainstream media attention and the sport is having trouble getting sponsors. Well here you go.
All she has to do is use good equipment to keep her head above water in the Nationwide races.
No other challenge for her at all. Got a sponsor, got a team and got another full-time job.
That is a very different dynamic from the other open wheel guys that tried to make a go of it.
JD
I'm just grateful she waited until after the season ended so I won't have to witness the hijacking of the regular NASCAR shows. Makes it easier to ignore her.
JD- But she does have to get in the races - so she has to out-qualify the S&P'ers and maybe even some more Cup guys if she does attract more media attention to the N-wide races.
@JD- But there's the rub. If she doesn't win the critics will say "told you so" and if she wins it's only because she has a lot of money from a sponsor behind her and she has Jr mentoring her and giving her the best equipment. The media can't lose.
*dies inside a little* NoNoNoNoNO!
Don't want her type in this series.
Thank goodness for people posting entry lists, 'cause if her name's on it one weekend... not watching (as if I needed someone else to yell at rather than ESPN/Shrubba Dubba.
Goodbye Nationwide.
(Y'all don't know how difficult it was to think of a 'family friendly' way of expressing my op on this).
bevo, totally agree. TV cannot lose. Sirius Radio cannot lose. MRN and PRN cannot lose.
They will start talking about her today and continue until she leaves the sport.
It's instant free content.
JD
but JD, it's empty content! wth does that help? sure, it will be a fad for abit, but then it will die out. bad news all the way around, imo. btw, been computerless since last Thurs, so that's why you haven't heard anything from me. Glad to be back w/friends!
PammmmmmmmmmmH,
All she has to do is handle the media. She will get good cars from JRM and the field next season is not going to be the same.
We are still waiting for NASCAR to address the start and park issue like they said they would.
If she can tool around like she does in the IRL and get top tens, she is golden.
You saw what ESPN did for her when Ryan McGee broke the story of her going with JRM last month. This is going to be a hype festival for sure.
Be wild if she winds up being a nice person who just like to drive. The IRL has a way of making folks mean.
JD
To get back to Richard in NC's point, what about qualifying for races? Does she have to or do they have a provisional they can fall back on?
Damon, we won't know how JRM will have the cars aligned until tomorrow.
Re Danica having to qual for the races. JRM is 3rd in owner points. She's driving the 88 correct?
Oh okay, thanks JD
As for Danica running ARCA/Nationwide races next year, it's a simple equation.
IRL = lousy ratings and very little attention other than Indy
Nascar= More racing opportunities, bigger fanbase and more TV coverage, potentially more money too.
Should be interesting to see how she does, but I'll be rooting for her to do well, just as I have the last 5 years in Indycar.
This is one bus I won't be taking. I'm not even on the 'Junior Nation' bus. I can take or leave Danica Patrick and I not looking forward to the constant media coverage about her we are going to be bombarded with next season, either.
Dot,
The 7, which is why I asked about the 88 and if they could transfer points.
We'll see just how much stuff that Go Daddy money can buy on Tuesday.
@ Damon, I didn't realize a different car number.
I'll bet you a dollar she gets the 3rd place OPs. There is no way she is going to want to time in every week. Nor would JRM want that pressure either.
Danica, no matter how pretty one thinks she is, including herself, is not that good of a driver in the series she is now in. She has in no way proven anything except that her temper gets the best of her. She will crumble under the pressure of knowing that the Real Drivers do not show sympathy to her on or off the tracks. She needs to be in a magazine as a model perhaps,, but not in any series that NASCAR has to offer.
She does serve one useful purpose to who ever she signs with though, her ability to bring dollars of a sponsor who is looking to make headlines, not as a winner,, bet just due to her woManhood!
I was presuming Kelly Bires would drive the 88 and get its points, but I see now that they don't have full sponsorship yet for Bires. Maybe DP and Bires will share the 88 and therefore DP would be guaranteed a spot for the first 5 races.
Dot, they could enter the car as the 7 with the 88's points. It really is no big deal at all. JRM still doesn't know if they are going to even run 1 car full time. They may have 2 partial runs.
If the 7 gets the 88's points then I feel bad for Bires but being GOGH won't be too big an issue since Jr will probably run Daytona since he has sponsorship for it and has a provisional. So that covers Daytona....
Anyways, worst kept secret in the world...I care more about Kyle Busch's press conference on Friday than I do this. oooo...GoDaddy #7...Danica running part time with JRM....no new news at all. The KBM stuff will at least have some twists in it.
Bevo covered it though. Danica is darned if she does and darned if she doesn't. All the people lining their pockets off her coattails will win sadly.
Let me know when it is all said and done. I don't have any more interest in what may or may not happen. When speedweeks starts and she straps in for practice and qualifying, then I will tune in. Until then, I have better things to do.
Danica wow this is going to be interesting!!!! I hope she brings more fans in heck the nationwide series needs it latley the crowds have been way off when It comes to the Nationwide series so this is welcomed im sure by Nascar!!! UNDER 10 WEEKS TILL DAYTONA WOOOOOOOOOO
I guess we'll see if she is a real driver or an overhyped pretty face. I hope she does well so we won't be constantly shown a mid to back pack car going in circles.
She will be in the same situation as Jr. is in in the Cup Series. She will have the best of everything and if she doesn't do well, there will be no excuse.
Always remember that money talks and bs walks. I am sorry but I don't see hwere she brings anything to the table here. A mid pack open wheel driver driving for a mid level NASCAR driver, it's like who really cares.
I wonder what the reaction is from the guys in the fab shop at JRM? They could be real busy next year.
She is going to get "punted" more times than a football in an Oakland Raiders game
Get used to the wall and the garage Danica
This is a TERRIBLE career move
I'm FAR more interested in Kyle Busch's Truck presser on Fri.
Like I said many times, just curious to see how Danica'll do, no different than any other "outside" driver attempting stock cars. I hate the hype, but I'm betting JRM is grateful for the incoming $$ since Jr was pretty down about those prospects the other day.
If, however, she is somewhat successful, maybe a bit more wall breaking for the young ladies out there with true talent for this form of racing, like Chrissy Wallace and Johanna Long to name two.
PS Joey Logano has more talent in his racing pinky than Danica has in the whole upper half of her body.
Well I think this is good for the NW series and racing in general. She'll bring the fans and the bucks to buy merchandise. When I was very young (I barely remember it!) I was never encouraged like her family has done and helped her with racing so I think it's great for her. I'm sure she'll spin and wreck alot and they'll surely be a contest between her and JWT on who will wreck the most! Go get 'em DP.
I'll look at Mrs Barnums skills
when she finally takes a green flag.
Yawn! Wake me up when she actually does something on the track.
I'm looking forward to her coming to Nascar and Arca. Never really watched Arca before but plan to this coming year, just to see if I can watch some racing. Something Nascar can't seem to provide anymore.
Danica will struggle with the heavier cars and less downforce. Most likely, she will wreck a lot also.
I remember another driver in the 1990's who was a wreck-fest his first year. The #24 car. Not compairing Patrick to Gordon here, but she deserves a chance before labled. One person here said "Goodbye Nationwide" due to this announcent. That's nuts. Just root against her.
Danica will be a breath of fresh air in what has become a cigar filled backroom stogy sport.
Is this an online announcement only ??... or is TV picking it up as well ?
Did GoDaddy specify "online only" or did TV not want to air the announcement ?
The way that I look at it: Anything that is going to get more followers to the sport, as long as it doesn't take away from the basic premise of the sport, that I love is a plus. Every year for whatever reason, the viewership of the sport has been a challenge to retain. Because of the dominance of the four-peat with Jimmie Johnson, it hasn't help to keep the competition going. We need more competition and interest in the sport!
Annnndddddd..... we thought the JJ, #48, & "50 Yr Old Mark Martin" hype was bad. We haven't seen nothing yet !!!
I'm making sure my remote control batteries are fresh. click
What a waste of bandwidth. 18 minutes late and then no new news other than she hasn't set foot in a "stock" car in 7 or 8 years.
majorshouse said...
A MID PACK OPEN WHEEL DRIVER driving for a mid level NASCAR driver, it's like who really cares.
December 8, 2009 5:37 AM
Oh...Please tell me more WISE ONE
2009 Standings
RANK DRIVER POINTS BEHIND WINS POLES TOP 5 TOP 10
1 Dario Franchitti 616 --- 5 5 13 15
2 Scott Dixon 605 -11 5 1 12 14
3 Ryan Briscoe 604 -12 3 4 13 13
4 Helio Castroneves 433 -183 2 1 7 10
5 Danica Patrick 393 -223 0 0 5 10
6 Tony Kanaan 386 -230 0 0 5 10
7 Graham Rahal 385 -231 0 1 5 9
8 Marco Andretti 380 -236 0 0 2 11
9 Justin Wilson 354 -262 1 1 3 7
10 Dan Wheldon 354 -262 0 0 3 9
11 Hideki Mutoh 353 -263 0 0 4 8
12 Ed Carpenter 321 -295 0 0 1 6
13 Raphael Matos 312 -304 0 0 0 8
14 Mario Moraes 304 -312 0 0 3 6
15 Ryan Hunter-Reay 298 -318 0 0 2 3
16 Robert Doornbos 283 -333 0 0 0 5
17 Mike Conway 261 -355 0 0 1 3
18 E.J. Viso 248 -368 0 0 0 1
19 Will Power 215 -401 1 2 4 6
20 Tomas Scheckter 195 -421 0 0 0 3
21 Oriol Servia 115 -501 0 0 1 3
22 Alex Tagliani 114 -502 0 0 0 3
23 Paul Tracy 113 -503 0 0 0 3
24 Milka Duno 113 -503 0 0 0 0
25 Sarah Fisher 89 -527 0 0 0 0
26 Jaques Lazier 77 -539 0 0 0 0
27 Richard Antinucci 63 -553 0 0 0 0
28 Vitor Meira 62 -554 0 0 0 1
29 Stanton Barrett 62 -554 0 0 0 0
30 Alex Lloyd 41 -575 0 0 0 1
31 Darren Manning 38 -578 0 0 0 1
32 Townsend Bell 32 -584 0 0 1 1
33 A.J. Foyt IV 26 -590 0 0 0 0
34 Scott Sharp 16 -600 0 0 0 0
35 Nelson Philippe 16 -600 0 0 0 0
36 Kosuke Matsuura 13 -603 0 0 0 0
37 Roger Yasukawa 12 -604 0 0 0 0
38 John Andretti 12 -604 0 0 0 0
39 Franck Montagny 12 -604 0 0 0 0
40 Davey Hamilton
The article on this subject over at Motorsport.com has an interesting quote attributed to Brian France: "She has a lot of talent and would be good for NASCAR...I've told her that directly."
I'm hoping for the best, but now I'll definately be on the watch for preferential treatment from NASCAR.
(source: http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=353494 )
Well, I stand by what I said... goodbye Nationwide.
With Shrubba Dubba, Carl, and now Ms. PRTrick (and the fact that my favorite regulars seem to disappoint) no need to watch.
BTW- read that the 5 will become the 7, not the 88.
If she can't get it done in IRL, she won't get it done in NASCAR. I think there are a lot more deserving drivers out there. Hopefully, the inevitable rabid interest will die out pretty quickly. I predict she'll be spending a lot of time behind the wall. Too bad she won't have Target sponsorship on her car, because that's how she'll probably be treated.
I don't think shes gonna do that good in the cup cars. Shes an average driver in the Indy series. I hope drivers dont back down to her.
Big props to ESPN's Ryan McGee. Everything they said today he and Marty Smith reported a month ago.
FYI - Danica PC on ESPN News right now
Note to ESPN News: If you're going to bother showing Danica's press conference from today, at least show the parts where she's speaking.
These clowns showed the opening part with Bob Parsons speaking, then Kelley Earnhardt and that was that.
Just read that Tony Stewart will be partial owner of Danica's car, along with JRM.
Bevo, she may have good cars, but I had to laugh when you said Jr would be mentoring her. With how poorly he's been doing in his Cup car, there's not much mentoring to be had.
Danica runs in a watered-down series with maybe 20 other cars. That series has only 4 drivers that you can call totally talented. She drives in 17 races a season, that are fairly spread out, not one weekend after another. She drives a car that is 1600lbs compared to 3500 for Nascar, a car that's easier to handle and gives telemetry via computer. She doesn't have to know one darn thing about the car---the computer does it all. She'll have none of that in Nascar and she'll have to be the one giving information to her crew chief and team. Don't know if she's smart enough to handle that.
I remember Tony Stewart was asked what the difference was between handling a Nascar and an open wheel car, and his answer was interesting. He said to the effect , roll a tennis ball---that represents an IRL car--real fast down the end of the straightaway at Indy and have someone standing in turn one. Tell that person to bend over and push the tennis ball so it will turn in turn one. Now, do the same, but use a 16lb bowling ball--that represents a Nascar. Now see how much harder it is to push that bowling ball into the corner in turn one. That's the difference between handling an open wheel car and a Nascar.
Scott Goodyear was interviewed and he came right out and said he didn't think she'd succeed. He said that being in two such different kinds of cars will be tough for her, and he knows from personal experience that your skills diminish when you're trying to do both. He said he saw Sam Hornish's skills greatly diminish when he was still in IRL full time and was dabbling in Nascar. He said the same will happen to Danica, but will be even more exposed because he doesn't feel her skills are all that great to begin with.
Also count me in with the people who are more interested in the Kyle Busch press conference on Friday. A real racer, with real talent who is actually helping a Nascar series.
Little has been said about DP's occasionally having gotten riled up. You can't go bumping much in Indycar, but I'll bet it's not more than 3 NW races before she puts someone who deserves it into the wall, and not by accident. Give her fenders and a bumper, and this could be interesting...
Well,
Danica made her announcement on streaming web.
What did GMA not have time for her today?
I don't think that she'll even make the first year of real competition.
A flash in the pan, after her first real wreck, she'll grinch and complain and of course blame someone else.
Then gone. Maybe GMA will cover that.
I don't remember who, but someone wrote a very interesting article toward the end of the Chase this year pointing out that the first 5 or 6 drivers in the Chase had run a total among them of just 4 or 6 N-wide races in 2009, while the bottom 6 drivers in the Chase had run a total of 60 or 80 N-wide races in 2009. Maybe there could be a "confusion" factor in trying to compete in 2 very different series?
Post a Comment