March 2, 2010
By Allen Madding
After an “also ran” showing at California, Danica Patrick seemed to be set for a repeat of California’s performance this weekend in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas. Patrick’s qualifying time was not sufficient to secure a spot in the field. Had it not been for the Car Owner’s points, she would have watched the race from the infield.
Fortunately, the owner’s points secured her a 37th starting spot. After watching qualifying and the weekend’s practice sessions, it would have been hard to find anyone that would have placed a bet on Patrick’s chances of pulling off a top ten finish. But something clicked for the IndyCar Series driver during the Sam’s Town 300, her third NASCAR Nationwide Series race of her career.
At one point, Patrick went a lap down to race leader Kevin Harvick. Harvick took the opportunity to help the rookie driver and signaled out the window for her to move up to the high groove around Las Vegas Speedway to improve her lap times. Patrick took the advice and slowly worked her way through traffic in the JR Motorsports No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet. The higher racing line coupled with pit stop strategy had her running in third place after 67 laps. She spent several laps racing with eventual race winner, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Carl Edwards.
CIA Stock Photos
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Harvick Points The Way For Patrick
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On lap 84, Patrick attempted to pass the slower, damaged, lap car of Michael McDowell entering turn two, and McDowell turned down on her, eliminating both cars from the event. McDowell took full responsibility for the crash although it appeared to simply be an issue of unfamiliarity and miscommunication between the two drivers.
Bear in mind, NASCAR drivers rely on hand signals and have for years – something not used in the IndyCar Series. True, McDowell and his spotter bear the major responsibility of giving a lead car the room to pass. But, chances are Patrick’s unfamiliarity with NASCAR drivers’ hand signals and means of communication on the track could very well have a piece to play in the collision.
Additionally, Patrick had just returned to the track after taking on four new “sticker” tires and the closing rate between the two cars was extremely fast and played a part as well. Rest assured, both McDowell and Patrick learned something from the contact.
Patrick ended with a 36th place finish. The shame in the whole deal is that Patrick has just begun to show a flicker of light behind the wheel of a NASCAR stock car but now returns to the IndyCar Series and will not return to NASCAR until June.
This weekend she started to get it. She started to understand how hard the car could be pushed and how to get a stock car around an intermediate track. At one point during the event, the team reported that she was turning the fastest laps of the day.
What Danica Patrick needs after this past weekend’s race at Las Vegas is this weekend’s race at Atlanta. She needs to be able to take everything she learned this past weekend and put it to use this coming weekend while it is still fresh in her mind to be able to continue to build her experience and acquire her comfort level in 3,500 pound stock cars.
One has to wonder if the lessons learned this past weekend in Las Vegas will go stale for her by the time she returns to the NASCAR Nationwide Series at New Hampshire.
Will this weekend’s experience be obvious upon her return or will it be more like starting over from scratch? Only time will tell.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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