February 6, 2012
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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The new NASCAR season hasn't officially started yet and won't until the Daytona 500 on February 26th and Danica Patrick is already making her impact felt in the series.
She has only run a few Nationwide races so far during her short stockcar career and is already one of the most popular and recognizable drivers behind only Dale Earnhardt Jr.
This year marks the eighth straight that Patrick's sponsor, GoDaddy, has run Super Bowl commercials and the sixth year that she has been appearing in them. She starred in two ads for the company during last night's game. All told, Patrick has appeared in ten Super Bowl commercials, which is more than any other celebrity. That may not seem like such an accomplishment on the surface, but it speaks volumes for her popularity and the exposure that she brings to NASCAR.
Imagine what would happen if she were to win a race this season. Yet, even if she doesn't win, she still draws attention because of the name that she has made for herself and for being a female in a male dominated sport.
She surprised a lot of people when it was announced that she wouldn't race in the Indianapolis 500 this year and would instead compete in NASCAR at Charlotte that weekend. The move showed the strength of her commitment to NASCAR.
"I'm going to do the Coke 600. I'm not going to do the Indy 500. I hope to do it in the future, the Indy 500, that is. Maybe it will be a double," Patrick was quoted as saying at a press conference as part of the Stewart Haas Media Tour. "But at this point in time after a lot of conversations, it's just going to be the Coke 600. It's going to be a big challenge, but I'm looking forward to it, and especially a hometown like Charlotte for NASCAR."
The news broke last week that Patrick would be guaranteed a starting spot in the Daytona 500 by virtue of a deal worked with Tommy Baldwin Racing. Transferring owner points between drivers and teams is something that happens quite frequently in NASCAR, so it should be no surprise. Since Patrick is only running ten Cup races this season, David Reutimann will drive the No. 10 car the remaining twenty-six.
Regardless of her popularity, this season will still largely be a learning experience for her. However, she has set some pretty high goals for herself.
"I think that first starting out with the Nationwide stuff, very much it depends on the individual weekend itself," Patrick said at the press conference. "There are still some tracks that I haven't raced at before, so probably a little bit different expectations for those. But for the most part, solid top-10. Getting into the top-five more consistently through the year would be a goal, and I'd like to get to victory lane."
Even if she doesn't make it to Victory Lane, just improving upon the already impressive results that she posted in Nationwide last season will a great step forward. Her popularity will grow by leaps and bounds and NASCAR will grow along with it.
Whether fans like her or not, the presence of such a polarizing figure in the sport is a boon for NASCAR.
One thing is for certain, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is going to have to step up his performance this season because that Most Popular Driver Award that he has become accustomed to taking home for the past nine years is not looking all that secure anymore.
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