June 29, 2009
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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Rumors have been swirling lately about Danica Patrick. Earlier in the year, her name was mentioned as a candidate for a seat on the newly formed American Formula One team that will begin operations in 2010. Now that she is in the midst of contract negations with Andretti Green Racing, Patrick has allowed that moving to NASCAR is a possibility, but has stated nothing definite. According to other reports, Patrick could be racing for Chip Ganassi in the IRL next season.
Danica Patrick is the face of the Indy Racing League, and losing her would be a serious blow to the open wheel series. Patrick is the only woman to have won an IRL race, that coming in Japan on a fuel strategy win. She led the Indianapolis 500 in 2005, something no woman had done before, nearly winning it. Patrick has run strong in the IRL this year, finished 3rd at Indy and is currently 5th in the IRL standings.
Yet, could she make the switch from open wheel racing to stock car racing, as many have tried, but only a few have succeeded at? Sam Hornish, a multiple time champion in the IRL and now driving the 77 car in NASCAR for Penske racing, has struggled since moving to stock cars. Dario Franchitti made a foray into NASCAR, but has since gone back to the IRL.
The only driver to succeed completely in making the transition is Tony Stewart, who won the IRL championship in 1997, has since won two Championships in NASCAR and is the current point leader and favorite to win this year’s championship.
Juan Pablo Montoya, one of the premier racers in the world, left Formula One to come to NASCAR. He has struggled in his three seasons behind the wheel of a stock car and recently offered a bit of advice to Danica Patrick.
“They're so different to drive. It's not the same feeling. When you drive an open-wheel car on an oval you have the grip, you turn the wheel and it turns, you get on it and it goes and you get on the brakes and it stops,” Montoya was quoted as saying in a David Caraviello article on nascar.com. “This, it goes more with the momentum. You've got to give time to the car and you've got to get used to the feeling that you've got to go fast when the car doesn't feel right… If she comes I'm sure she can do it but it doesn't matter if you come to a winning team or anything, it's going to take time."
Still, Patrick would be a success in NASCAR, whether she wins races or not.
“She would have a huge impact on NASCAR,” Humpy Wheeler, former president of Lowe’s Motor Speedway, said in a New York Times article. “Sixty percent of the NASCAR crowd is male, and they like the current drivers, but there’s not any pretty ones out there.”
Her exposure and popularity would increase exponentially if she moved to NASCAR; she would be a sponsor’s dream. Chances are that she would give Dale Earnhardt Jr., a run for his money as NASCAR’s most popular driver.
In a time when ticket sales are down due to the economy, Patrick would be a draw to get fans in the seats. How many other drivers have appeared in a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue or graced the pages of FHM magazine?
If Patrick wishes to win races and have a legitimate chance to compete for a championship, she should remain in the IRL. With the competition level like it is in the Cup series, there is no way she would be an instant success on the track. Besides, unless a Cup team was willing to take a chance and give her a ride, it would probably take several years for her to move up through the ranks. More than likely, she would not even consider making the jump unless she was able to go directly to Cup.
Still, it would be interesting to have her in NASCAR. No woman has ever competed a full season in NASCAR, much less won a race. Could she accomplish such a feat? It seems that now days, nothing is impossible.
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