GoDaddy.com (10 races) is scheduled to be the sponsor at the following races in 2012 when Danica Patrick drives the car:
Daytona - 2/26
Darlington - 5/12
Charlotte - 5/29
Bristol - 8/25
Atlanta - 9/2
Chicago - 9/16
Dover - 9/30
Texas - 11/4
Phoenix - 11/11
1 race TBA - Indy? 7/29

Accell Construction (6 races) is scheduled to be the sponsor at the following races in 2012:
Phoenix - 3/4
Las Vegas - 3/11
Auto Club - 3/25
Martinsville - 4/1
Texas - 4/14
Kansas - 4/22

Contract Status: Driver: 201?; Primary Sponsor: 201?

Tommy Baldwin Racing to Run Sprint Showdown: Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) will compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Sprint Showdown this weekend. Looking for some important track time, TBR will utilize the weekend to continue to build the team's 1.5-mile program. Due to commitments to his NASCAR K&N Pro Series team at Iowa Speedway, regular #36 driver Dave Blaney will not compete in the event. Tony Raines will get behind the wheel of the #36 Chevy and help the team get practice time at the 1.5-mile speedway. David Reutimann will also return to the #10 Chevy for the event. "As we grow as a team, it is extremely important that we take any time we can to gain information for our program," said Tommy Baldwin. "Originally, we were going to take the week off to catch up in the shop, but we feel that we are in a position to gain more from running the race." Blaney will return to the #36 TBR Chevy for the Coca-Cola 600.(TBR)(5-15-2012)

Danica gets new spotter: UPDATE: #10-Danica Patrick will have a new spotter for Saturday's Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway in Tab Boyd, a former spotter for Juan Pablo Montoya and an employee at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Boyd will replace Mark Robertson as Patrick makes her second Cup start of the season. "That was definitely something that I've been thinking a lot about the last couple of months," Patrick said Thursday during a promotion for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "As a driver you just need to have someone on the radio that you click with. Everybody needs something different. For me, I need someone ... I'm going to say, almost drive the car. Like, tell me you're turning in too early, tell me be patient with the throttle; OK, pick it up. I need somebody that is familiar with those patterns, because I'm not." Patrick will remain with Truck Series driver Rick Carelli as her Nationwide spotter. Carelli spotted for Regan Smith last year when he won the Cup race at Darlington.(ESPN), no word on Montoya's new spotter.(5-10-2012)
UPDATE: Boyd spotted for Juan Pablo Montoya the past few seasons but was replaced on the stand by Jeff Dickerson at the start of the season.(Fox Sports)(5-11-2012)

Danica gets new spotter: #10-Danica Patrick will have a new spotter for Saturday's Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway in Tab Boyd, a former spotter for Juan Pablo Montoya and an employee at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Boyd will replace Mark Robertson as Patrick makes her second Cup start of the season. "That was definitely something that I've been thinking a lot about the last couple of months," Patrick said Thursday during a promotion for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "As a driver you just need to have someone on the radio that you click with. Everybody needs something different. For me, I need someone ... I'm going to say, almost drive the car. Like, tell me you're turning in too early, tell me be patient with the throttle; OK, pick it up. I need somebody that is familiar with those patterns, because I'm not." Patrick will remain with Truck Series driver Rick Carelli as her Nationwide spotter. Carelli spotted for Regan Smith last year when he won the Cup race at Darlington.(ESPN)(5-10-2012)

Danica Patrick joining Coca-Cola Racing Family: #10-Danica Patrick will be introduced as the first female member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family during a Thursday news conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 30-year-old fulltime Nationwide Series driver and part-time Sprint Cup driver joins current CCRF members Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart. Patrick will be directly branded with Coke Zero. Among her first promotional appearances wil be at the Coca-Cola 600 weekend at CMS to promote the adventure movie "Battleship'' with one of the movie's stars, Brooklyn Decker. She also will compete in the 600 as the third of her 10 Cup races this season. "To be with Coca-Cola is one of those things you only dream about as a driver," Patrick told ESPN.com. "A lot of legendary drivers have been a part of the Coke family, so I feel very fortunate."(ESPN)(5-10-2012)

Reutimann moves to the #93 at Darlington: David Reutimann will return behind the wheel of the #93 BK Racing Toyota this week at Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles' Southern 500. Reutimann raced the season-opening Daytona 500 with BK Racing, but has driven the balance of 2012 events with Tommy Baldwin Racing. Travis Kvapil will return to drive the #93 Burger King/Dr Pepper car next week at Charlotte. Reutimann has five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Darlington. He scored his best finish (11th) in 2010. In NASCAR Nationwide Series competition, Reutimann has three starts, with a best finish of third (2008).(Breaking Limits/BK Racing)(5-9-2012)

Patrick to be 3rd woman to run Cup at Darlington: With David Reutimann's 22nd-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway, Danica Patrick and the #10 car have officially made the field for Saturday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. The #10 car, which sits 33rd in owner points after Talladega, secures Patrick in the field based on NASCAR automatically giving the top 35 cars a spot in the starting field without having to race their way in on qualifying time. Patrick will be just the third woman to ever compete in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway, joining Shawna Robinson in 2002 and Janet Guthrie in 1977. Robinson and Guthrie finished 42nd and 16th in those races, respectively. Patrick will also make her debut at Darlington on Friday in the NASCAR Nationwide Series VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200.(Darlington Raceway)(5-8-2012)

TMone joins Reutimann at Dega: TMone will go superspeedway racing with David Reutimann and Tommy Baldwin Racing at Talladega Superspeedway. The U.S. Call Center Insourcing firm will have associate placement on the #10 TBR Chevrolet in the Aaron's 499. TMone partnered with the TBR #36 Chevy in Daytona and Texas this season. TMone has been one of Inc. Magazine's Fastest Growing Private Companies for the last five years. Since its inception in 2003, TMone's diverse capabilities, operational expertise and results driven culture provide clients with best in class infrastructure while addressing the cost pressures associated with complex business processes such as account management and inside business-to-business sales services.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(5-6-2012)

Patrick has no backup plan for Darlington qualifying: How concerned is #10-Danica Patrick about the possibility of having to qualify on speed at Darlington? Not enough to have considered a backup plan if the #10 Chevy she shares with David Reutimann remains outside the top 35 in owner points. Patrick is scheduled to run 10 Cup races this season. Her first was the Daytona 500, where she fell victim to a crash on Lap 2. Her second scheduled race is the May 12 Southern 500 at Darlington. When Patrick drives the Cup car, Stewart-Haas Racing prepares it. When Reutimann drives the #10 Chevy, the car is fielded by Tommy Baldwin Racing, the idea being that Reutimann will keep the car in the top 35 in owner points and thereby exempt from qualifying on speed. On April 1 at Martinsville, however, the car fell one position outside the top 35 despite Reutimann's controversial efforts to nurse a wounded car to the finish -- controversial because the car lost power, stopped on the frontstretch and caused a caution that changed the complexion of the race. Because the #10 is currently only one point behind the #83 BK Racing Toyota driven by Landon Cassill, Patrick isn't particularly concerned about her car's owner points position -- for now. "I feel pretty confident in the car and Tommy Baldwin to get it in the top 35," Patrick said Thursday before practice for Friday's O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. "They're a great group, and they're working really hard. We haven't talked about a backup plan, but there's always that backup plan that, if you have to qualify, that's what you do."(NASCAR Wire Service)(4-13-2012)

Baldwin, Reutimann comment on late race caution: Team owner Tommy Baldwin walked through the garage toward the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hauler, summoned there by officials after one of his cars caused a race-altering caution near the end of Sunday's Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. In his hand, Baldwin carried a broken part wrapped in a white towel, and said driver David Reutimann did nothing wrong when he stopped on the track with three laps to go in the race. "He didn't have a choice (to stop)," said Baldwin, who owns the #10 car. "The steering broke and he couldn't get on pit road, and about 15 laps before that, he was complaining about the motor. It just happened at the same time. I mean, we just looked at it down there - it won't start, it won't do nothing. There's nothing we could have done." Reutimann's stalled car at the end of the frontstretch forced NASCAR to wave the yellow flag, which set up a late restart. Leaders Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson then spun out when Clint Bowyer made it three-wide into the first corner, and Ryan Newman ultimately won the race instead.(SB Nation)
AND Reutimann, meanwhile, blamed circumstances and faulty equipment for his problems that brought out the late caution that in turn led to the restart that became a disaster, in particular, for the Hendrick guys on a day when Gordon and Johnson combined to lead a total of 440 laps. "Number one, I just hate it," said Reutimann, who was black-flagged by NASCAR and finished 35th, 79 laps down. "I just hate that I was involved in anything that changed the complexion of the race so I've got to apologize to the guys that it affected. It broke a tie-rod or something like that. I was just trying to limp around there. We needed to finish next couple of laps to try to stay in the top 35 [in points]. "I know it sucks. I hate it for everybody that it affected, but I mean I can't get out and push the thing. You know, it shut off. It's that simple."(NASCAR.com)(4-2-2012)

Accell Construction sponsoring Reutimann in 3 races: Accell Construction made a three-race commitment with Tommy Baldwin Racing adding to the Oklahoma-based company's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series program. David Reutimann will pilot the # 10 Accell Construction Chevy at Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Accell Construction, an Oklahoma-based company, sponsored the # 10 Chevy at Phoenix International Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway. Continuing to see an increase in interest of the company, Accell Construction decided to extend their relationship with the NSCS team. The 20-year-old company also sponsored the TBR #36 Chevy for six primary events, as well as associate races, last season. Accell Construction, a full-service site civil contractor for the pipeline terminal and bulk storage industries, specializes in tank farm construction, tank foundations and other related site civil construction.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(3-29-2012)

Accell Construction Returns to the #10 TBR Chevy: Oklahoma-based Accell Construction will return to the Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) #10 Chevy this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. David Reutimann will drive the #10 Accell Construction Chevy in the Auto Club 400 Sunday, March 25th. Accell Construction adorned the hood of the #10 Chevy at Phoenix and Las Vegas this season. The 20-year-old company also partnered with TBR during the 2011 season. Continuing to see an increase in interest of the company, Accell Construction decided to extend their relationship with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team.(Tommy Baldwin Racing), see images of the scheme on the #10 Team Schemes page.(3-21-2012)

Danica to run in Stewart's Prelude: Danica Patrick has committed to drive in team owner Tony Stewart's Prelude to the Dream Late Model charity race at Eldora Speedway. Patrick said the June 6 event will be only her second time driving on dirt. The other was in a go-kart on a track outside of Charlotte Motor Speedway when she was about 14 years old. "I'm going into it with more of an attitude of having fun, enjoying myself and raising some money for kids and just kind of take it all in," Patrick said on Friday between Nationwide Series practices at Bristol Motor Speedway. "I realize I have zero experience and I have a lot of other things I need to put my focus in." Stewart hosts the annual event with superstars from NASCAR, NHRA and other forms of motorsports to raise money to help needy children.(ESPN), see more about the event, driver lineup, links and history on my Prelude to the Dream Charities page.(3-17-2012)

Tommy Baldwin Racing Partners with Tradebank: Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) entered into a partnership with privately held, international trade exchange company Tradebank. As part of the partnership, Tradebank will be the primary sponsor on the #10 Tradebank Chevy and David Reutimann in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Tradebank will partner with TBR to build exposure for the businesses within the Tradebank Network as well as seek more companies for their network. TBR will also work with Tradebank, the Consumers' Choice Award winner in the "Barter and Trade Exchange" category for the past 10 years, on opportunities to build a trade program within NASCAR. Tradebank is a privately held international trade exchange founded in 1987. Tradebank provides opportunities for business owners to barter their products and services to attract incremental business and improve cash flow.(TBR) , see an image of the scheme on the #10 Team Schemes page.(3-15-2012)

Accell Construction returns to the #10: Accell Construction will return to the #10 Accell Construction Chevy at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. David Reutimann will pilot the Tommy Baldwin Racing entry in the Kobalt Tools 400 Sunday, March 11th. Accell Construction, an Oklahoma-based company, sponsored the #10 Chevrolet at Phoenix International Raceway last weekend. Following the event, Accell Construction saw a spike in their bids for business. Seeing the return so quickly, the full-service civil contacting company decided to come back on board the #10 this weekend in Vegas. The 20-year-old company also sponsored the TBR #36 Chevy for six primary events, as well as associate races, last season.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(3-7-2012)

Accell Construction to sponsor Reutimann: Accell Construction, a 2011 Tommy Baldwin Racing sponsor, will return to the team in support of David Reutimann's TBR debut. Reutimann will pilot the #10 Accell Construction Chevy for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 Sunday, March 3. During the 2011 season, Accell Construction, an Oklahoma-based company, sponsored the #36 Chevy for six primary events, as well as associate races. Accell Construction, a full-service site civil contractor for the petroleum terminal and bulk storage industries, specializes in tank farm construction, tank foundations and other related site civil construction. The 20-year old company operates civil construction projects in numerous states across the U.S. Sunday will mark Reutimann's first start for TBR.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(3-2-2012)

Reutimann gets Daytona 500 ride: David Reutimann will drive the #93 Toyota for BK Racing in the Daytona 500. Todd Anderson, the former car chief at TRG Motorsports [the #71 team in 2011], will serve as crew chief for the team. Travis Kvapil will take over the driving duties in the #93 Toyota at Phoenix for the March 4 Sprint Cup race. BK Racing also announced last week that Landon Cassill will drive the #83 Toyota, starting in Daytona.(FoxSports)(2-14-2012)

Danica to appear in two Super Bowl ads: On Sunday, NASCAR will benefit from Danica Patrick's popularity when she appears in two GoDaddy.com Super Bowl commercials, giving her the unofficial distinction of being in more Super Bowl ads (10) than any other celebrity. You won't see Patrick in a stock car, but the sport will benefit because she's associated with driving in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series as much as she is with those edgy, sexy commercials. "Any time our sport is presented to new audiences on a broad scale, it is great for NASCAR," said Steve Phelps, NASCAR's chief marketing officer. The Super Bowl commercials give Patrick and the sport a bigger audience than it will have all season. The Nielsen Co. said 111 million people watched last year's game at any given time. That Patrick likely will be the only NASCAR driver featured during the three-hour-plus telecast speaks volumes.(ESPN)(2-4-2012)

Danica to get owner points from Baldwin? Reutimann in the #10? UPDATES: Danica Patrick will be a guaranteed starter in the 2012 Daytona 500, using owner points from Tommy Baldwin Racing. Multiple sources say a deal is nearly complete to make Patrick a guaranteed starter in Stewart Haas Racing's #10 Chevy in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season opener, using owner points accrued last season by driver Dave Blaney in TBR's #36 Chevy. Blaney will now be forced to qualify for the "Great American Race" on time. Patrick is scheduled to run approximately 10 Sprint Cup races this season, and TBR driver David Reutimann will run many of the events Patrick does not; also in the #10 machine. While Patrick will drive Stewart Haas cars purchased from Hendrick Motorsports in her 10 races, Reutimann will steer Baldwin's cars in his outings. TBR will reportedly receive technical and pit crew support from SHR as part of the deal.(Sirius Speedway)(1-30-2012)
UPDATE: Go ahead and pencil Danica Patrick into the Daytona 500 starting lineup. Stewart Haas Racing has finalized an alliance with Tommy Baldwin Racing that guarantees Patrick a starting spot in the Sprint Cup opener and keeps her #10 car on the track for the entire Cup schedule, team owner Tommy Baldwin said on Tuesday. Patrick will be locked into the Feb. 26 race with the owner's points accumulated last season by TBR driver Dave Blaney, who was 33rd. The top 35 in owner's points from last season are guaranteed a starting spot in the first five races, meaning Blaney now will have to qualify his way into the 500 field. Since Patrick is scheduled to compete in only 10 Cup races while participating fulltime in the Nationwide Series, TBR driver David Reutimann will drive the remaining 26 races in the 10 car. The goal is to keep the 10 locked into the top 35 so Patrick will be guaranteed a starting spot for the first five races of 2013 when she runs her first full Cup schedule. TBR will receive technical and pit crew support as a part of the deal. Baldwin said there were no conflicts with NASCAR or Chevrolet in having Patrick use Hendrick Motorsports engines as all the SHR cars do and Reutimann using Earnhardt-Childress Engines as all TBR cars do. Greg Zipadelli will remain the crew chief for Patrick's Cup races. Baldwin said he and Zipadelli will work with Reutimann in the other 26. Reutimann will not drive another TBR car in the non-Patrick races. Baldwin said this is all about getting Patrick "prepared for 2013."(ESPN.com)(1-31-2012)
UPDATE 2: Stewart-Haas Racing has entered into a collaborative partnership with Tommy Baldwin Racing where TBR will field the #10 GoDaddy.com Chevy for all 10 of Danica Patrick's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2012. The alliance guarantees a starting spot for Patrick in her Sprint Cup debut  the 54th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 26 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. TBR's #36 car, which finished the 2011 season 33rd in points, becomes the #10 for 2012. For the 26 races where Patrick is not scheduled to drive, David Reutimann will pilot the #10 car. TBR has sponsorship inventory available for these 26 races.(Stewart-Haas Racing)(1-31-2012)

Danica will run Coke 600; skip Indy 500: Danica Patrick has added the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to her 2012 Sprint Cup schedule, eliminating any possibility she will run in the Indianapolis 500. "I'm not going to do the Indy 500,'' the former IndyCar Series driver said on Monday to kick off the 2012 Sprint Media Tour. "I hope to do it in the future. Maybe it'll be a double. 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.'' Patrick, who is running a full Nationwide Series schedule at JR Motorsports and part-time Cup schedule for Stewart Haas Racing as she makes the transition from open wheel racing to stock cars, said it was a business decision to run NASCAR's longest race that is held on the same day as the 500 in May.(ESPN)(1-23-2012)

Danica informed Andretti she was leaving IndyCar a year ago: Andretti Autosport was far more prepared for the exodus of driver Danica Patrick than most anyone expected. At a preseason IndyCar test at Sebring International Raceway on Tuesday, team owner Michael Andretti said Patrick, as required by the terms of her final contract with his team, informed him early last year that she would not return. "January of '11 she had to let us know what she was doing for '12," Andretti said. "We purposely put it in the contract so in case she decided to leave, we had time. I'm glad we did that." Patrick signed a two-year deal with Andretti Autosport in 2009. It contained a mutual option for 2012. She asserted throughout the summer, with cover from Andretti, that her business team was exploring "all options," including returning to Andretti and IndyCar.(Sports Illustrated)(1-20-2012)

Several big name drivers still not locked into Daytona 500: The big question that continued throughout testing was whether or not Danica Patrick would be locked into the Daytona 500. Or Mark Martin. Or Trevor Bayne. It likely will be a few weeks before teams know the answer. With Red Bull Racing having closed, there could still be a deal done for the points earned by the #4 car (14th) and the #83 (25th) last year. If those points aren't used, next in line is the closed TRG Motorsports #71 car. If it does not enter and a deal is not done to use those points, next in line are the Wood Brothers #21 car (Trevor Bayne) and Robby Gordon Motorsports #7 car, which Gordon will drive in the Daytona 500. Among those looking for points are Stewart-Haas Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing. There has been speculation that Stewart Haas would put together a deal with Tommy Baldwin Racing, possibly for points from the #36 car (33rd in 2011 owner points) to be transferred to Patrick. But it also could include a partnership where TBR would field a #10 car for David Reutimann in the 26 races in which Patrick doesn't compete, thus allowing that car to continue to earn owner points all season. MWR attempted to purchase Red Bull for the points and equipment, but that deal fell through. Team co-owner Michael Waltrip said last week no final determination of which two of his three drivers would have the MWR points from 2011, but it is expected those would go to the two drivers competing for the drivers championship - #56-Martin Truex Jr. and #15-Clint Bowyer - while #55-Mark Martin would have to get in the race on speed. It appears that Richard Childress Racing will enter a fourth car for the Daytona 500 and use its points from the #33 car last year. That fourth car would only run a handful of races throughout the year, possibly with Austin Dillon for select events although RCR could put in a more experienced driver such as Elliott Sadler or Brian Vickers for the Daytona 500.(Scene Daily)(1-18-2012)

Baldwin & Stewart could work out owners points deal: Stewart Haas Racing needs points for #10-Danica Patrick, who will run a limited Cup schedule for the organization in 2012. Team co-owner Tony Stewart said last week the organization is still figuring out what it will do. The simplest option would be transfer the points of Tony Stewart to Patrick. Stewart could then rely on a past champion's provisional if for some reason he failed qualify for one of the first five races until the sixth race when 2012 owner points are used to determine the 35 guaranteed spots. The other benefit is that if qualifying gets rained out in any of the other races Patrick attempts during 2012, she gets in the race because she has owner points of a car that won in 2011. There has been speculation that SHR would put together a deal with Tommy Baldwin Racing, possibly for points from the #36 car (33rd in 2011 owner points) to be transferred to Patrick. But it also could include a partnership where TBR would field a #10 car for David Reutimann in the 26 races in which Patrick doesn't compete, thus allowing that car to continue to earn owner points all season. Team owner Tommy Baldwin, though, said last week that a deal SHR would be "news to me."(Scenedaily.com)(1-17-2012)

Stewart still looking at locking Patrick into Daytona 500 field: Defending Sprint Cup champion #14-Tony Stewart has not yet decided whether to assign his points from last season to teammate Danica Patrick to assure her entry in the Daytona 500. The top 35 drivers by points from the previous year are guaranteed entry into the first five races of the season. Patrick, who will attempt 10 Cup races in conjunction with her full Nationwide schedule, would otherwise need to earn a spot in the race by qualifying time or in qualifying races. "I think we're still trying to figure that equation out, but the good thing is looking on the sheet today, the car seems to have good speed," Stewart said. "I've got the utmost confidence that even in the worst case scenario that we've got the right driver that can get this car in the race, no problem. But we're working through that and trying to get that finalized and trying to figure out our options to make sure we give her the best opportunity to get in the Daytona 500 and get her all the experience that we can get her."(Sports Illustrated)(1-12-2012)

Danica gets a car chief: After 13 seasons with Roush Fenway Racing in a variety of roles, Todd Zeigler was looking for a new challenge. The 39-year-old native of Albion, Ind., joined Stewart-Haas Racing as the new car chief for #10-Danica Patrick on Tuesday. Zeigler will oversee the crew and supervise the setup of the car. He will report to Greg Zipadelli, who is serving as the interim crew chief this season along with his duties as competition director. A full-time crew chief is expected to be named later this year. Zeigler started as a tire changer with Roush Fenway Racing in 1998 and served as car chief for Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Jamie McMurray. Most recently he worked as the shop foreman with the #16 team after opting to get off the road crew. After Mike Lingerfelt was injured, Zeigler was asked to substitute and found himself going over the wall again. At the end of the 2011 season, Zeigler was asked to help rebuild the #16 team with driver Greg Biffle. He declined. The prospect for working with Stewart, NASCAR's reigning Sprint Cup champ, was too tempting.(FoxSports)(1-6-2012)

Zippy back with Stewart? UPDATE 4 as Competition Director: hearing that Greg Zipadelli, currently the crew chief for #20-Joe Logano, could be headed to Stewart-Haas Racing in the future. Greg Zipadelli would take over as the crew chief for #14-Tony Stewart, who he won two Sprint Cup titles with [2002, 2005]. Current #14 crew chief, Darian Grubb, would move into Bobby Hutchens old position of director of competition [NOTE: Grubb didn't and left the team and is now at JGR as #11-Hamlin's crew chief]. Hutchens and Stewart-Haas recently parted ways. Hutchins was Stewart-Haas Racing's Director of Competition and Stewart said they are looking for a replacement. Matt Borland was promoted to vice president of competition and is serving as Stewart-Haas Racing's interim director of competition. Stewart said recently that "once that position is filled, the director of competition will report to Matt."(6-21-2011)
See past denials and news on my #20 Team News page.
UPDATE 3 - Zipadelli Named Competition Director for Stewart-Haas Racing: Greg Zipadelli, winner of two championships and 34 victories as a crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been named competition director at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). He will work with Vice President of Competition Matt Borland and oversee the #14 and #39 teams, while also building the #10 team for which Danica Patrick will run a 10-race Sprint Cup schedule with in 2012. Zipadelli comes to SHR from Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) where he served as crew chief for the #20 team since 1999. It's where the 44-year-old from Berlin, Conn., began a 10-year tenure with Tony Stewart, the co-owner of SHR along with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. From 1999 through 2008, Zipadelli was Stewart's crew chief, with the duo winning Sprint Cup titles in 2002 and 2005 while claiming 33 victories and 10 poles. When Stewart left JGR following the 2008 season to form SHR, Zipadelli stayed and spent three years as the crew chief for Joey Logano, where he helped deliver Logano's first career Sprint Cup victory on June 28, 2009 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. "We're very proud to have Greg Zipadelli join Stewart-Haas Racing," said Stewart, the three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion. "Greg and I have a long and successful history together. I know him and he knows me, and we both know what it takes to build race teams. We took our time in searching for a competition director because it's an important role with a lot of responsibility. Greg knows all that goes into the job, understands the importance of teamwork and communication across all levels of the organization, and is ultimately someone I have a great deal of trust in."
The addition of Zipadelli to the SHR family is a reunion on two fronts  Stewart, of course, but also with Steve Addington, who spent 2004-2008 at JGR and is now Stewart's crew chief at SHR with the #14 team. (Tony Gibson serves as crew chief for the #39 team and driver Ryan Newman.)
"Joe Gibbs always says that you win with people, and Tony Stewart is a winner," Zipadelli said. "We won a lot together at Joe Gibbs Racing, and it was a sad day when he left. But Tony had an unbelievable opportunity with Stewart-Haas Racing, and he's obviously made the most of it. To become a part of what he's already built, but to do it in a new role with a new set of responsibilities, was a challenge I wanted. I really appreciate Joe and J.D. Gibbs for all that that they've given me over the years and for allowing me to seize this opportunity."(Stewart-Haas Racing)(12-16-2011)
AND And he'll get to continue for a bit as crew chief - running Patrick's team to prepare for her Daytona 500 debut in February. "That helps with the withdrawal of being off the box," said Zipadelli, who added he might crew chief all 10 of Patrick's Sprint Cup Series races next season if the right candidate is not available for the job.(Associated Press)(12-17-2011)

Danica Patrick announces 2012 Cup schedule and number: Tony Stewart announced Danica Patrick's slate of Sprint Cup races in 2012 and revealed her new car number and paint scheme. Patrick, a seven-year veteran of the IZOD IndyCar Series where she became the first woman in series history to win a race, is making the full transition to stock cars in 2012, competing in the entire NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule for JR Motorsports and a 10-race Sprint Cup schedule for SHR. Patrick's Sprint Cup debut will come in the 54th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 26 at Daytona International Speedway. Her remaining Sprint Cup races are as follows: May 12 -Darlington; Aug. 25 -Bristol; Sept. 2 - Atlanta; Sept. 16: Chicagoland; Sept. 30 - Dover; Nov. 4 - Texas; Nov. 11 - Phoenix. Two Sprint Cup races are to be determined, with the plan being to assess Patrick's development in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series as the season progresses and then choose the remaining venues based on need and competitive reasoning. In addition to the schedule, Stewart and Patrick also took the wraps off the GoDaddy.com Chevy Patrick will race for SHR in Sprint Cup. The bright green machine will feature the #10, which Patrick used throughout her early racing career in karting before moving to Europe where she competed in Formula Ford and Formula Vauxhall - stepping-stone divisions to Formula 1.(TrueSpeed Communications), see images of the #10 GoDaddy.com car on the 2012 #10 Team Schemes page.(11-4-2011)

Eury Jr won't be Danica's Cup crew chief: Tony Eury Jr. says he will be the crew chief for Danica Patrick in the Nationwide Series at JR Motorsports but not in her limited Sprint Cup Series schedule at Stewart-Haas Racing. Eury said no decision has been made on Patrick's crew chief for eight to 10 Cup races, but didn't rule out that SHR might fill that role with somebody already in the company. One possibility could be vice president of competition Matt Borland, who was the crew chief for Ryan Newman when he won the Cup rookie of the year award in 2002. Owner Tony Stewart has been looking for a full-time director of competition since Bobby Hutchens was released earlier in the year. As for Patrick's Cup schedule, Eury has suggested she go to tracks where she hasn't been in her two years of a limited Nationwide schedule. Among his suggestions are Martinsville, Pocono and Sonoma. Eury said if it were up to him he wouldn't begin with the Daytona 500 because Patrick already has run several Nationwide races there and knows what she can do. "She'd be better off going somewhere to help her down the line,'' Eury said.(ESPN)(10-15-2011)

Danica waiting on 2012 Schedules to be released for Cup races to be decided: Danica Patrick, who is moving to NASCAR's Nationwide Series full time in 2012, said Friday her limited Sprint Cup schedule wouldn't be determined until NASCAR released next year's schedule in its entirety. "Go Daddy's input is important (in determining the schedule) and they'll play a part, but they're also respectful enough to understand that I'm the driver and the team owners are drivers, too, and they're not NASCAR professionals necessarily" Patrick said about her sponsor. "Taking the advice of those around me who have been in the sport for a long time, they realize that's the smart thing to do, too, and they don't stand in the way." When Patrick discussed her limited Cup schedule with team owner Tony Stewart, he suggested going to the tougher tracks, such as Darlington, Dover or Bristol, so she could start learning them. "That means I'm really going to look like crap out there," Patrick said with a laugh. Patrick expects her schedule to come together rather quickly once NASCAR has released the 2012 Sprint Cup dates.(RacinToday)(9-10-2011)

Robby Gordon will not give up #7 for Danica: Robby Gordon says he won't give Danica Patrick the #7 when she enters the Sprint Cup series part-time next season. "C'mon!'' Gordon said on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. "Why would I?'' Patrick said on Thursday, when officially announcing plans to leave the IndyCar Series to drive a fulltime Nationwide Series schedule for JR Motorsports and part-time Cup schedule for Stewart Haas Racing in 2012, that she'd like to keep the #7 that she's had throughout her motorsports career. Gordon, who has had the number for six years in Cup, isn't willing to bargain. "'I've built my business around the # 7,'' Gordon said. "It's all fun and games, but I think she should be proud to drive the #77.'' The 77 could be available. It hasn't been used for a full Cup schedule since Sam Hornish Jr. lost his ride at Penske Racing after the 2010 season.(ESPN)(8-27-2011)

Stewart looking for driver to split ride with Danica: Tony Stewart is searching for a driver and sponsor that will split the 2012 Sprint Cup schedule with Danica Patrick, who announced on Thursday she will drive eight to 10 races next year for Stewart-Haas Racing. The purpose would be to keep Patrick's car ranked in the top 35 in points, guaranteeing her and sponsor GoDaddy.com a spot in the starting lineup each week. "We'd love to,'' Stewart said Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. "If we can put together a package to run somebody in the rest of the races we'd love to do that. It's in everybody's best interest to do that. It would be good for us as a team to be able to go ahead and run that car full-time if that opportunity presents itself.'' Among the drivers who have surfaced is Mark Martin, who is driving the GoDaddy.com Cup car for Hendrick Motorsports this season. Sources said the key for Martin would be finding a sponsor. GoDaddy.com CEO and founder Bob Parsons was noncommittal when asked if he would sponsor the remainder of the season for the third SHR car. Stewart said he has not set Patrick's Cup schedule yet, although Patrick said the odds of her debut coming in the 2012 Daytona 500 were good.(ESPN)(8-26-2011)

Latest on Danica...to NASCAR in 2012: UPDATES - Official Announcement: Danica Patrick next week will formally announce her intent to move to NASCAR full-time in 2012, multiple sources with knowledge of her contract negotiations told ESPN. Although her contracts are still being finalized, Patrick -- who has raced in both the IndyCar Series and the Nationwide series this season and last season -- will drive the #7 GoDaddy.com Chevy for the entire 2012 Nationwide Series schedule for JR Motorsports, sources said. She also plans to enter select Sprint Cup races next season in cars prepared by Stewart-Haas Racing, with the intent to move to Sprint Cup full-time in a multiyear deal with Stewart-Haas in 2013, sources said. Patrick is expected to make the announcement in Phoenix, where GoDaddy.com is headquartered, in a news conference currently being arranged, according to sources. JR Motorsports representatives said Wednesday they have "nothing new to report." It is unknown at this time how this may affect Patrick's ability to compete in the 2012 Indianapolis 500, sources said.(ESPN)(8-17-2011)
UPDATE: The news conference that tentatively was scheduled for Wednesday to announce the move of IndyCar Series star Danica Patrick to NASCAR full-time in 2012 has been postponed.Multiple sources said GoDaddy.com, which is planning the official announcement in Phoenix, is optimistic the news conference will be rescheduled for Thursday. Sources told ESPN.com it was postponed because of delays in dealing with multiple parties involved in the process. According to sources, Patrick will drive a full-time Nationwide Series schedule in 2012 for JR Motorsports, for whom she drove part-time this season and last. She also will drive a part-time Sprint Cup schedule for Stewart-Haas Racing, with an eye on a full-time Cup ride there in 2013.(ESPN)(8-24-2011)
UPDATE 2: Danica Patrick will make her debut in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series in the 2012 Daytona 500. While Patrick does not plan to run a full Cup schedule until 2013, she will do eight to 10 Cup races next year with Stewart-Haas Racing, beginning with the Daytona 500, a source familiar with the announcement said Wednesday night. Patrick will run her Nationwide schedule, as she has the past two seasons, with JR Motorsports and all Cup races will be run out of SHR. GoDaddy.com will sponsor all of Patrick's NASCAR races, sources said.(Charlotte Observer)
UPDATE 3: Putting the pedal to the media metal, and with Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons at her side & Danica revealed her racing future today. "We can finally put the rumors to rest  I am going full-time NASCAR with Go Daddy next year," Danica told a crowded Phoenix news conference a few minutes ago. "I am going to race a full Nationwide schedule and limited Sprint Cup schedule in my GoDaddy.com Chevrolet next season." For the NASCAR Nationwide Series races, she'll drive with her current stock car team, JR Motorsports, owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Danica will be with Stewart-Haas Racing, co-owned by two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. Both series will be financially fueled by Go Daddy, her long-time sponsor who first signed the Go Daddy Girl in 2006.(JR Motorsports)(8-25-2011)
Statement from NASCAR CEO Brian France: "We are pleased Danica Patrick has chosen to race full time in NASCAR in 2012. She has demonstrated a strong desire to compete and NASCAR provides the best opportunity to race against the top drivers in the world with the largest and most loyal fan base in motorsports on a week-to-week basis. Danica has shown solid improvement in NASCAR and we believe her decision to run full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, with additional races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will be exciting for our fans and a great challenge for her."(NASCAR)(8-25-2011)
Statement from Tony Stewart: "We're very excited to have Danica Patrick and Go Daddy join Stewart-Haas Racing in 2012 for a limited NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule with the intention of us running her full-time in Sprint Cup in 2013. We're proud of the fact she wants to come and be a part of Stewart-Haas Racing and what we've built with Ryan Newman and myself and all of our partners. Having Danica and Go Daddy as a combination at SHR is something we're really looking forward to. The thing you see in Danica right away is how determined she is to be good at what she does. She's very dedicated to taking the time and effort to make the transition from Indy cars to stock cars. She has talent, she has the right mindset and she has the proper drive and determination. It doesn't matter who it is you're looking for, those are the key attributes that you look for in a driver, and Danica's got them."(Stewart Hass Racing)(8-25-2011)
UPDATE 4: Kelley Earnhardt, co-owner and general manager of JR Motorsports, said in a conference call Thursday afternoon, a couple of hours after Patrick had made her announcement that she'll not only drive full-time for JR Motorsports in Nationwide but also that she'll drive in eight to 10 Sprint Cup races for Stewart-Haas Racing. Earnhardt said there never really was a chance of JR Motorsports fielding a Cup car for Patrick. "We discussed whether or not that would make sense for everyone involved. And quite frankly, JR Motorsports isn't ready to bite that bullet," she said. "We have partners under the JR Motorsports umbrella -- like Stewart-Haas Racing -- that were interested in adding cars to their fold on the Sprint Cup side. So I think it worked out best for everybody." Earnhardt also said she understands Patrick's desire to perhaps race in the Indianapolis 500 next year, but made it clear that she expects Patrick's top priority -- even during the month of May -- to be her Nationwide team.(NASCAR.com)(8-25-2011)

Stewart still mum about Danica: #14-Tony Stewart met with members of the media at Michigan International Speedway and discussed a few items, and was asked about Danica Patrick, the transcript in part:
CAN YOU ADDRESS THE DANICA SITUATION?
Stewart: "It's like I've always said when we have something to tell everybody we'll tell them but there's nothing to tell yet. I know there's a lot of speculation but there is nothing to really talk about yet."
I'VE HEARD FROM MANY SOURCES
Stewart: "I don't care about your sources. When we have something to talk about we'll talk about it. I promise we won't leave any of you guys out I promise."
DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE SOON?
Stewart: "What will be soon? I don't know. I don't know. If we knew that we'd already be talking about it wouldn't we. When we have something to talk about I promise you I will not let any of you be late for the deal."
YOU'RE STILL OBVIOUSLY LOOKING TO ADD A THIRD TEAM
Stewart: "We've said that from day one. We've never wavered from that, never said anything different from that. We're definitely to a third team and want to be a four-car team eventually."(Team Chevy)(8-20-2011)

Patrick close to signing deal to run NASCAR in 2012 UPDATE2 Stewart comments: Danica Patrick is in the final stages of putting together her full-time NASCAR plan. Patrick is apparently going to run a full Nationwide schedule with JR Motorsports [in 2012], and run a limited Sprint Cup schedule with Tony Stewart in preparation for an eventual full Cup schedule.(ESPN/Associated Press)(8-2-2011)
UPDATE: Danica Patrick could still run the Indianapolis 500 even if she makes a full-time move to NASCAR, The Associated Press has learned. Two people familiar with Patrick's 2012 plans said she is in the final stages of a deal to run a full-time Nationwide Series schedule with JR Motorsports and limited Sprint Cup Series races with the team owned by two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart. The people spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because the deal won't be finished until she has secured a release from Andretti Autosport. The talks also include her continuing to run the Indianapolis 500, one person told AP.(ESPN)(8-2-2011)
UPDATE2 - Stewart...no comment? #14-Tony Stewart, met with members of the media at Pocono Raceway and discussed a few items and was asked about Danica Patrick:
Q) THERE ARE A LOT OF REPORTS ABOUT DANICA (PATRICK)&
Stewart: "I know, I've heard all kinds of stuff (chuckles)."
Q) CAN YOU SAY ARE YOU WORKING ON ANYTHING WITH HER?
Stewart: "Nope, nope."
Q) YOU CAN'T SAY OR YOU ARE NOT WORKING ON SOMETHING?
Stewart: "Can't say anything."
(Team Chevy PR)(8-6-2011)

see much more past news about Patrick on the Danica Patrick past news page