Contract Status: Driver: 2014; Primary Sponsors: 2013?

No crew chief changes for Stewart Haas Racing: Despite a dismal season to date, there are no crew chief changes planned at Stewart-Haas Racing [#10-Patrick, #14-Stewart & #39-Newman], a high-ranking team official told SPEED.com Monday morning. "We've all won races together and championships together, we're going to pull ourselves out of this together," the team official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. After Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, team co-owner Tony Stewart spent nearly two hours in the team hauler, meeting with crew chief Steve Addington and team engineers to work on solving the team's handling issues. "Every team goes through this at one point or another. We'll get through it," the SHR team person said.(SPEED)(5-21-2013)

Special scheme for Danica in Showdown: Danica Patrick's #10 GoDaddy Cares Chevy for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will carry the logo of GoDaddy Cares for this weekend's Sprint All-Star festivities. GoDaddy Cares is GoDaddy's charitable branch whose unique "Round Up for Charity" program in which customers who purchase a domain name or a product at GoDaddy have an option of rounding up their purchase to the nearest dollar. Customers then select a charity of their choice from an extensive list offered by GoDaddy. Three of the charities on that list are featured on Patrick's GoDaddy Cares Chevrolet SS this weekend: Hope for Haiti, National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) and VEX Robotics / REC Foundation.(SHR), see an image of the scheme on the #10 Team Schemes page.(5-16-2013)

Patrick, Gilliland meet about differences: Before NASCAR Sprint Cup practice began at Richmond International Raceway on Friday, #10-Danica Patrick visited #93-David Gilliland at his transporter to discuss their differences. Patrick wanted to set the record straight with her fellow competitor regarding how she felt he was racing her last week. Over her radio at Kansas Speedway, Patrick said, "He tries to take me out every time." After the race, Gilliland delivered the message through his public relations representative, "shut up and drive."
"Where our cars seem to run on the racetrack is probably the hardest racing on the racetrack, realistically, you know," Gilliland said. "When you're in the top 10, you can let guys go and get back in. When the leaders are coming and you're fighting to risk going a lap down, back there where we've been racing, at the end of the day it could mean five or six spots. It's hard racing. But we talked this morning and feel like we're on track to race each other the way we feel like we want to be raced. That's just it  a mutual respect thing that hopefully we got figured out. I think we're on the same page. We have to figure out what we have to do to make our lives easier on each other. At the end of the day, you want to lose the least amount of time as you can. But we feel good about it going forward."(Fox Sports) (4-26-2013)

Patrick to be guest reader for White House Easter Egg Roll: #10-Danica Patrick will spend part of her Easter weekend on the South Lawn at the White House. Patrick has been selected to be a guest reader for the 2013 Easter Egg Roll at the White House on Monday April 1. The Easter Egg Roll takes place on the South Lawn of the White House and is focused on promoting health and wellness. The event will feature live music, sports courts, cooking stations, storytelling and Easter egg rolling. Patrick will join NFL star Adrian Peterson, Sesame Street, Super Sprowtz and child actress Quvenzhané Wallis.(Sporting News)(3-30-2013)

Danica Patrick bests Williams sisters, Gabby Douglas: On Saturday night, Danica Patrick won a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for the third time. She was named favorite female athlete. Patrick earned the orange blimp trophy by besting Serena and Venus Williams and Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas.(USA Today)(3-25-2013)

Danica not interested in F1: Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway, #10-Danica Patrick addresses recent comments by Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone that he would like her to run F1:
DID YOU SEE BERNIE ECCLESTONE'S COMMENTS YESTERDAY? "Yes I did see something about Bernie's comments and they sounded complimentary. It looked like he was kind of acknowledging my ability to drive a car. So that was kind."
ANY THOUGHTS? WOULD YOU EVER WANT TO TRY IT (FORMULA ONE RACING)? "I've always said that unless that it would be something I would want to do for real, as in race a Formula One car, I don't see any point in testing it. It is a lot or work to get fitted in the car comfortable enough to go drive it. Then as a driver, for me at least, I run the risk of what if it doesn't go well, and then people judge me for that. So, unless it was something that I was really serious, I wouldn't do it. I will say that Bernie over the years has actually sent a lot of messages. Any kind of big high point that happens in my career, whether it be at Indy, or Daytona now, or winning in Japan  things like that, he has sent messages. He even sent me like a big picture one time that was signed by him. He's actually been really nice. I don't necessarily think that his comments a long while back are representative of his opinion of me."(Chevy PR)(3-16-2013)

Hendrick Motorsports still most valuable team according to Forbes: Hendrick Motorsports is NASCAR's most valuable team with a value of $357 million, up 2%. Hendrick is worth twice as much as second-ranked Joe Gibbs Racing. Hendrick is the only four car Sprint Cup team left and brings in $125 million in sponsor revenue a year. Lowe's extended its deal last month through 2015 as the primary sponsor of Jimmie Johnson's #48 car. Earnhardt Ganassi (ranked #8 with a value of $72 million) announced it would switch engine suppliers from Earnhardt Childress Racing to Hendrick starting in 2013. This will add to Hendrick's coffers, which are already full as NASCAR's most profitable team with an estimated operating income of $16.6 million in 2012.
Gibbs, worth $168 million, leapfrogs Roush Fenway Racing. Gibbs got a huge boost in 2013 with the addition of 2003 Sprint Cup champ Matt Kenseth, who replaced Joey Logano in the #20 car. Gibbs has been one of the most consistent teams when it comes to selling sponsorships with all paint schemes sold ahead of the season start in 2012 and 2013. JGR signed a 30-race renewal with FedEx last year on the #11 car.
The value of Roush is down 10% to $166 million. The team has struggled to sell sponsorships in recent years and lost Kenseth to Gibbs. Richard Childress Racing ranks No. 4 with a value of $139 million, down 6%. Childress is at a crossroad as it prepares to lose its top driver, Kevin Harvick, who signed a deal to race for Stewart-Haas Racing starting in 2014. Still to be determined is if long-time sponsor, Budweiser, will follow Harvick out the door.
The value of Stewart-Haas is up 14% to $123 million and ranks fifth. Tony Stewart and Gene Haas are building one of the top teams in NASCAR.
NASCAR's top nine teams are worth $143 million on average, up 1% over last year. Each of these teams are profitable by our count (some just barely) with team's cutting budgets in cases where sponsor shortfalls arise. Earnings are down 10% overall compared to 2011.(see more details and the complete list at Forbes)(3-14-2013)

Forbes names highest paid drivers: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the highest-paid driver in the sport for the fifth straight year with total earnings of $25.9 million in 2012 by our [Forbes] count. We estimate that Earnhardt earned $12.9 million in combined salary and his share of prize money, which is split with Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt signed a contract extension with Hendrick in 2011 that will keep him part of NASCAR's most valuable team through at least 2017. But what really separates Earnhardt from the rest of NASCAR's top drivers is his off-the-track earnings, which were $13 million last year. While Earnhardt's licensing income is down like all drivers (some as much as 80%), he still generated the most licensing dollars in the sport last year.
Another Hendrick driver, #48-Jimmie Johnson, ranks #2 with earnings of $23 million. In fact, all four Hendrick drivers are among the 10 highest paid with Jeff Gordon #4 ($18 million) and Kasey Kahne at #9 ($12 million). Johnson barely missed his sixth Sprint Cup title in 2012, but it was still a banner year on the track, as he earned a NASCAR-high $8.1 million in race winnings for the #48 car. His "Special Awards" and Sprint Cup bonuses added another $2.3 million.
#10-Danica Patrick, ranks #7 with earnings of $12.9 million in 2012. Her merchandise was NASCAR's ninth best seller in 2012, according to Fanatics.com, one of the largest online retailers of officially licensed sports merchandise. But that ranking will jump this year, as she only raced in 10 Sprint Cup races last year and will be running a full-time Sprint Cup schedule in 2013 for the first time.(see more details and the complete list at Forbes)(3-14-2013)

Patrick generated massive social media impact at Daytona: During a Speedweeks in which she twice made NASCAR history, #10-Danica Patrick's performance triggered some unprecedented reverberations in social media, too. Repucom, a global company with an office in Charlotte, found that Patrick had 971 million impressions on Twitter in the eight days spanning when she became the first woman to capture a Sprint Cup pole position to the first to lead the Daytona 500. By comparison, the 2012 Daytona 500 pole winner, Carl Edwards, had 15 million impressions during the same timeframe last year, and Patrick had 19 million in the two months entering her Daytona 500 debut last season. With an advanced algorithm that has a 3% margin of error, impressions are calculated through tweets, retweets and replies about a topic and the number of followers associated with the accounts. "It's staggering," Repucom vice president Peter Laatz told USA TODAY Sports. "That's a really good thing for the sport, and it's great for her and great for her sponsors. We thought last year was a big deal until we looked at the numbers from this year." Repucom, which measures the impact and valuation of sponsorships across several sports and tracks close to 1,700 NASCAR brands, also estimated that primary sponsor Go Daddy received 1,203 seconds of on-screen branding during the Daytona 500 that was equivalent to $2.9 million in media value. During Patrick's last full season in the Izod IndyCar Series in 2011, Go Daddy had 5,637 seconds of screen time but nearly half the media value ($1.5 million) because NASCAR's ratings and reach dwarf rival racing series.(USA Today)(3-12-2013)

Patrick sore after Phoenix accident: Danica Patrick said she doesn't have a concussion from Sunday's hard crash at Phoenix, but she joked she might have one from Thursday night when a rock hit her in the head. "I feel like I got a concussion last night when I got hit with a rock at the [Las Vegas Motor Speedway] dirt track," Patrick said Friday. "It's really sore. It hit me straight in the head, and I went to the ground. Good thing I had a hat on, or I feel there would have been blood." NASCAR officials said there was no need for Patrick to get evaluated Friday at the LVMS infield care center because she was evaluated Thursday night when the incident happened. Patrick also said NASCAR medical officials called her Monday to ask her how she was feeling one day after a hard, head-on crash into the outside wall at Phoenix when a right-front tire blew out on her #10 Chevy. Patrick said her neck remains sore, but she doesn't expect it to cause her any problems this weekend.(ESPN)(3-9-2013)

Danica Patrick nominated for Kids' Choice Award: What does Danica Patrick have in common with athletes Tim Tebow and LeBron James? What does she share with Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber? Patrick has been nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award. A fan favorite among women and kids, the popular NASCAR star is one of four athletes nominated for Nickelodeon's "Favorite Female Athlete" award. She joins 2012 Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas and professional tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams on the list. The winners will be announced on Nickelodean on March 23 at 8 p.m. Patrick was voted the Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver last year.(Sporting News)(3-8-2013)

Patrick involved in hard wreck at Phoenix, is OK: #10-Danica Patrick was involved in an on-track accident on Lap 184 of the Subway Fresh Fit 500(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix, Patrick answered a couple questions afer the wreck:
Q) WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE?
Patrick: "Obviously I blew a right front. No real warning. I wasn't that tight either; I was sliding a little bit. I felt like most of the day I was chasing the rear. It was a little unexpected. I took a hard hit to the right, and then on the left. I'm fine. The cars and the tracks are so safe. As a driver that's a nice feeling. It doesn't change the fact that we aren't going to get any points really coming out of today, and it would have been nice. I was just saying that there isn't enough garage space for all of the cars, so unfortunately we're parked in the dirt this weekend. It would have been nice to get these points here, and then...especially off of our eighth last weekend (in the Daytona 500), and then have a decent run in (Las) Vegas. Then when they re-establish the pits and the garage area, we would have been in better shape. But, these points in the beginning of the year are so important. We were making progress, but unfortunately, our day ended early."
Q) THAT WAS A REALLY HARD HIT. WAS THAT THE HARDEST YOU'VE EVER HIT?
Patrick: "Oh, probably Daytona [2012 Daytona 500] was a little bit bigger. And it was on the right and the left. So whenever those right-fronts go, they always hit hard because you don't broadside. You kind of hit more straight on. But I took a hard hit on both side, but I'm fine. NASCAR is doing a good job with safety, but yeah, no real good warning. The car wasn't all that tight and I was mostly chasing the rear. And there was no vibration that told me in the lap before that told me it was going to happen. So, for me, it just sucks to lose the points. Everybody works hard and after last weekend we really just wanted to get to these three races and get some solid points so that when they re-establish the garage area we could; we worked in the dirt this weekend (laughed), so I really wanted my guys to get in the garage area. So, we'll just have to come at 'em at Vegas. I really, really like Vegas so it should suit me well. But yeah, we were having a steady day. Not great, but we were making progress."(Team Chevy)(3-3-2013)

Guthrie congratulates Patrick on Daytona pole: Danica Patrick has found more than the success that eluded Janet Guthrie in her brief NASCAR stint. Patrick also has the acceptance in the garage that Guthrie never did. Guthrie struggled in an era when women were still viewed in stock car racing as unwanted outsiders. Guthrie, the first woman to race in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 in 1976, received an icy reception from the sport's biggest drivers as she tried to build her career. It was in stark contrast to the scene on pit road moments after Patrick clinched her Daytona 500 pole - with a hug from Tony Stewart and a handshake from Jeff Gordon Guthrie congratulated Patrick on Sunday for becoming the first woman to win the top spot for any race in NASCAR's top circuit. But Guthrie was more proud of the way NASCAR's attitude toward women has evolved over the last 30 years. Guthrie was heartened at seeing a women succeed in a man's world. "It took time for that attitude to change, but it did change," Guthrie told The Associated Press by phone Sunday. "That was one of my biggest pleasures was seeing that attitude change." Guthrie was the previous best female qualifier in a Cup race. She started ninth at Bristol and Talladega in 1977. She was the first woman to drive in the Indianapolis 500 in 1977, that same year she became the first to run in the Daytona 500. A ninth-place finish at Indy in 1978 stood as the best by a woman until Patrick finished fourth in 2005, then third in 2009. "I'm ancient history," Guthrie said, from Colorado. "It's about time my little record got broken."(see full article at the Associated Press)(2-18-2013)

Danica Patrick Becomes First Female Pole Winner In NASCAR Sprint Cup History: #10-Danica Patrick made NASCAR history today during Coors Light Pole qualifying for the Daytona 500, becoming the first female driver to win a pole at NASCAR's top level  the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. During qualifying for the sport's marquee event, Patrick turned a lap of 196.434 mph (45.817 seconds), giving her the first starting position for next Sunday's Daytona 500. It was the fastest Daytona 500 pole-winning speed since 1990. Patrick shattered the previous record for top starting spot by a female NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. Janet Guthrie previously held the mark, twice starting ninth in 1977. She started ninth at Talladega Superspeedway on Aug. 7, 1977 and at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 28, 1977. The previous best starting position for a female in the Daytona 500 was 18th by Janet Guthrie in 1980.
This is Patrick's second NASCAR pole, also winning the Coors Light Pole for the season-opening NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona last season. The only other female to win a NASCAR national series pole was Shawna Robinson in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1994. Already a NASCAR record holder, Patrick set the mark of best finish by a female driver in NASCAR national series history when she finished fourth in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011. She finished 10th in the final 2012 NASCAR Nationwide points standings, the top finish by a female in NASCAR national series history. Patrick, who is running for the 2013 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award, is the first rookie to win the Daytona 500 pole since Jimmie Johnson in 2002.(NASCAR)(2-17-2013)

Patrick wins Daytona 500 pole: #10-Danica Patrick won the pole for the Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway with a speed of 196.925mph. Patrick is the first female driver to win a pole in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history. #24-Gordon won the outside pole and will start 2nd next Sunday. #21-Bayne was 3rd fastest, followed by #38-Newman, #14-Stewart, #5-Kahne, #11-Hamlin, #18-Busch, #22-Logano and #20-Kenseth.
#10-Partick (pole) and #24-Gordon (outside pole) are locked in their starting spots. Eleven other drivers are locked into the Daytona 500 field: , #21-Bayne (speed), #39-Newman (speed), #14-Stewart (speed), #5-Kahne (speed), #2-Keselowski (owners points/provisional), #15-Bowyer (op/prov), #48-Johnson (op/prov), #16-Biffle (op/prov), #11-Hamlin (op/prov), #17-Stenhouse Jr. (op/prov), and #78-Kurt Busch (past champions provisional). If any of those eleven race their way into the Daytona 500 [finishing 16th of better in their Duel], other drivers will be eligible to make the race on speed, owners points or past champions provisional.
See qualifying results and how drivers will start in the Budweiser Duel on the 2013 Budweiser Duel page.(2-17-2013)

Patrick's #10 team using former #78 team crew: Frontstretches Mike Neff interviews Tony Gibson, crew chief for #10 Danica Patrick, Gibson was asked about the pit crew for the #10 team:
Neff: *One last question. Your pit crew this year that will be pitting Danica Patrick in the #10, is it your old crew from the #39, a whole new crew or a combination of old and new guys?
Gibson: "Actually, it is all guys that were working at Stewart-Haas last year that were pitting the #78 at the end of last year. That whole group of guys has moved over to the #10 team to pit Danica. The reason for that is that at least five of those guys work on the cars in the shop for our team. It makes more sense to take guys who work on the cars every day to be more connected to the cars when they get to the track. A lot of those guys I have worked with since the DEI days in the past. It pretty much just made sense to have those guys on the pit crew."(Frontstretch)(2-14-2013)

Danica Patrick to drive for Turner Scott at Daytona: Danica Patrick will pilot Turner Scott Motorsports' fourth entry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Patrick, who will be a full-time Rookie of the Year candidate in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2013, will be behind the wheel of the #34 GoDaddy.com Chevy the season-opening DRIVE4COPD 300. Veteran crew chief Mike Greci will be calling the shots from atop the pit box. Patrick's longtime sponsor GoDaddy.com will back the #34 Nationwide entry.(Turner Scott Motorsports)(2-14-2013)

Owners Points deal for Danica Patrick: Stewart-Haas Racing has acquired owner points for Danica Patrick's Sprint Cup team heading into 2013, but likely not enough to ensure that Patrick doesn't miss the Daytona 500. Patrick drove the #10 Chevy in 10 races last year but she will not have those points from last season. Instead, Stewart-Haas Racing has struck a deal with Robinson-Blakeney Racing to acquire the owner points from its [defunct] #49 team. Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing have acquired 2012 owner points for Danica Patrick to help ensure she makes the first three races of 2013. The #49 car, which was driven primarily by J.J. Yeley, was 42nd in owner points, which likely would do little to help Patrick make the Daytona 500 should she have problems in qualifying or the qualifying races. The deal, though, could possibly help her team if rain washes out qualifying for the following races at Phoenix and Las Vegas. Patrick, who is running the full Sprint Cup schedule for the first time this year, drove the #10 car in 10 races last year through a partnership between Stewart-Haas and Tommy Baldwin Racing, which will keep those points (33rd overall) for its two-car organization entering 2013 [the owners points go to TBR's #7 team]. The starting lineup for the Daytona 500 is set by a mix of qualifying speed and results in the two Budweiser Duel qualifying races. In the next two races at Phoenix and Las Vegas, the fastest 36 cars make the field on speed with the rest of the field set by 2012 owner points, with one spot available for a past champion or another by owner points. Stewart-Haas could have swapped the points of team co-owner Tony Stewart with Patrick and have Stewart, a three-time champion, rely on a past champion's provisional if he wrecked in qualifying, but that would have impacted bonus money for the team. Also, past champion's provisionals will be limited to one for every six races attempted in 2013.(SportingNews)(2-8-2013)

Danica and Stenhouse Jr. are dating: #10-Danica Patrick revealed to The Associated Press she and #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are a couple, ending widespread speculation about the nature of their relationship. "I have a boyfriend, his name is Richard," she said during an exclusive telephone interview with AP. The couple waited until the end of Charlotte Motor Speedway's weeklong annual media tour to go public with their relationship, which started as a friendship as they raced each other the last two seasons in the Nationwide Series. Stenhouse became a mentor of sorts to the 30-year-old Patrick, who left IndyCar after the 2011 season to make the full-time switch to NASCAR. Stenhouse, 25, confirmed the relationship. "Yes we are dating," he said. "I don't normally say too much about my private life, always been focused on the track. I didn't want to confirm at media day so that we could keep the focus on the season, the Gen-6 (car), my sponsors and team. That's what it's all about for me." Patrick announced in November she and husband Paul Hospenthal were divorcing after seven years, and said in the Jan. 3 filing that her marriage to the 47-year-old Hospenthal was "irretrievably broken."(full story at the Associated Press)(1-25-2013)

Stewart Haas Racing Notes from the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour: #10-Danica Patrick will not be using #14-Tony Stewart's owners points to start the year. Stewart said, "I worked hard for my points" and believes Patrick will be fine. The #10 team finished the 2012 season 33rd in owners points but been told those owners points will be used for Tommy Baldwin's #7 team with driver Dave Blaney. Baldwin will use the #36 owners points for his 2nd team, car #36 [unknwon driver/plans]. So the #10 car goes into the season with no owners points and Partick will have to make the races via speed. There is no top-35 or guaranteed spots in 2013, but owners points will used for 6 cars each race for provisional starting spots 37th thru 42nd and poosibly the 43rd spot.
Patrick has not finalized a deal to run any Nationwide Series races in 2013 but is hoping to do a 10 race deal with Turner Scott Motorsports.
As for Stewart running the 2013 Indy 500 for Penske Racing, he has open invitation for Indy 500 from Roger Penske, but has no plans to do so in 2013.
On the sponsor front for SHR the #14 has nine races open without a primary, the #39 of Ryan Newman has 8-9 races open for a primary sponsor and #10-Patrick has three racesopen for a primary sponsor.
Stewart said the Eldora Speedway Truck Race that will run on the dirt, is close to a sellout, with 16,000 reserved seats sold and about 600 left with 1000 general admission going on sale this week.(1-21-2013)

Danica Patrick files for divorce: #10-Danica Patrick has cited an "irretrievably broken" marriage as the cause for her filing for divorce with Paul Hospenthal. Patrick filed for divorce on Jan. 3 in the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, according to documents obtained by ESPN.com on Monday. The 30-year-old driver announced on Facebook the decision to divorce on Nov. 20, the day after she was named the most popular driver in the Nationwide Series. "My marriage is irretrievably broken and there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation," Patrick said in the filing that she signed on Dec. 31. According to the documents, Patrick and Hospenthal entered into a prenuptial agreement prior to their marriage in 2005 that defined property interest. She stated no alimony will be necessary.(see full post at ESPN)(1-15-2013)

Danica vs. Ricky for Rookie of the Year: For the first time since 2006, when Denny Hamlin beat out Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. and a host of others, there's a legitimate rookie of the year battle. It's not a deep class, but the intrigue of two-time Nationwide Series champion #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. going against former IndyCar star #10-Danica Patrick will draw a lot of attention.(ESPN), the rule used to be once a driver ran more then seven races in a season, they were not eligible for Rookie of the Year, but the rules changed when NASCAR required drivers to declare which seres to accrue points for.(1-11-2013)

No 2013 Indy 500 for Danica: #10-Danica Patrick, met with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway and discussed a few topics, including the 2013 Indy 500. The Team Chevy transcript in part:
Q) DO YOU KNOW EXTRACURRICULAR BEYOND CUP WHAT YOUR NATIONWIDE SCHEDULE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND ARE YOU DEFINITELY NOT DOING THE INDY 500 THIS YEAR?
"I can confirm to you today that I will not be doing the Indy 500. I am just going to do the Coke 600. The team and I decided to focus on Cup. It's going to be plenty of work as it is. It's going to be important for me running for the championship full-time for the first time to really keep myself focused with the Cup car. But if I do the Indy 500 moving forward it will be with GoDaddy.(Team Chevy)(1-10-2013)

Several drivers getting new spotters: Wondering whose voices will be directing your favorite drivers when the Sprint Cup Series tests at Daytona International Speedway next week? There are changes a-plenty coming to the NASCAR Sprint Cup spotter's stand this season. Here are a few to listen for:
Brandon Benesch, who was Danica Patrick's car chief at JR Motorsports during her Nationwide Series stint in the #7 GoDaddy Chevy, will be her eyes in the sky starting on Thursday. Benesch also spotted for Robby Gordon.
Veteran spotter Keith Barnwell started coordinating the schedule for Team Dillon (Austin and Ty) in December. But on the weekends, Barnwell will spot for #31-Jeff Burton. For the last two years, Barnwell spotted for Martin Truex Jr.
Mike Herman Jr., a former racer/driving coach, will take the reins for Barnwell on the #56 Toyota for Truex at Michael Waltrip Racing. Herman, 38, competed in both Pro Cup and the Southern Modified Tour.
Derek Kneeland is getting his big break spotting for #42-Juan Pablo Montoya this year. Kneeland spots for Brian Scott in the Nationwide Series and worked part-time guiding Frank Stoddard's #32 Ford last year.(Fox Sports)(1-6-2013)

Danica driving Nationwide for Turner Motorsports? Danica Patrick will drive for Turner Motorsports in her 10-race commitment to this year's Nationwide Series schedule, sources tell espnW.com. Driving for JR Motorsports in her first full-time Nationwide season last year, Patrick produced the highest final points finish (10th) among women in NASCAR history. She will begin her partial campaign in NASCAR's second-tier series on Feb. 23 at Daytona International Speedway in conjunction with her first full Sprint Cup season with Stewart-Haas Racing the same weekend. Turner Motorsports was a fit for Patrick not just because it fields Hendrick Motorsports-produced Chevy like Stewart-Haas. Richard Childress Racing vice president of competition Mike Dillon told espnW.com in November that his organization had discussed the possibility of Patrick driving his team's #33 Chevy, saying "we would love to run Danica. We think we could do a lot with her." Dillon's team already had re-signed three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, who has six wins in 13 Nationwide starts at Daytona, for the opener, however, and Patrick's management team preferred the continuity of allying with one organization for her supplemental program. Though not all details concerning Patrick's remaining schedule have been finalized, she is expected to race it with Turner. Patrick's Turner Motorsports car would be sponsored by GoDaddy.com, sources said. Her schedule is expected to include events at Talladega and Watkins Glen.(ESPN.com)(1-2-2013)

2013 silly season notes for #10-Danica Patrick / Stewart Haas Racing: Patrick moves up from the Nationwide Series to run the full 2013 Sprint Cup Season. No word if she will be eligible to be a rookie of the year candidate as she didn't run for Cup points and the rules are unclear for the award since drivers had to declare which series they would run for points in 2011. Patrick ran 10 Sprint Cup races in 2012, which normally would make a driver ineligible for the ROTY award. Crew Chief Tony Gibson moved over to the #10 SHR Chevy from the #39 SHR camp to be Patrick's crew chief late in the 2012 season. Been told that Patrick is committed to the #10 and there are NO plans to switch from #10 to the #7. GoDaddy.com returns to sponsor the car for the full slate of races in 2013. See more about other teams on my 2013 Team / Driver Silly Season Chart.(1-2-2013)

Danica Patrick divorcing: #10-Danica Patrick and her husband are divorcing after seven years of marriage. Patrick announced the split with Paul Hospenthal on her Facebook page Tuesday. "I am sad to inform my fans that after seven years, Paul and I have decided amicably end our marriage," she said. "This isn't easy for either of us, but mutually it has come to this. He has been an important person and friend in my life and that's how we will remain moving forward." Patrick just completed her first full season in NASCAR, running the full Nationwide schedule and 10 Sprint Cup Series races after leaving IndyCar.(Associated Press)(11-20-2012)

TMOne to sponsor the #10 at Homestead: TMone will promote the company's hiring of 200 more positions with Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) in this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season finale. David Reutimann will pilot the #10 TMone in Iowa City, IA  Spearfish, SD Chevy at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The #10 Chevy will have a custom paint scheme this weekend that includes images of Mount Rushmore, corn, grass, The Old Capital of Iowa and both the Iowa and South Dakota state flags. TMone, pronounced T-M-one, is a business process outsourcing (BPO) company that is in the business of domestic business services outsourcing. TMone is seeking to hire immediately for 200 full-time, permanent positions in Spearfish, S.D., and Iowa City, Iowa. All of TMone's jobs are filled in the Heartland of America. TMone has supported one or more NSCS teams in every event this season and backed TBR in 24 of the 36-race season. Reutimann made 20 starts with TBR this season resulting in a best finish of 11th at Daytona International Speedway in July.(TBR), see images of the scheme on the #10 Team Schemes page.(11-16-2012)

Patrick won't run Indianapolis 500: Several people familiar with her plans told The Associated Press that Danica Patrick has decided against trying to run in Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway next May because it would detract from her NASCAR efforts. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because Patrick has not officially announced her intentions. "There's nothing I can say at this time," Patrick told the AP on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway.(Associated Press)(11-11-2012)

Danica Patrick to appear in two Go Daddy ads: GoDaddy.com founder Bob Parsons announced Thursday that #10-Danica Patrick will appear in both of the company's Super Bowl advertising spots in the broadcast of the Feb. 3 game in New Orleans. Parsons also said GoDaddy's relationship with Patrick in NASCAR will continue for at least the foreseeable future as she begins her first full season in the Sprint Cup Series in 2013. It also was announced that GoDaddy would match up to $1 million in donations to the Semper Fi Fund, which benefits those injured while serving in the armed forces. The Super Bowl announcement ended speculation that Patrick, whose 10 appearances in Super Bowl commercials are more than any celebrity, would see her streak end after the company hired an outside agency -- Deutsch Inc. of New York -- to produce its two 30-second spots. Patrick will carry the Semper Fi Fund logo on the hood of her car in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway (ESPN)(11-9-2012)

New team to debut at Phoenix with Reutimann UPDATE 2: hearing that a new Sprint Cup Series team will debut at Phoenix International Raceway this coming weekend. David Reutimann will run the #44 Xxxtreme Motorsports Ford [not Chevy]. Supposedly Frankie Kerr, formerly of JTG Daughtery Racing is the crew chief. The team is housed at the old TRG Motorsports location in Mooresville, NC.(11-5-2012)
UPDATE: Xxxtreme Motorsport announced its entry into the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. The car, owned by John Cohen, will have veteran driver David Reutimann at the helm on Sunday. No Label Watches will be sponsoring the #44 Ford Fusion, with Frankie Kerr sitting atop the pit box as the team's crew chief. Cohen said the #44 Ford will be finishing out the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway and running a full season next year. "I'm looking forward to the 2013 season and building a solid program."(Xxxtreme Motorsports)(11-6-2012)
UPDATE 2: David Reutimann will attempt to qualify for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Advocare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway for a new, start-up race team. Xxxtreme Motorsport is owned by businessman John Cohen, a New York nightclub entrepreneur who owns M2 Ultra Lounge on West 28th St. in New York City. Cohen reportedly has extensive contacts in the rap music industry, and hopes to use those connections to secure sponsorship for his new race team. Cohen fielded a handful of NASCAR Nationwide Series entries under the Xxxtreme Motorsport banner for drivers Josh Wise and Chase Austin in 2009, with sponsorship from ADP Payroll Services, CAVI Clothing, Extreme Sports Performance and Macy's. Cohen has set his sights on a full schedule of Sprint Cup Series competition in 2013. Former Michael Waltrip Racing and JTG Daugherty Racing crew chief Frankie Kerr is overseeing the operation. He and Reutimann have worked together in the past, with Kerr serving as Reutimann's crew chief at MWR beginning in 2007. "Frankie is steering the ship, getting all the basic parts and pieces together," said Reutimann. "They're trying to run the last two races of the year at Phoenix and Homestead to get their feet underneath them for next season." Xxxtreme Motorsport will field a former Richard Petty Motorsports Ford this weekend at Phoenix, with horsepower from Roush Yates Engines. The team is operating out of the former TRG Motorsports shop, a 40,000 square foot facility in Mooresville, North Carolina. Kerr said the team will likely start and park in each of the next two weeks, focusing instead on gathering data for next season.(Godfather Motorsports)(11-7-2012)

Danica still working in 2013 Nationwide, Indy 500 plans: Danica Patrick is still working on her 2013 racing schedule. She knows she will be running a full Sprint Cup schedule for Stewart-Haas Racing, but she's still working on racing in two other series: the Nationwide Series and the IndyCar Series. Patrick, who competed in IndyCar full time before moving to NASCAR full time this season, has driven all of her 55 career Nationwide races for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports. Whether she will drive for JR Motorsports next year is to be determined. The team has hired Regan Smith to run a full schedule next year and is looking for sponsorship for a full-time team for Cole Whitt. It will run a third car in select races for Earnhardt and possibly could run races with Patrick. "I would love to do a dozen or so races next year in the Nationwide Series," Patrick said Thursday at Texas Motor Speedway. "I would like to do some that are really challenging tracks that are good for just getting laps on to help in the Cup car. Patrick also would like to get back in an Indy car next year to run the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. "I love that event," she said of the Indy 500. "I would love to try to do it again. & We've been working hard for months now but we're no further along to say anything right now."(Sporting News)(11-2-2012)

TMone returns to the #10 at Martinsville: TMone will back Tommy Baldwin Racing at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. David Reutimann will pilot the #10 @TMone Drive Sales&Fast Chevy in the Tums Fast Relief 500 Sunday, October 28. TMone, with locations in the Midwest and Northern Great Plains, delivers new jobs to America's hometowns. Domestic Call Center Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is a people business, and TMone is in the business of augmenting other companies human capital needs. TMone has grown to over 500 employees and secured a spot on Inc. Magazine's Honor Roll List of Fastest-Growing, Privately-Held, American Companies for the last six years.(TBR)(10-26-2012)

Patrick, Cassill differ on reason for wreck: Danica Patrick vowed to stand up for herself when the time was right, and she deemed Sunday's NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway to be that time. Patrick, in her eighth Sprint Cup Series race, spun Landon Cassill around the midway point of the Hollywood Casino 400 as frustration over what she said were multiple incidents with the BK Racing driver boiled over. "He got into me on the front straight and said I was just in the way," Patrick said. "That's really no good reason to hit me. If it's one time, I can imagine it's frustration, but it's been quite a few times with him. At some point I have to stand up for myself so this doesn't happen with other people. I chose today."
Cassill, though, told SB Nation he didn't slam into Patrick because she was in the way - he moved the #10 car because Patrick was "driving like a maniac making it three-wide on a restart" when others were "staying cool to keep from wrecking." While the leaders were wrecking at the front of the field, Cassill said he and other drivers racing around the back were "biding our time." Patrick made it three-wide but didn't pass him - a move which irked Cassill. "If you're going to make it three-wide and pass somebody, you've got to back it up," he said by phone after the race. "But she didn't. She goes under there, and then she's sliding up the racetrack and then jacks up the field, gets in the way. Then she lets two cars go by, and when I get underneath her, she crowds me. So I was like, 'No! I've been faster than you all day,' so I was going to move her. And I did. I didn't hit her because she was in my way and I wanted to pick on her, I hit her because she was driving like an idiot for 30th."(SB Nation)(10-22-2012)

Stewart says Danica's 2012 schedule will help next year: Danica Patrick's foray into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series so far has been, to put it politely, a huge challenge. When Stewart planned out Patrick's part-time Cup schedule for 2012, he deliberately chose some of the toughest tracks and races for the former IndyCar star to run. The logic was that it was far better to expose her to the most challenging tracks so she'll have a good baseline for next year than to let her pad her statistics at the easier courses. The results have been underwhelming. In six Cup starts this year, Patrick has not led a lap and has an average finish of 28.17.
Despite the ups and downs of the season, Stewart said Friday that he's sticking by his plans for Patrick. "We picked races that were going to be hard," Stewart said. "They are not supposed to be easy. Her scenario is a little different than a lot of other drivers. She has been very eager to get to the Cup series and I still think more so than some people do that she has the ability to be successful at this level. The learning curve that she is going through has been a lot shorter than what it probably should have been. But with that, that is why Ryan (Newman) and I are here as a support system to her, why Greg (Zipadelli) was chosen as her crew chief for this year." Stewart said picking challenging tracks would accelerate Patrick's learning curve. "There wasn't anything to learn by going to easy tracks this year on a partial schedule," Stewart said. "The schedule she is going to have next year she is going to have to go to these hard tracks. Being able to just have the experience of going the year before even if it's a rough experience you at least learn and get a base of that track anytime you do something for the first time it's tough. The second time is always easier. I don't care what it is."(SPEED)(10-20-2012)

Stewart-Haas announces 2013 crew chief lineup: With an eye on 2013, Stewart-Haas Racing is restructuring its team lineup beginning with the Sprint Cup Series race weekend at Martinsville. Tony Gibson, currently the crew chief of the #39 U.S. Army/Quicken Loans team of driver Ryan Newman, will move to the #10 GoDaddy.com team of driver Danica Patrick. Gibson will get a jump start on the 2013 season by serving as Patrick's crew chief during her last two Sprint Cup races of the 2012 season - Nov. 4 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and Nov. 11 at Phoenix International Raceway. Matt Borland, currently the vice president of competition for SHR, will add to his duties by returning to the role of crew chief when he takes over the #39 team beginning at Martinsville. Borland served as Newman's crew chief for five years when the two were together at Penske Racing (2002-2006), earning 12 wins and 37 poles. The 2013 structure of the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 team of driver/owner Tony Stewart and crew chief Steve Addington will remain unchanged from 2012.(Stewart-Haas Racing)(10-20-2012)

Danica could be cut from GoDaddy advertising: UPDATE: Caution lights are flashing for racing star Danica Patrick's lucrative gig with Go Daddy. The advertising future of Go Daddy's go-to girl appears to be in limbo as Go Daddy is about to announce the hiring of a new ad agency, Deutsch NY, which will have freedom to drop the sexy racing star from the Web domain company's Super Bowl ad lineup. Patrick, 30, has starred in more Super Bowl spots - 10 - than any other celebrity, including Michael Jordan and Cindy Crawford. Overall, she's appeared in 22 Go Daddy commercials since 2007 and is believed to earn upwards of $1 million annually for those commercial efforts. But Patrick has not appeared in a Go Daddy spot for months, and the company says it has no current plans to feature her in any spots at least through January. "The question at hand is: Is she in the Super Bowl or not?" says Barb Rechterman, chief marketing officer at Go Daddy. "What we're trying to do is redefine sexy to be a small-business owner running a successful business. So we want to explore options of how we make our advertising new." Patrick's Q Score, which tracks likability, has recently been heading south, falling from 29 in 2010 to 19 in 2012. The average race car driver rates a 13 Q Score. "It raises a warning signal to evaluate the strength of her emotional connection with consumers," says Henry Schafer, executive vice president at The Q Scores Co.(USA Today)(10-18-2012)
UPDATE: Danica Patrick is still Go Daddy's girl, though she may not be featured in the company's Super Bowl spots for the first time since 2007. Go Daddy on Thursday announced it had signed New York agency Deutsch Inc. to produce its two 30-second Super Bowl spots, the first time the website domain provider has gone outside for the ads it has done itself since 2005. "We love Danica, our relationship is perfectly fine," [Barb Rechterman, chief marketing officer] said. "Danica, for us, is a valued asset and we have her for the foreseeable future. We are very excited for her upcoming first full season in the Sprint Cup Series, and Go Daddy is looking forward to many more years together with her." Rechterman said Go Daddy is interested in discussing opportunities with Patrick for the Indianapolis 500 next season. Patrick has said she'd like to run that race if she can partner with a team that gives her a chance to win. But Rechterman doesn't know if that means Patrick will kick off the year with a spot in the Super Bowl, which is Feb. 3 in New Orleans.(Associated Press)(10-18-2012)

The band 311 featured on the #10 at CMS: The Distinct Band and Triple Platinum Recording Artists 311 (pronounced "three-eleven") from Omaha, Nebraska and their notorious logo will be celebrated on the #10 TBR / TMone.com Chevy. TMone, an Inc. 5000 American Fastest Growing Privately help Company for the past 6 years and Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) and NASCAR team Sponsor carved out part of their sponsorship space this weekend to thank 311 for over a decade of fuel and inspiration. David Reutimann will pilot the No. 10 TBR / TMone.com Chevrolet in Saturday's Bank of America 500. "We are thrilled to have 311 on board here in Charlotte at the home of NASCAR this weekend," commented Tommy Baldwin. "Everyone knows who they are and they clearly have moved a variety of people of all ages with their music."(TBR)(10-13-2012)

CVP@TMone.com BPO sponsoring Reutimann at 'Dega: TMone will help push David Reutimann and Tommy Baldwin Racing at Talladega Superspeedway. Reutimann will look to best his 11th-place superspeedway finish he posted at Daytona International Speedway when he pilots the #10 CVP@TMone.com BPO Chevy this weekend in the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500. The #10 CVP@TMone.com BPO Chevy will carry the Facebook and Twitter logos to further the company's social reach which has a exploded as a result of TMone's NASCAR sponsorships. TMone is also promoting the CVP@TMone.com email as an invitation to companies to contact with TMone for a conversation or bid on domestic outsourcing. TMone specializes in business process outsourcing (BPO) and is in the business of augmenting and supplementing other companies' human capital needs. TMone, recently announced the hiring of 400 more employees along with being on Inc.(TMone), see an image of the car on the #10 team paint schemes page.(10-5-2012)

Newman's crew and crew chief to Danica? Danica Patrick will be in good hands when she runs her first full season in the Sprint Cup Series in 2013. Stewart Haas Racing is looking to support Patrick with the veteran crew (chief Tony Gibson and the squad) that currently services the #39 team and Ryan Newman. "That's what we're looking at," says Patrick's current Cup crew chief and SHR Competition Director Greg Zipadelli. "We sat down and talked with all the guys about it, and we just feel that they're a real solid group of people. They have great attitudes, pretty upbeat. We feel like that's the best thing to do is surround Danica with a really great group of people that don't normally make mistakes. They don't have issues. I look at them as generally, their glasses are always half-full. I think that's the best thing for her." Zipadelli has a short list of crew chiefs for Newman but considering that most are still under contract with other teams he elected not to comment.(Fox Sports)(9-29-2012)

Reutimann returns to the #10: Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) will head to the Northeast for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' (NSCS) second stop at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. David Reutimann will pilot the #10 Chevy in the Sylvania 300 Sunday, September 23. Mohawk Northeast will adorn the hood of the #10 Chevrolet this weekend. This weekend will mark the 17th partnership of TBR and TMone. TMone is a provider of domestic business process services (BPO) and customer relationship management (CRM) outsourcing.(TBR)(9-21-2012)

Patrick still looking for Indy 500 ride: Danica Patrick said she is still looking for an opportunity to race in the Indianapolis 500 next season  if she can get a competitive ride. "I'd like to if it's with the right team," Patrick said at Richmond International Raceway. "If it's not, then there is no point for me. I feel like I'd still be able to get in a seat and get comfortable with the amount of practice time there is in Indy and have a shot to win the race. But again, if I don't have a shot to win the race or feel like it's a real opportunity, then I am not going to do it." Patrick made seven Indy 500 starts, with a best finish of third in 2009  the highest ever finish for a woman in the field. She left IndyCar at the end of last year for NASCAR and is scheduled to run the full Sprint Cup season in 2013. In that Cup job with Stewart-Haas Racing, Patrick would be committed to run NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day as the Indy 500. The last driver to run both races on the same day was Robby Gordon in 2003.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(9-8-2012)

Inc. Magazine & TMone to sponsor Reutimann at Richmond: TMone and Inc. Magazine will team up with Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) for the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. David Reutimann will pilot the #10 Inc. 5000 / @TMone 6-peat Chevy. The two companies will celebrate TMone's sixth consecutive listing on the 2012 Inc. 5000 America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies. Inc., the only major business media brand focused solely for CEOs of fast-growing, private companies, announced the 2012 Inc. 5000 in the September issue of the magazine. The list is a comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economyAmerica's independent entrepreneurs. It debuted in 1981 as a ranking of the 100 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. The following year, it expanded to the Inc. 500, and in 2007, the Inc. 5000 was inaugurated. TBR and TMone have collaborated for 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events this season. In addition to the 13 races with TBR, TMone has participated in all 24 races this season. Reutimann drove to TBR's highest finish this season when he finished in 11th place in a TMone.com -backed Chevy in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona.(TBR), see images of the scheme on the #10 Team Schemes page.(9-7-2012)

Patrick says Smith apologized: #10-Danica Patrick says #78-Regan Smith called to apologize for their run-in last Saturday night at Bristol, and she described that move as 'upstanding,' though it's not clear if she's really buying the apology 100%. Any regrets about not throwing her helmet at the man who took her out of a top-20 finish? That's what teammate Tony Stewart did at his Bristol antagonist, Matt Kenseth, much to the delight of the crowd of some 153,000. "I'm just glad I didn't give him the finger, because I understand that is a penalty," Patrick said with an impish grin.(MikeMulhern.net)(9-1-2012)

Stewart denies crew chief rumor: #14-Tony Stewart denied on Tuesday a weekend social media report that Greg Zipadelli would become his crew chief in 2013. "No, that's not true,'' Stewart said during a promotion for sponsor Mobil 1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "That's the first I've even heard about it. Nobody has thought about that or discussed that. We're pretty comfortable where we're at with our lineup right now.'' Stewart and Zipadelli won two Sprint Cup titles together at Joe Gibbs Racing before Stewart became the driver/owner of Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009. Zipadelli joined Stewart as competition director at SHR this season. Zipadelli also is the crew chief for #10-Danica Patrick's 10 Cup races this season. Stewart said there are no plans to leave Zipadelli with Patrick when she moves to Cup full time in 2013.(ESPN)(8-29-2012)

TMone sponsoring Reutimann again: As Tommy Baldwin Racing heads to the Irish Hills, TMone will once again outsource the company's marketing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team as it focuses on an initiative to hire veterans. David Reutimann will pilot the #10 Chevy backed by @TMone in the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway Sunday, August 19. TMone is a provider of domestic business process outsourcing and customer relationship management outsourcing. TMone outsourced the company's marketing to TBR for 11 races this season.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(8-17-2012)

Reutimann to JTG Daughtery Racing? UPDATE hearing that David Reutimann recently met with officials from JTG Daugherty Racing for a 2013 ride, either as a replacement for current driver Bobby Labonte or for a 2nd team car as JTG Daughtery Racing is looking to expand to a two-car team if sponsorship is found.(8-9-2012)
UPDATE: "I'm not sure where this came from, but Bobby Labonte is the #47 driver," said JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Tad Geschickter. "Bobby's done a great job for us and our sponsors. We are continuing to work on getting the right tools in place to help our team perform better."(JTG Daughtery Racing)(8-10-2012)

TMone returns to Tommy Baldwin Racing UPDATE: TMone will return to Tommy Baldwin Racing this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The business process outsourcing company will support the team in an associate partnership with the #10 Chevy driven by David Reutimann and primary partnership with the #36 @TMone C.R.M. Hiring Veterans Chevy driven by Tony Raines. TMone is a semi-rural provider of domestic business services and customer relationship management outsourcing.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(8-3-2012)
UPDATE: TMone will expand their outsourcing program with Tommy Baldwin Racing this weekend at Pocono Raceway. David Reutimann will pilot the #10 TMone.com Business Process Outsourcing Chevy in the Pennsylvania 400 Sunday, August 5.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(8-4-2012)

TMone to be primary sponsor the #10 Chevy at TBR: TMone will support both Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) teams this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Iowa and South Dakota based company will be a primary sponsor of the #10 @TMone CRM Hiring Veterans Chevy and associate of the #36 SealWrap Chevy in the Crown Royal presents the Curtiss Shaver 400 at the Brickyard. TMone, pronounced T-M-one, is a business process outsourcing (BPO) company that is in the business of domestic business services outsourcing. TMone is seeking to hire over 150 Veterans immediately for full time, permanent positions. All of TMone's jobs are filled in the Heartland of America.(TBR), nothing official has been announced but J.J. Yeley is driving the #10 Chevy at Indy. Daivd Reutimann was originally entered, but that changed. Yeley is scheduled to run the #37 Chevy for MaxQ Motorsports in alliance with TBR, supposedly at Pocono next weekend.(7-29-2012)

Danica Patrick hopes to run 2013 Indy 500: from a Indianapolis Star Q&A with Danica Patrick:
Q: You've expressed interest in returning to the 500 in 2013. What kind of odds would you give that?
Patrick: "Fair chance. I'll say 50-50. We're working on it."(more at Indianapolis Star)(7-26-2012)

Stewart says he will have three teams in 2013: #14-Tony Stewart, driver of the #14-Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevy and owners of Steweart-Haas Racing (#14, #10-Patrick & #39-Newman) was the guest on the NASCAR Weekly Teleconference. Below is the transcript in part, dealing with the loss of the U.S. Army on the #39 Chevy of Ryan Newman and plans for 2013:
: Q. With U.S. Army now leaving a few weeks ago, where does that leave you as far as commitments with new sponsorship for your team next year?
Stewart: We're working on it, it's definitely still a setback but --
Q. Is it your hope to have three cars next year? Stewart: Yes, and it has been since we signed Danica.
Q. On the sponsorship deal, last year at this time it seemed like the environment was changing a little bit and maybe getting a little bit better and if you're still seeing that kind of thing and what it's like out there now in terms of what kinds of things you're having to do to get sponsors now that maybe you were or were not last year at this time.
Stewart: Well, I still think it's gaining momentum. We have been able to bring in Aspen Dental and Quicken Loans on board and those are two companies that had not been a part of NASCAR racing in the past. I'm pretty proud of that side of it. You know, it was definitely a huge disappointment that we were going to lose the U.S. Army. But it's not something that we have had a lot of at Stewart Haas Racing, we have not lost a lot of partners. And especially a group like U.S. Army, they have been a lot of fun to work with and they been a very dedicated group and have been very involved with what the race team is doing and very such pore at this point. We are going to miss out having them on board next year. But I still think it's coming around. There's a lot of new companies that we are seeing in the sport, and we are seeing that in our organization. So we are not giving up hope and throwing in the towel thinking that we are losing one sponsor; we are going to hopefully be able to try to find somebody else.(Team Chevy)(7-25-2012)

Mohawk Northeast to sponsor #10 TBR Chevy UPDATE: Connecticut-based Mohawk Northeast will adorn the hood of the Tommy Baldwin Racing #10 Chevy. David Reutimann will pilot the #10 Mohawk Northeast Chevy in the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Specializing in heavy construction and marine construction, as well as tugboat transportation, Mohawk Northeast, Inc. offers its valued clients cost-effective, efficient solutions founded on engineering expertise. Reutimann scored TBR's best finish this season with his 11th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway last weekend. The #10 team is currently in the 32nd position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Points.(TBR)(7-12-2012)
UPDATE: New Hampshire-based Relyco will adorn the hood of the #10 Mohawk Northeast Chevy driven by David Reutimann. The printing and payment solution company will support Tommy Baldwin Racing in the company's first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) sponsorship. Relyco is a global business printing and payment solutions company with a product line comprised of Laser Check Printing Solutions, Self-Mailer Pressure Seal Solutions, and Innovative Laser & Digital Printing Solutions. As a leading provider of laser and digital applications, Relyco is an innovator in fraud prevention strategies and new forms technologies.(TBR)(7-14-2012)
AND Outsourcing in the USA Company @TMone chooses Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) to promote the company in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. David Reutimann will pilot the #10 Mohawk Northeast Chevrolet in the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 while spreading the message that TMone is now hiring in America. TMone has sponsored one or more cars in all 19 NSCS races this season. The company has teamed up with TBR for seven of those events, including a primary partnership at Kentucky Speedway and co-primary partnership at Daytona International Speedway.(TBR)(7-14-2012)

Danica takes Couric for a ride around Indy: Danica Patrick turned laps around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a race car Tuesday, July 10 for the first time in more than a year, but this time she had a special passenger. Patrick drove around the famous 2.5-mile oval in a two-seater version of her #7 GoDaddy.com/NASCAR Unites "An American Salute" Chevy, with iconic television personality Katie Couric in the passenger seat. She also gave Couric a tour of IMS. The laps also served as a fun warm-up for Patrick's official return to the Brickyard when she makes her IMS stock-car debut in the Indiana 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday, July 28 during the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard. "It feels really good to be at the track," Patrick said. "I enjoyed the laps that I made out there. I really, really enjoyed coming out of Turn 4 and coming down the front straightaway and seeing everything again." Patrick last raced at IMS in the 2011 Indianapolis 500, in which she finished 10th. It was one of her six top-10 results in seven starts in the Indy 500. Tickets are on sale now for the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard on July 26-29 at IMS.(IMS)(7-12-2012)

Patrick adds Kansas to her 2012 Cup schedule: Danica Patrick will compete in the Oct. 21 Hollywood Casino 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the newly-paved Kansas Speedway. Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy.com Chevy for Tommy Baldwin Racing via a collaborative agreement with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), will benefit from an extra day of practice, scheduled for the Thursday before the race weekend due to the 1.5-mile oval being resurfaced since the Sprint Cup Series' last visit to Kansas in April. "With the testing rules the way they are, we can't test with her at tracks where NASCAR's top three series compete," said Greg Zipadelli, SHR competition director and race strategist for Patrick. "That extra day of testing will be huge for her. With the amount of 1.5-mile ovals on the schedule, it made sense to have her compete at Kansas to better prepare her for 2013." The addition of Kansas Speedway completes Patrick's 10-race Sprint Cup schedule for 2012 "I've always liked racing at Kansas Speedway," Patrick said. "I think the extra day of testing will be very beneficial, not only to prepare for the race weekend, but to learn for the rest of 2012 and looking ahead to 2013 with Stewart-Haas Racing. The more track time I can get, the better, so I'm happy to be driving the GoDaddy.com Chevy at Kansas."(Stewart Haas Racing)(7-10-2012)

CarportEmpire.com sponsoring Reutimann: UPDATE: CarportEmpire.com, a division of Keen's Portable Buildings, will join Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) and the #10 Chevy. David Reutimann will pilot the #10 CarportEmpire.com Chevy in the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola on Saturday. CarportEmpire.com is one of the largest distributors of quality carports, carport garages, steel buildings and RV carports in the United States. The Florida based company offers installation in all 48 continental states as well as financing on each of their models.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(7-4-2012)
UPDATE: TMone will return to Tommy Baldwin Racing and the #10 Chevy this weekend at Daytona International Speedway to promote American Call Centers. TMone is a business process outsourcing (BPO) company that is in the business of augmenting and supplementing other companies human capital needs. All of TMone's jobs are filled in the Heartland of America. With more than nine years of growth, Inc. Magazine listed TMone as one of the Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies for the last five years.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(7-5-2012)

TMone joins Tommy Baldwin Racing at Kentucky: TMone, a Business Process Outsourcing firm and leader in driving new jobs in South Dakota and Iowa, is jumping on board with Tommy Baldwin Racing and the #10 Outsourcing in the USA @TMone Chevy driven by David Reutimann in this weekend's Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. TMone's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series campaign will focus on driving jobs in America and highlight the difference between Outsourcing and Offshoring.(TBR)(6-29-2012)

TBR enlists Trans Am Champ Tomy Drissi for Sonoma: Trans Am Champion Tomy Drissi will join Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) at Sonoma. Drissi will make his fourth NASCAR start and first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start when he gets behind the wheel of the #10 Ice Age: Continental Drift Chevy for the 110-lap event. Ice Age: Continental Drift, the fourth installment of the Ice Age series, will be released in theaters July 13 and be available in 3D. Drissi has scored wins in the American Le Mans Series and Trans Am, and has starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR K&N Pro Series and Pirelli World Challenge. This season, the Trans Am Champion competed in events in both the American Le Mans Series and Pirelli World Challenge. While not in the racecar, Drissi, born in Hollywood, Calif., owns an advertising firm that produces upcoming film displays for cinemas. TBR previously made three starts on road courses in the NSCS. Ron Fellows posted the teams best start of 21st at Watkins Glen in 2010 and best finish of 30th at Watkins Glen in 2011. The team will have two entries in the event with Drissi in the #10 Ice Age: Continental Drift Chevy and Dave Blaney in the #36 Chevy. "We are thrilled to have Tomy in the car," commented team owner Tommy Baldwin. "He is a good road course driver and a fun guy to be around. It's awesome to have Ice Age on the car. My kids and I have really enjoyed the first three movies and are excited to catch the fourth on July 13!"(TBR) images of the scheme on the PR or my #10 Team Schemes page.(6-19-2012)

Raines in the #10 at Michigan: Tony Raines is getting a second chance to drive for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Team officials confirmed Tuesday that Raines will be replacing David Reutimann in the #10 Chevy for Sunday's Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Raines climbed into the #36 Chevrolet at Pocono when Kurt Busch's one-race suspension created a NASCAR version of musical chairs. With Reutimann subbing for Busch, Dave Blaney moved to the #10. However, with Busch returning to Phoenix Racing, some changes to the lineup at TBR had to be made. "We had a plan with Reutimann driving for the #51," team spokesman Heather Lumpp said. "We are sticking with our plan, and Reutimann will be back in the #10 at Kentucky." Where that leaves Reutimann -- who has attempted to make every race this season -- is unclear. He's driven three times for [#93 and #73] BK Racing in 2012, but a team spokesman said there are currently no plans to add a third car to the entry list this weekend.(NASCAR.com)(6-13-20102)

Danica's merchandise hauler involved in accident: This hasn't been a very good NASCAR season for #10-Danica Patrick, and now even one of the trailers carrying her branded merchandise has found some trouble. Patrick's souvenir hauler was rear-ended by another truck on Thursday while en route from Eldora Speedway in Ohio to Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. According to a picture circulating Twitter, the cab of the other truck went all the way into the rear end of Patrick's hauler (the driver's condition is unknown). Merchandise company Motorsports Authentics is the owner and operator of the hauler, not JR Motorsports or Stewart-Haas Racing. A request for comment from a Motorsports Authentics executive was not immediately returned. Josh Williams, who spots for Scott Speed in the Sprint Cup Series, tweeted that his cousin works on Patrick's souvenir rig and was uninjured.(SB Nation)(6-9-2012)

Reutiman in the #51 at Pocono; Blaney to the #10: In an effort to help a fellow small team, Tommy Baldwin and James Finch worked out a deal for David Reutimann to drive the #51 Chevy for Phoenix Racing following Kurt Busch's suspension for this weekend's race at Pocono Raceway. Dave Blaney will pilot the #10 Chevrolet, and Tony Raines will return to the #36 Chevy for the Pocono 400 presented by #NASCAR. "I understand the position James was put in this week," explained Tommy Baldwin. "As an owner of a small team, I wanted to help him out. We talked and thought that this lineup would be best for both of our teams."(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(6-5-2012)

Danica to be playable character in Sega Racing Game: SEGA of America Inc. announced that Danica Patrick will be appearing alongside Sonic the Hedgehog in "Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed", the new racing game where players speed across land, air and water in fully transforming vehicles. Known for her talents behind the wheel, Danica will be a playable character with customized vehicles in "Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed". Gamers will get the chance to test their racing abilities as Danica against an All-Star cast of SEGA characters including Sonic, Knuckles, AiAi and others. To further enhance this partnership, Danica will be racing in a custom #7 Sonic the Hedgehog Chevy, fielded by JR Motorsports, during the O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge Texas Motor Speedway. The race, part of NASCAR's Nationwide Series, marks Sonic the Hedgehog's NASCAR debut.(Sega)(6-6-2012)

TMone joins Reutimann at Dover: TMone will join David Reutimann and Tommy Baldwin Racing at Dover International Speedway. The U.S. Call Center Insourcing firm will have associate placement on the #10 TBR Chevy in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks. The partnership coincides with the announcement that TMone, pronounced T-M-one,is opening a new state-of-the-art Contact Center in Dakota Dunes, S.D. and an upgrade to their employee's work-life environment in Des Moines, Iowa with a strategic move to a Corporate Campus. TMone previously partnered with TBR in Daytona, Texas and Talladega this season.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(6-3-2012)

Danica featured in ESPN The Magazine: Women in Sports: After a successful run in IndyCar, #10-Danica Patrick began transitioning to NASCAR in 2010 and had a rocky start. She wants to win, but she's also out to gain some credibility. A lot of haters think she's only where she is because of how she looks. Is that unfair? Or is it part of racing-perhaps the only sport where connections and money can get you a spot in the competition? In ESPN The Magazine's first-ever "Women in Sports" issue, on newsstands Friday, Patrick discusses her switch to NASCAR, her fatigue with the "women driver" storyline and why she does those risqué ads.(ESPN)(5-30-2012)

Danica would like to run Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600 together next year: Danica Patrick wants to compete in her eighth Indianapolis 500. Her Sprint Cup team owner, Tony Stewart, said before the season he hoped Patrick would be ready to ascend from the Nationwide Series to Sprint Cup full time in 2013. With Patrick unlikely to skip a Cup race as a full-time driver, especially NASCAR's Coca-Cola-sponsored Memorial Day event and especially after recently joining the brand's line of endorsers, there is now the highly intriguing possibility of one of sports' most recognizable figures resurrecting the fabled but fallow Indianapolis-Concord "double." Charlotte Motor Speedway president Marcus Smith wants to do his part, as do many in motorsports. "That's a big deal," he said of Patrick's aspirations. "She's a competitor. She's hungry and she wants to race. I think that's another piece of the story here, just for her to say that is a big deal. I don't think she'd say it if she didn't mean it. Man, if she wanted to do that I definitely would love to help any way we could. We would spring for the helicopter ride to get her from the airplane to the speedway." Stewart said he would support Patrick if she wanted to attempt both races. "Absolutely. She's more than welcome to do it," he said. "I'm sure it would be big." Patrick's agent, Mark Dyer, said he is "developing plans" for a possible double bid, "whether it happens next year or not." Though the pursuit would be highly documented and likely garner mainstream attention, it would not be attempted simply for publicity, he said.(in part from ESPNW)(5-27-2012)

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)