Danica Patrick will announce on Tuesday in Phoenix her decision to drive a part-time Nationwide Series schedule for JR Motorsports in 2010. ESPN.com reported last month that Patrick was in the final stages of negotiations with JRM to compete in about a dozen races in a #7 — her number in IndyCar — Chevy with GoDaddy.com as the sponsor. The source said that has not changed. The GoDaddy.com sponsorship will be only for the races in which Patrick drives, sources said. JRM continues to look for sponsors for the #88 that will be driven by Kelly Bires and any remaining races for the second car. When Patrick announced her three-year extension with Andretti Autosport last week in New York a picture appeared on her Web site with her in a NASCAR fire suit bearing a JRM and other NASCAR-related logos. It quickly was removed [see the image – click here]. The plan is to enter Patrick in the ARCA Series opener in February at Daytona International Speedway and get her approved by NASCAR for the Nationwide [Daytona] race. ARCA owner Bobby Gerhart recently was contacted about putting Patrick in one of his cars for a Dec. 18-20 test at Daytona. He told ESPN.com on Monday he expected her to be in a car prepared by JR Motorsports at the test. “My gut feeling is I think she’ll drive something out of Mooresville, N.C.,” he said, referring to the location of JR. “That’s what I’m hearing. It’ll be that powerful of a program that that’s the way it would go if that happens.”(ESPN.com and Associated Press)(12-7-2009)
AND GoDaddy.com reports that Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick reveals her NASCAR future on the GoDaddy.com site on Dec. 8, 11:00am MT / 1:00 pm ET.
HEARING that Tony Stewart could be involved in this somehow, part car owner? (12-8-2009)
UPDATE: At last, the long-awaited announcement is official Go Daddy is taking Danica Patrick to the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010. Danica will drive the #7 GoDaddy.com Chevy in a partial Nationwide schedule next season, plus one ARCA race. The Go Daddy Girl will be racing as a member of the JR Motorsports (JRM) team owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Rick Hendrick, Kelley Earnhardt and Tony Eury, Jr. through 2011. Its been a long time coming, but the stars finally aligned for me with Go Daddy and JRM, Danica said just before making her announcement. I have always said I love to drive, and if I could make it work to race in both IndyCar and NASCAR with the right sponsor, like GoDaddy.com and the right team, like JRM then Id love to drive in NASCAR! Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons introduced Danica today as she made it official with the unveiling of her new stock car in front of fans and media outside Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. Parsons and the Go Daddy Girl driver were flanked by the brand new bright green #7 GoDaddy.com Nationwide Chevy and the equally distinctive 2010 IndyCar at todays news conference. Go Daddy is leveraging its existing relationship with Earnhardt, Jr. who has also driven for Go Daddy in the Nationwide Series and will continue to work as a Go Daddy spokesperson. Danicas NASCAR races would take place before, after and in between her IndyCar schedule. Michael Andretti, owner of Danicas IndyCar team, Andretti Autosport, addressed that issue. Danica and I are both working hard for a win at the Indianapolis 500 keeping the race schedules separate will help keep her focused, Andretti said. (GoDaddy.com PR), It was also announced that Tony Eury, Jr. would be her crew chief. See an image of the car on the #7 Nationwide Series paint scheme page.(12-8-2009)
