Danica could drive for Childress in 2013: Danica Patrick memorabilia will be plentiful at the garishly green and black merchandise trailer at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. There will be shirts and hats and hoodies. But fewer pieces of Danicana for sale will bear her familiar orange #7. It, like her tenure with JR Motorsports, is dwindling. Even though both camps are pleased with what they’ve done together, and even though Patrick hopes to race around 10 Nationwide events next season, the season-ending Nationwide Series race here Saturday could mark the official end of Patrick’s tenure with the team. While JR Motorsports has shepherded her to the precipice of the Sprint Cup career she will begin full-time with Stewart-Haas Racing next season in the #10 Chevy, ultimately, differing business needs could split them. And if they do, Richard Childress Racing might be her next Nationwide destination. Team vice president of competition Mike Dillon said the team has discussed with Patrick’s representatives the possibility of fielding a program for her, either in conjunction with Ty Dillon’s partial schedule in the #33 Chevyor in another car utilizing a research and development team as her crew. ‘We would love to run Danica’ he said. ‘We think we could do a lot with her. It looks like it would be eight to 10 races. We’re talking back and forth about it. If we had the opportunity to do it and do it right, put her in a winning situation, we want to do it.â JR Motorsports wants to do it, too, but has to concentrate first on what it hopes is a two-car, full-time effort in Nationwide next season. Regan Smith is set in the #5 Chevy. Cole Whitt is moving to a #7, but JRM still has to help secure major funding. A third part-time #88 will be used for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s partial schedule, but he and Patrick would want some of the same races.(ESPN)(11-16-2012)
