Danica Patrick may be moving full-time to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2013, but it appears she still will have a presence in the Nationwide Series running a select number of races for Turner Motorsports.
Danica Patrick to run 10 Nationwide races for Turner
Jared C. Tilton
According to an ESPN.com report, Patrick will drive in 10 Nationwide races which are expected to be sponsored by Go Daddy. What races Patrick will compete in and what car number she will use has yet to be announced.
Patrick signing with Turner makes sense on a couple of levels. First, the Nationwide team uses the same equipment as Patrick’s Cup team, Stewart-Haas Racing, as both Chevrolet-backed organizations receive cars and engines from Hendrick Motorsports.
Secondly, as the former IndyCar pilot is still adjusting to the nuances of driving a stock car, she still needs all the seat time she can get. The best way to do that is by running a limited number of Nationwide races in conjunction with a full slate of Cup races, all of which should further Patrick’s development.
In 58 career starts in Nationwide, Patrick has a best finish of fourth, and last year in her only full season of running in NASCAR’s No. 2 series, she finished 10th overall -- the highest points finish for a female driver in NASCAR history.
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