Danica Patrick in contract and sponsorship limbo, remains committed to Stewart-Haas Racing

Although her contract is expiring at the end of the season and GoDaddy stated it won’t return as her sponsor, Danica Patrick is confident she’ll remain with Stewart-Haas Racing for the foreseeable future.

GoDaddy announced Wednesday that it would cease sponsoring Patrick’s No. 10 team at the end of the season. Though a decision has been in the works for some time, it still puts Patrick and SHR in the unenviable position of finding comparable funding, which for a driver of Patrick’s popularity is upwards of $20 million.

“We knew that it was possible that GoDaddy would go away,” Patrick said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. “I think we’re all ready and prepared to move on and to figure out other things.

“It is a new scenario and we’re going to have to figure it out and it’s a challenge, no doubt. Finding primary sponsors is a challenge. But I feel confident in all the people to find sponsors, I believe in my agent and my team. And we’ll figure it out.”

Because she is a pending free agent and a replacement sponsor isn’t secured, Patrick can explore options beyond SHR and could conceivably leave the only team she’s driven for in the Sprint Cup series. But all things being equal, Patrick’s preference is to remain with the team co-owned by Tony Stewart, where she’s been since 2012.

“I really am happy at Stewart-Haas and they’re working hard already to find someone for the new primary position,” Patrick said. “My team is working to find someone for the new primary position. So, I think at this point in time, we’re moving forward with all those intentions. But I guess it is on some level open season in a lot of areas. So, I don’t think you can ever say never, of course; but I am happy where I’m at right now.”

Besides her popularity, a selling point to a potential sponsor is that Patrick is off to the best start of her Cup career. She has two top-10s through nine races and resides 16th in points.

Further aiding the sponsorship hunt is the depth of SHR’s driver roster and the caliber of its equipment. In addition to Patrick and Stewart, a three-time premier division champion and one of the sport’s most marketable personalities, the team also fields cars for defending series champion Kevin Harvick and 2004 titlist Kurt Busch, who won last week’s race at Richmond International Raceway. Harvick and Stewart have combined to win two of the past four series championships.

A likely scenario is that SHR piecemeals several sponsorship packages together to cover the 38-race schedule (36 point races plus two exhibitions). In addition to GoDaddy (33 races), Aspen Dental (two) and TaxACT (three) also serve as Patrick’s primary sponsor.

Teammates Harvick, Stewart and Busch utilize a more diversified sponsorship approach than Patrick, with several companies involved with each driver including Bass Pro Shops, Budweiser, Code 3 Associates, ditech, Haas Automation, Jimmy John’s, Mobil 1, Outback Steakhouse, Rush Truck Centers and State Water Heaters.

“I think that we’ve been able to be a little selective,” Patrick said. “I don’t think it’s so easy as to just say a company and then go get them and have everything you want. We try, no doubt. But I think it’s more about becoming more of the process with the marketing and branding and to make it all work and being a little bit selective. But, it’s a tougher environment than it’s ever been, so you also have to be open-minded.”