Danica Patrick would like to cap her racing career by competing in the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 before she retires. But Patrick admitted Thursday putting together deals to run the pair of signature races is proving more difficult than expected.
Danica Patrick still finalizing plans to race Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500
Patrick admits she thought she would have a deal in place by now to compete in the two signature races and is trying to “politely” push the process along.
Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
“It’s taking longer than I’d like it to take, I’ll be really honest with you,” Patrick told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I thought it was going to be a quicker process.
“You can’t rush things. I’m a big believer, more and more all the time of letting things flow and letting things take shape in the way that they would. That’s kind of why I ended where I ended with finishing up (my) full-time career last year and doing the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 for this year.”
Patrick announced in November that the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season would be her last as a full-time driver, though she would attempt the Daytona 500 in February and the Indianapolis 500 in May — two races she’s previously performed well in. She finished third in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 and eighth in the 2013 Daytona 500, the best finish by a female driver in either event.
To solidify her plans required not only finding the right team but also ensuring she had adequate sponsorship to justify the expenditure a team would incur to add an extra car for a single race. Team owner Chip Ganassi, one of just two owners who fields cars in both NASCAR and IndyCar, told reporters in November that he had spoken with Patrick and representatives, but thus far nothing has materialized.
In the meantime, Patrick is focusing her attention on her new health and fitness book, Pretty Intense, which was released last week, and a new clothing line. She has recently made several national television appearances including guest spots on Good Morning America and The Chew.
“Everything I do outside of racing is because of racing,” Patrick told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I’m well aware of that and I’m so fortunate that I get to go into these other ventures and have a platform to do it. But I am excited about them. I’m so glad with the way it all ended up working out.
“Similarly with the teams I’m going to race for, or the team, in NASCAR and in IndyCar. I’m pushing politely but you can’t make things happen before they’re ready to happen. I kind of thought it would get more simple. There’s less people involved, less sponsors, less things. Well, it’s still complicated. It’s just taking a little bit of time. Hopefully we’ll have something to announce soon enough.”
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