News:
http://www.nascar.com/200....jrmotorsports/index.html PHOENIX -- In broad strokes, Danica Patrick painted a picture of her future in NASCAR.
But there was far less detail on her landscape Tuesday morning than on the giant frescoes of Arizona's natural wonders high above the Rotunda floor at Chase Field, where the IndyCar Series' most popular driver announced a two-year Nationwide Series deal with JR Motorsports.
Here's what we know after the 40-minute news conference, where Patrick, JRM co-owner Kelley Earnhardt and GoDaddy.com founder and CEO Bob Parsons unveiled the No. 7 Chevrolet that Patrick will drive in a limited number of Nationwide races in 2010.
Danica Patrick
Danica's dream
Patrick is more than just a pretty face. She's also talented and deserving of this chance.
* Complete story
* Who is Danica Patrick?
* Career statistics in IRL
• Patrick will make her stock-car racing debut in the ARCA race Feb. 6 at Daytona International Speedway, the day before the Super Bowl. To prepare for that event, Patrick will participate in an ARCA test Dec. 18-20 at Daytona.
• Most of Patrick's Nationwide races will be bookended around her IndyCar season, which begins March 14 in Brazil and ends Oct. 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
• Web hosting provider GoDaddy.com will sponsor Patrick in the races she runs.
• Tony Eury Jr., former Sprint Cup crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a JRM co-owner with Kelley Earnhardt, Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick, will serve as Patrick's crew chief.
Couple of interesting things:
This is a pretty straightforward 'Buy A Ride' deal, in that she's bringing hew OWN sponsor and dollars to the team. Not much news, but it's hardly the coup that the boys at the head office in Daytona were looking for. Watch the spin on that aspect.
What's REALLY interesting is the choice of crew chief. Pretty much everybody was laboring under the assumption that Jr's lack of success at Hendrick and in the last years at DEI were somehow related to the Eury's.
Now that we know that's not true, or at least not entirely true, it should be interesting to watch.
My guess: She's better than the average Nationwide midpacker, but her results may not show it.
I look for BIG wins in ARCA, and run of the mill performances in Nationwide.
