Chip Ganassi doesn’t believe Danica Patrick should leave the IndyCar Series after this season to pursue a full-time ride in NASCAR.
“Her IndyCar career, she’s about to make a step in that career if she decides to stay there,” Ganassi said before Friday’s Sprint Cup practice for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “She’s got one more step to make, and that’s it.”
“As much as I love what’s going on here this weekend, my counsel to her is she’s pretty close to making that last step in IndyCar racing and she could easily do that in the next three or four or five years and still be able to do this.” ESPN
Ganassi, however, cautioned reporters not to make assumptions about the progress of any discussions with Patrick, the most marketable star in the IndyCar Series.
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“I wish I could tell you I’m a lot further down the road on that, but I think the fact of the matter is—like most other teams—we’re in the top of the first inning on that subject,” said Ganassi, who fields two IndyCar teams in addition to Sprint Cup teams for Juan Pablo Montoya and Martin Truex Jr. through Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.
“You might characterize it as we’re on the pace lap yet here, so it’s way early.”
If Patrick decides to make a full-time move to NASCAR racing, however, Ganassi feels she’d be better off with a team other than EGR.
“If she wanted to do NASCAR on a full-time basis, I would suggest that there are better places for her to go and do it with,” Ganassi said. “I don’t think our team’s in a position to do that.” SportingNews.com
Patrick said last month she didn’t want to make a decision until the IndyCar season concludes in October, and Ganassi said his team was “like most teams, in the top of the first inning” of negotiations.
“We’re on the pace lap, you guys have us on last pit stop,” Ganassi said.
Ganassi said dissuading Patrick from joining his NASCAR team wasn’t indicative of being displeased with its progress. After an offseason merger with Dale Earnhardt Inc., Earnhardt Ganassi Racing is poised to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup with Juan Pablo Montoya (ranked ninth in points).
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“I want to focus on that,” he said. “It’s nice having a team of drivers that are veterans in their specific categories. That’s not anything against Danica. But in these economic times, you need less variables. I’m not interested in more variables.” USA Today
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