Although admittedly there is no fresher face in a new place than Danica Patrick at JR Motorsports, Ms. Patrick is only part of the larger story when it comes to what’s new in 2010 for the Nationwide Series.
Patrick, the marketing dynamo who will run at least 12 Nationwide races and possibly 13, already has exploded onto the series scene even before she’s run her first event.
“I always have high expectations for myself,” said Patrick, who has built her part-time Nationwide plans around the full IndyCar season that she also will run. NASCAR
Her first race, though, is still uncertain. Patrick is waiting to decide whether to race in the Nationwide Series opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13.
The team says it will decide after Patrick makes her stock car debut in the Feb. 6 ARCA race at Daytona. If she feels comfortable, she could race the following week in NASCAR’s second-tier series. It would be a daunting NASCAR start considering more than a dozen Sprint Cup regulars, including team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., drive in that one. Auto Racing Daily
Expectations always are high at JR Motorsports, which will have driver Kelly Bires replace Brad Keselowski this year in its full-time car, the No. 88 Chevrolet that Keselowski drove to four wins and third place in the standings a year ago.
Among the other new faces in new places, some for the series are:
• Keselowski switching from the Chevy he drove the previous two years for JR Motorports to his new ride at Penske Motorports. Along with Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards, Keselowski rates as one of the favorites to challenge for the Nationwide Series title as last year’s champion, Kyle Busch, is cutting his schedule to approximately 25 races for Joe Gibbs Racing.
• The only Cup regular besides Keselowski and Edwards planning to run a full-time Nationwide schedule is Paul Menard, who will drive Fords on the Cup side for Richard Petty Motorports and for Roush Fenway on the Nationwide side. In addition to fielding the full-time entries for Edwards and Menard, Roush Fenway will run two rookie programs—one for Colin Braun in the No. 16 Ford and one for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the No. 6.
But despite all the different faces in different places, the most discerning eyes to fall on the Nationwide Series in 2010 will be during those races in which Danica Patrick runs. Among the most watchful will be Cup driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., who owns JR Motorsports along with his sister Kelley, who runs the family operation along with the Earnhardts’ cousin, Tony Eury Jr. Not coincidentally, Eury Jr. will serve as Patrick’s Nationwide crew chief.
“She will have excellent equipment. Tony Jr. is a lot of talent. He’ll give her a very comfortable car, so she won’t have to doubt her equipment,” Dale Jr. said.
Kelley Earnhardt added that she already has been impressed with the way Patrick handles herself on and off the track.
And Eury Jr. said Patrick already has displayed some serious skills during testing. NASCAR
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