Patrick puts IndyCar behind as she transitions to Sprint Cup

Danica Patrick's sole focus is on NASCAR this season, opting out of the Indy 500.
Credit: Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs

Is Danica Patrick really giving up her IndyCar past in favor of her NASCAR future? Based on comments made Monday during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour Hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, she’s doing just that. Opening up about her schedule for 2012, Patrick shared that she would skip the Indy 500 to participate in NASCAR’s longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600.

There has been much speculation since the announcement came in November that Patrick would be adding the 10 race Sprint Cup commitment to her schedule. Many believed that, if the opportunity presented itself, she would jump on the chance to do double duty for one weekend. But, for Patrick the time commitment and the long Indy 500 qualifications took that off the table since qualifying for Indy would interfere with the Iowa race.

Would she ever race IndyCar again? Although she is focused on NASCAR she says, “That doesn’t mean it’ll never happen again.”

Often criticized for her racy GoDaddy.com advertisements and marketing that paints her as a sex symbol Patrick told members of the media, “I’m a girl, and so to say that I can’t look like a girl doesn’t make any sense.” She went on to point out that it’s not just the GoDaddy marketing that plays to that side of her personality, her other sponsors do so as well.

Patrick has shown much improvement since her first NASCAR events two seasons ago but she still has a long way to go to reach the height of success she dreams of within NASCAR. When asked how she will transition between two different teams during a double duty weekend Patrick commented, “I don’t really know yet, I haven’t had to really transition that much in stock cars…that will be interesting. I hope it will be interesting and seamless. I think more than anything with transitioning it’s gonna have to do with being very busy.”

Patrick will make her Sprint Cup Series debut next month behind the wheel of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevy. Will she win? That’s anyone’s guess, but then again who thought Trevor Bayne would win in 2011?