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Chicagoland Chevy Dealership Roots For Danica Patrick Driving Chevy At Daytona
"To be the one driving that Go Daddy car at Daytona means a lot to me, racing in the Nationwide Series race was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do. The ARCA race was a blast, and I'm not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing,' said female racing pro Danica Patrick.
Last Saturday, she made her first NASCAR Nationwide Series start at the "World Center of Racing" DRIVE4COPD 300 behind the wheel of the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. The 120-lap, 300-mile race kicked off Patrick's partial NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule that she plans on running with JR Motorsports in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Impala. Patrick was the fourth women and the first since Shawna Robinson in 2005 to compete in this race.
Her entry in the Drive4COPD 300 paired her up with Dale Earnhardt Jr, who is also sponsored by JR. Motorsports and who drives the No. 88 Hellmann's Chevrolet. Earnheardt has been openly supportive and thinks extremely high of Patrick, saying, "I think Danica proved to everyone that she can compete in stock cars at a high level, and right now seat time is extremely important, "She has worked extremely hard during the past two months for this opportunity. Her dedication and work ethic is infectious."
Patrick decided that she would compete in the "World Center of Racing" DRIVE4COPD 300 after making her stock car racing debut in the previous weekend's Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, where she finished sixth after a solid performance. She was involved in an incident on the front stretch but was able to keep her car off the wall and with 10 laps to go, Patrick charged through the field and nipped Supercross legend Ricky Carmichael at the stripe to come out with her sixth-place finish.
Danica feels that the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 race helped her prepare for this past weekend's race. "I have a better feel for the starts and restarts. Things like getting through the gears, up to speed and the double-file restarts," said the highly marketable racer. "Fontana is a much different track and race than Daytona, so I'm going in there with the understanding that things are going to be completely different."
GoDaddy.com, the world's largest domain registrar, and Chevrolet, one of the world's largest automakers and maker of the Chevy Traverse serve as Patrick's primary sponsors. Both companies have openly spoken about how excited they are to sponsor Patrick in this weekend's upcoming race. GoDaddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons said, "Danica's got what it takes, and it's obvious from the ARCA race NASCAR is right up her alley, "She's ready to drive the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevy in Daytona and is sure to give the fans an exciting show just like she did in the ARCA race."
After this weekend's Feb. 20 race at Auto Club Speedway, Danica will then race Feb. 27 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After Vegas, she will take a four-month hiatus to focus on her IndyCar Series responsibilities before returning to drive the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevy in the Nationwide Series June 26 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
About the Author
Tyler Welch is freelance journalist who writes articles about the automotive industry and blogs about American auto racing. His articles feature locally relevant information to Chicago Chevy Traverse owners and Elmhurst used car owners.
