Patrick could boost ratings, ticket sales
Tuesday, Dec. 08, 2009
Danica Patrick joins the NASCAR realm after inking a deal to drive in a handful of Nationwide Series races.
"It's a big deal," Patrick said at Tuesday's announcement in Arizona. "There's going to be a lot of people watching."
And apparently, others agree.
"It certainly creates an interest that NASCAR certainly could use," said Steve Waid with NASCAR Scene.
NASCAR's television ratings, ticket sales and sponsorships are down. Waid says Patrick will pick them up.
"You're going to turn on a race because you heard the name Danica Patrick. You want to see how a woman driver fares in a stock car," he said.
The deal is with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team, JR Motorsports. Patrick will drive the No. 7 Go Daddy Chevrolet. Go Daddy is one of Patrick's sponsors in the IRL.
"I think it will be good for the sport," said NASCAR fan Larry McRoberts, who said he'd pay to see Patrick. "Especially if it's a Cup weekend and you know, the Nationwide is running. Why not go and get a Nationwide ticket and watch her race?"
The deal means Patrick gets her feet wet in NASCAR with the help of Hendrick cars. Hendrick and JR Motorsports work together. Hendrick cars have dominated Cup racing.
JR Motorsports gets Patrick's fans, Go Daddy and hopefully more sponsorships.
"We obviously are needing sponsorships to run our race teams. Right now for 2010, we don't have the full season sponsorships that we're looking for," said Mike Davis with JR Motorsports. "It definitely doesn't hurt us to have Danica Patrick here, driving a partial schedule for us."
Now that the deal is done, Patrick will have to prove her mettle with a stock car pedal.
"I think my determination and commitment are really going to be what makes this thing go well," Patrick said.
"If we don't win and compete then it's not going to be considered a marriage made in heaven. That's the competitive nature of both those drivers," Davis said.
Patrick says she has no plans for NASCAR beyond the partial schedule. Any future in NASCAR depends upon how well her trial run goes.
Davis says the deal will not add jobs at JR Motorsports, but it will help keep the existing ones.
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