Danica Patrick to make NASCAR debut at Daytona this weekend in Nationwide race

[so4real]

By The Associated Press

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Danica Patrick will make her NASCAR debut this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
The IndyCar star will drive the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in Saturday's second-tier Nationwide Series race.
The decision announced Monday to race at Daytona was made after team officials dissected her stock-car racing debut in the ARCA race at Daytona on Saturday. The team had left the option to race up to Patrick, who wanted to assess her first race before deciding whether to enter one of the most prestigious Nationwide races of the season.
Patrick overcame a mid-race spin to finish sixth.
"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," Patrick said in a statement. "The ARCA race was a blast, and I'm not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing."
Patrick had been hesitant to make her debut at Daytona because of the top talent that race attracts. Sprint Cup drivers have won nine of the last 10 Nationwide races here, and the lone exception was Martin Truex Jr., who won in 2005 in JR Motorsports car.
Patrick will be joined in the field by Dale Earnhardt Jr., her car owner. He has five wins and 10 top-10 finishes in 17 Nationwide races at Daytona.
Earnhardt will be driving JRM's flagship No. 88, while Patrick will be in the car she will drive in 13 previously announced races. Her schedule after Daytona includes the Feb. 20 race at California and the Feb. 27 race at Las Vegas.
"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," said Kelley Earnhardt, Earnhardt's sister and the general manager and a part owner of JRM.
"She has worked extremely hard during the past two months for this opportunity. Her dedication and work ethic is infectious."
JR Motorsports acquired the points from CJM Racing to ensure Patrick a spot in the field. CJM Racing finished 15th in the owner standings last season, but has suspended operations.

[so4real]

By Jay Busbee
Well, that didn't take long. Less than two days after her successful performance in her very first stock car race, Danica Patrick will be running her very first Nationwide race this Saturday.
JR Motorsports folks had indicated that her entry in the Daytona race would be conditional on a strong performance in the ARCA event. And a sixth-place finish in a race that had more wrecks than a high-speed driver's ed class was apparently enough to impress the higher-ups.
"To be the one driving that Go Daddy car at Daytona means a lot to me," Patrick said in a statement. "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."
And she'll get it. Danica will be running against many of the best drivers in NASCAR, a field that could include just about everyone south of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be running in the #88 car, and Danica will drive the #11, to be sponsored -- of course -- by GoDaddy.com.
Of course, not everybody is thrilled about the Danica promotion. On his Twitter feed, Kelly Bires, who's gotten bounced from his seat to make room for Junior and Danica, issued this statement: "As everyone can see I will not be running Daytona. Very bummed out about it! I will be ready to make a statement in Fontana."