Danica Patrick Ready to Make NASCAR Debut

Sports News - February 13th, 2010 - Written By Bryan

Danica Patrick is set to make her NASCAR debut on Saturday at the Nationwide series Drive4COPD 300, held at Daytona International Speedway. How is she preparing?

Studying film.

Patrick disclosed the fact that she took note of replays during last year's competition, to gain a sense of tendencies drivers may have.

"I did some in-car camera and race footage from last year," Patrick said in an interview. "I watched the first bit of the race [Thursday] morning. I'm in the garage telling the guys, 'Everyone went loose last year, everyone went loose last year. Please, I'm already loose!"

Upon announcing her transition from the IndyCar series to an attempt in NASCAR, it was met with uncertainty around the racing world. Her performance last week however at ARCA, combined with her intense preparation, has gained respect from drivers on the circuit.

Patrick has sought advice from several of the top names in racing, including Dale Earnhardt Jr, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Tony Stewart.

"Guys have been extremely generous," Patrick remarked. "I don't plan on wasting that or taking that for granted."

In her ARCA race, Patrick had to overcome a spin-out that sent her off the track. She recovered nicely, and climbed her way back up to a sixth place finish. From that result, her team made the decision that she was capable of competing in the Nationwide race.

"I can honestly say, just by watching what she did in IndyCar, I knew she had a lot of talent," remarked Dale Jarrett, an analyst for ESPN. "I wasn't sure she could come here and mix it up. I was wrong. She did a great job the other night. But now it's on to some more intense testing."

Jarret went on to compare Patrick's transition to the Nationwide series to a high school football player's move to the collegiate level. Patrick is not getting too far ahead of herself however, setting reasonable expectations, using this as a learning experience, and having fun.

"All in all, these are really fun cars to drive," Patrick said. "I love the racing. I love there's passing, I love there's side-by-side (racing). Not only is it fun for the drivers, but it's fun for the fans, too, and they're important."

Her coming to NASCAR has generated a significant amount of interest, something the circuit has been desperate for over the last several months. Chairman Brian France encouraged drivers to "open it up" and show more emotion while competing. Additionally, NASCAR implemented some rule changes to create slightly more aggressive driving. All this in hopes of energizing fans.

Kyle Busch headlines the field at the Drive4COPD 300 and is the betting favorite. He has been installed as a 3/1 favorite to claim the checkered flag according to the NASCAR Betting Lines at Bodog sportsbook.

Tony Stewart is next in the line of favorites, sporting odds of 7/2. Stewart is betting favorite for the Daytona 500 on Sunday, a race in which he has never won.

Oddsmakers have established Patrick as a 15/1 shot to win her NASCAR debut. It would be an impressive feat if she is able to race her way to the front. Her performance in ARCA indicated that she is capable of maneuvering through traffic efficiently, but this is a different league.

The Drive4COPD 300 can be seen live at 1pm Est, and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Odds for Who Will Win The Drive4COPD 300:

Brad Keselowski  9/1

Brian Vickers 13/1 

Carl Edwards 7/1 

Colin Braun 15/1 

Dale Earnhardt Jr.  5/1 

Danica Patrick 15/1 

Greg Biffle  14/1 

Jason Leffler  30/1 

Joey Logano  10/1 

Kasey Kahne  12/1 

Kevin Harvick  5/1 

Kyle Busch  3/1 

Tony Stewart  7/2 

Field (Any Other Driver)  8/1