Patrick thrilled to finally be on an oval
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) -After four not-so-great races on tracks she doesn't particularly like, Danica Patrick couldn't hide her excitement about the start of the oval season.
For those who have followed how I've done so far this year, I'm sure you'll probably ask if I'm excited about being on an oval,'' she said Thursday at Kansas Speedway. The answer is: yes.
Patrick has never been a big fan of street or road courses and has had a tough run through the non-oval start to the IndyCar Series' season.
The crossover star didn't qualify in the top 10 in any of the first four races and finished no better than 15th in three, her best a seventh after qualifying 21st at St. Petersburg.
The easy place to point the finger would be at her dalliance in NASCAR.
Patrick is testing the NASCAR waters this year, running a limited Nationwide schedule. She's had three races so far, with a best finish of 31st at Fontana.
So has the flirtation with NASCAR taken away from Patrick's preparation in IndyCar?
She says no, that the slow start has more to do with miscommunication with her team and some bad luck.
I don't think anything I've done in a stock car has hurt my racing at all. I think it can only help, Patrick said. In the old days, drivers used to drive all kinds of things and that was never thought of as wrong or bad or hurtful to their driving. It was thought of as beneficial because they were driving more.''
NEW CHAMPIONS: This week, the IndyCar Series announced it will crown champions in two new categories, oval and road/street, as well as the season title holder in hopes of adding excitement and pizazz to events outside of the Indianapolis 500.
What it certainly will do is give drivers who like one style of racing over the other something to shoot for.
I was excited when I heard that,'' said Danica Patrick, who prefers oval racing. It just adds another dimension to the series. I hate to say it'll make the competition even tighter, but there's more up for grabs all the time now. It was definitely something good for me to hear.
Even the current points leader, Will Power, likes the idea.
I think that's a good idea because there are certain drivers who are good on ovals and not so on road courses and vice versa,'' he said. Ultimately, everyone wants to win the overall championship, but I think it just makes it a little bit more interesting.''
ANOTHER ANDRETTI CAR: Andretti Autosport will add a fifth car for a limited schedule the second half of the season after signing 2009 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport champion Adam Carroll.
The 27-year-old from Northern Ireland has won at every level he's raced, earning 41 wins in Formula Renault Campus, Formula Ford, Formula 3, GP2 and A1GP.
Andretti Autosport has yet to determine a schedule or car assignment for Carroll. The team already has Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan and Ryan Hunter-Reay onboard, and has entered John Andretti in the Indianapolis 500 in a collaboration with stock car legend Richard Petty.
He is a special talent and someone who we believe will have a bright future with us at Andretti Autosport, owner Michael Andretti said. It was important for us to give him an opportunity this year and start building for the years to come. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do later this year.''
PIT STOPS: Weather could be a factor in Kansas for the second straight year. Thunderstorms are forecast for Friday, which could threaten qualifying. Last year, a tornado came within about a mile of the speedway not long after the NASCAR trucks race had been postponed. Will Power will attempt to tie an IndyCar record with a fourth consecutive pole. If he earns the front spot on Friday, he'll join Helio Castroneves in 2004 and Billy Boat in 1998. Barring a withdrawal or mechanical failure, four women will compete in the same oval race for the first time in IndyCar history on Saturday. Danica Patrick, Milka Duno, Sarah Fisher and Simona De Silvestro are all scheduled to race.