Getty ImagesThe big decision has been made. Danica Patrick will drive in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Here's hoping it's the right decision.
The decision came after her team, her handlers and Patrick herself held a meeting on Sunday evening to review her stock car debut in the ARCA Series race at DIS (pictured in the No. 7). The decision was to go for it.
NASCAR also apparently liked what they saw on Saturday as it has given Patrick permission to move up to Nationwide.
Patrick qualified 12th in that ARCA race, and finished sixth. She did experience a scary moment when her car slide through the infield grass and then back up onto the track at about 180 mph.
But she kept if off the wall, was not run over by others and made up time and track position lost because of the incident.
In a column I wrote for the RacinToday.com web site, I gave Patrick the grade of “B” for the job she did in her debut.
But I remain a bit nervous about Saturday. I still think she should sit the Daytona Nationwide race out. I think she should spend Saturday — and Sunday — atop the JR Motorsports or the Hendrick Motorsports pit box with headphones clamped over her ears and engage full-cram mode.
I think wide, forgiving Auto Club Speedway is a better place to start a NASCAR career.
I say this not because I am biased against women. I love what they do for the sport and that is; they make racing an endeavor that truly encompasses all segments of society. I think a vibrant presence of female drivers in NASCAR, the NHRA, sports car and IndyCars is what is needed to move racing to the next level.
I don’t say it because I don’t like Patrick. I do like her. I have interviewed her several times dating back to her pre-IRL days. The first time, it was in the media room at Indy. She was with a PR rep for Bobby Rahal’s team and was being introduced around. They came over to me, we chatted 10 minutes, they left and I turned to the reporter next to me and said that Patrick had good racing stuff. I was impressed.
I say I think it would be better to give her time with a clipboard because this all feels so rushed to me. Things are going to come at her thick and fast this week and especially on race day.
In a way, chaotic old ARCA was a great test. It was a dive into the deep end of the pool.
But Saturday is another dive. I hope the pool isn’t too deep. It has been for others.
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