Danica Patrick's Sugar GoDaddy, Bob Parsons, hasn't been short on comments about Danica's potential NASCAR future.
Parsons talked about it with ESPN here, and was also quoted in a USA Today story here.
Danica herself has declined to comment on her plans for 2012, saying only all he options are open. Most observers would be shocked if Danica did not go to NASCAR full time, most likely in the Nationwide series.
Parson makes it clear in the articles above that he'd sponsor her wherever, and gives Danica a lot of credit for helping drive GoDaddy's growth from $300 million annually to $1.1 billion.
Daniker will go to Nascar--they want her, her sponsor wants it and many $$$ await her.
I appreciate Daniker--she helped boost Indycar during some real lean years. But her leaving is certainly not as hurtful to the series as it may have been a couple years ago.
(I hope she's ready to pose for S.I. again--this time in a Budweiser/Nationwide/Goodies Headache Powder/Chevrolet logo'ed bikini.)
Posted by: redcar | June 01, 2011 at 10:58 AM
What?! Danica's Leaving?!!! OMG!!! Why didn't I hear about this until now?!!!!
(End Microsoft Sarcasm Font)
Bob Parson's gives me the creeps. I think Daniker's a good driver, and has done a lot for the profile of Indycar during the lean years, but the "Go Daddy" schtick has long since begun to irritate me. I will be relieved to see her go if they stop running those creepy commercials during the race.
Posted by: Tom G. | June 01, 2011 at 12:32 PM
I'd be content to never hear Whanica mentioned again if she's not winning races or championships in IndyCar.
Posted by: Brian McKay | June 01, 2011 at 02:01 PM
...yet another reason I use hover dot com... this guy's busy murdering elephants and contaminating my brain with some of the worst spots ever. I agree that Danica was good for Indy during the leanest of years, but it's time to showcase the quality of racing. She's been a good but not great driver, and her wax figure/disingenuous/whiny personality is a good match for NASCAR. I think brave women in the Simona mold are the future of females in IndyCar.
Posted by: franchittilitter | June 01, 2011 at 02:27 PM
Danica to NASCAR is going to happen if she stays with Go Daddy. Which is unfortunate, because really, no one outside of Go Daddy wins if that happens. Danica's legacy is in trouble if she goes and runs 30th every week, NASCAR get's a short term boost but ends up with another non winning star, and Indycar loses it's star. Danica makes some money, but better maximize the profit, cause I'd give her 2-3 years in Cup, like Hornish or Speed. I still think Danica and Target make sense together, but it doesn't look likely.
Posted by: Dylan | June 01, 2011 at 03:09 PM
"Danica's legacy is in trouble if she goes and runs 30th every week."
Legacy of what? All of those race wins and championships on her professional resume?
Her LEGACY is and will always be about her "brand" and how much cash she can shove into her bank account. What she does on the track is down the list on what really matters.
Go-Daddy could give 2 shits about how well she does in NASCAR. Just sell some swag, do some commercials and smile for the camera. Rinse and repeat. Run around all day in races, finish with the Travis Kvapil's and Robby Gordon's of the sport and get the talking heads to talk about how much "she's learning and improving" each week.
When she leaves Indy Car, I just hope those 4 or 5 extra folks she has brought to the sport in TV ratings can be replaced.
Posted by: Wink Martin Dale | June 02, 2011 at 12:41 AM
I agree with Tom. Bob Parsons and his Go Daddy commercials give me the creeps also. Better that the NASCAR folks have to watch them than us. I believe that more than anything else, being associated with Go Daddy diminishes Danica's image with open wheel racing fans.
As for her personality, she is no more or less whiny than Tracy, Edwards, Stewart, Busch, and others. In my encounters with her at various races she has never been less than gracious. I can't imagine that she will do better than Hornish, but I wish her well.
For those who still don't believe she has been good for the sport, I would suggest that you look at the YouTube video of the crowd reaction when she took the lead at Indy in 2005. Looking back on my sixty years of watching open wheel racing, I cannot remember ever seeing and feeling that kind of energy in a crowd. Electric!
Posted by: Ron F. | June 02, 2011 at 07:45 AM
I think she's been good for the sport and GoDaddy (as with any sponsor) will be missed, exploitative lowest-common-demoninator commercials and all.
The very fact she's been so noncommittal leads me to believe she'll follow the big money into NASCAR. She's said nothing about "love for the sport", "building on what we have", "retooling", or anything else about continuing in Indycar.
Posted by: Rick | June 02, 2011 at 12:06 PM