CONCORD, N.C. -- Danica Patrick made it official Friday afternoon here at Charlotte Motor Speedway that she will again run a partial NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule along with her full-time job competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series. While all the specifics have yet to be worked out, she could run up to 14 Nationwide Series races that wouldn't conflict with the IndyCar schedule or other contractual obligations.
Her JR Motorsports team did confirm she will compete in first four races of the 2011 season -- at Daytona, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Bristol, Tenn., where she will compete for the first time on the challenging half-mile track.
Until the IndyCar Series confirms its final race of the season, JR Motorsports team isn't ready to release her exact stock car schedule in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet.
"It's a very similar framework to this year based on my contract and what's available (on the schedule),'' Patrick said before heading out to the 1.5-mile Charlotte oval to qualify for Friday night's Nationwide race.
"I'm really excited.''
JR Motorsports co-owner and Patrick's crew chief Tony Eury Jr. said he thought the first four race portion of Patrick's schedule would be a good education for her in its variety and legacy.
The Bristol race will be good for her, Eury said. "because it's what NASCAR is all about.''
As far as preparing for Bristol, "I'll probably look to Tony for that," Patrick said. "I'll do whatever he thinks I should do to prepare. But I'm definitely used to the G forces (because of IndyCar racing) so obviously there will be some familiarity with that situation."
Both Eury and Patrick said she is hampered somewhat by NASCAR's rule prohibiting testing on the tracks she'll be running on.
"I feel like everybody has been pretty understanding and everybody has been really patient to know that we don't get testing and get to run on these tracks ," Patrick said. "I'm really, really a rookie on these tracks. The first 10 laps of practice, I feel lost. There's a lot to deal with in a first practice session at a new track."
Patrick's sponsor, GoDaddy.com, is returning to sponsor the car and "I don't see any issues with sponsorship at this point," said Kelley Earnhardt, JR Motorsports general manager. The team is owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt, Eury and Rick Hendrick.
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