Danica Partrick Is Hoping For A Top Ten Finish At Louden

Looking for a Top-10 Result at ‘The Magic Mile’

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (July 12, 2016) – On Wednesday night, Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS, will trade in her firesuit for formal wear as she serves as a presenter at The ESPYS in Los Angeles. The 24th annual celebration of the best moments from the year in sports is scheduled to air live at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC and the night will mark the 12th consecutive year that Patrick has been a part of the event.

After the star-studded festivities conclude in Los Angeles, Patrick will travel to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon and return to her firesuit and racing gear for this weekend’s New Hampshire 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event.

The gates first opened to what is now known as New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 1990. Built as a 1.058-mile oval, the track soon earned the nickname “The Magic Mile.” Now, as Sprint Cup teams head to the track for Sunday’s race more than 25 years later, Patrick and the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will be looking to find some magic of their own at the track.

Patrick has made six Sprint Cup starts at New Hampshire with a career-best 19th-place effort there in September 2014. In two Xfinity Series starts, she finished a career-best 14th in July 2012. Patrick also earned a sixth-place result in the 2011 IndyCar Series race at the track.

Last September, Patrick was left with a 40th-place finish at New Hampshire after contact from another racecar put her out of the event nearly 100 laps before the checkered flag.

While Patrick has earned a top-10 at “The Magic Mile” in open-wheel competition, she’s yet to find the same success in stock cars. The weekend ahead could provide a great opportunity for the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet team to finally find some magic at the track and earn Patrick her first top-10 finish in a stock car at New Hampshire.

“I really like going to New Hampshire. I like that area of the country and I like the restaurants and what it has to offer. I haven’t been there a whole lot, but I enjoy it.”

How challenging is New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

“It’s flat and tough to get around, sometimes. You just have to make sure you get through the corners OK and are able to get on the gas quick on the straightaways. It’s tough but, if you have a good car, you can pass and move up through the field. But it can be challenging if it’s not working in your favor.”

Teammates: 

Kevin Harvick – No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS

Tony Stewart– No. 14 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS

Kurt Busch – No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet SS

At-Track PR Contact: Annette Randall, True Speed Communication (704-875-3388 ext. 805, Annette.Randall@TrueSpeedCommunication.com)

• The New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon will mark Danica Patrick’s 137th career start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. She’s competed in six races at the Sprint Cup level at the 1.058-mile oval and her top finish at the track was a 19th-place effort she earned in September 2014. In two Xfinity Series events at New Hampshire, Patrick’s top finish was a 14th-place result in July 2012. In addition to her stock car experience at the track, Patrick competed in the 2011 IndyCar Series event at New Hampshire and earned a sixth-place finish.
• And the Award Goes To: On Wednesday, Patrick will trade her firesuit for formal wear as she serves as a presenter at The ESPYS in Los Angeles. The 24th annual celebration of the best moments from the year in sports will be hosted by John Cena and is scheduled to air live at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC. Patrick will be joined by fellow presenters including Stephen Curry, Dwyane Wade, Lindsey Vonn and J.J. Watt.
• Going Home: New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the home track for two members of the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS team. Front end mechanic Joey Elliott hails from Northwood, New Hampshire, located some 20 miles southeast of the speedway, and car chief Pete White is from Hinsdale, Massachusetts, a town approximately 150 miles southwest of the track.
• Dallas Dogs Available: A plush version of Dallas Stenhouse, the 2-year-old miniature Siberian Husky that belongs to Patrick and her boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr., is available for sale. Race fans can purchase their own Dallas plush dog at the Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team store in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the SHR online store and atShop.DanicaPatrick.com. A portion of the proceeds from all sales will benefit animal charities.
• Nature’s Bakery Fantern at New Hampshire: Darci Faye, a NASCAR fan who resides in Caribou, Maine, will join the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery team Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway as the latest Nature’s Bakery Fantern. The Fantern program was launched in January to energize fans with an opportunity to participate in a unique, at-track journey with Patrick and the No. 10 team. Faye’s race-day experience will include spending time with the Nature’s Bakery pit crew, a tour of the Sprint Cup garage and pit area, meeting Patrick and watching the race from pit road. The fan internship program is slated for 26 race weekends this season. U.S. residents can visit www.NaturesBakery.com/Fantern to apply to be a part of the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery team. Fans have two options to submit their applications for the role: submit a one-minute video, or several photos accompanied by a 500-word essay detailing why the fan should be selected as the next Nature’s Bakery Fantern. Each Nature’s Bakery Fantern will get to bring a guest to the track to share in the special at-track journey with the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery team. Fanterns will share social media content from their at-track adventure utilizing the #Fantern hashtag.
• For the History Books: Since Patrick began competing in NASCAR on a part-time basis in 2010, she has made plenty of history. Here is a recap of how she has altered the record books through the years:
  • ​Became the first woman to win a Sprint Cup pole when she set the fastest time in qualifying for the 2013 Daytona 500.
  • Led laps 90 to 91 of the 2013 Daytona 500, becoming the first female to lead NASCAR’s most prestigious race. She also led laps 127 to 129.
  • Became the first woman to lead a NASCAR race under green (Daytona 2013). Janet Guthrie led five laps under yellow in 1977 at Ontario (Calif.) Motor Speedway.
  • Finished 2013 Daytona 500 in eighth place, the highest finishing position ever for a woman in the “Great American Race.”
  • Finished 10th in 2012 Xfinity Series points, the highest points finish by a woman in the history of NASCAR’s top three series (Sprint Cup, Xfinity, Truck).
  • Competed in every Sprint Cup race in 2013, becoming the first female driver to complete an entire season in the series.
  • Became the first female to compete in the nonpoints Sprint All-Star race (2013) and Sprint Unlimited (2014).
  • Have the most starts of any female in Sprint Cup Series competition.
  • With six top-10 finishes, holds the record for the most top-10 finishes of any female in Sprint Cup Series competition.
• History Maker in IndyCar: Patrick became the first woman to win a major-league open-wheel race in a North American series in April 2008 by winning the IndyCar Series Japan Indy 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi oval in Japan.
• Big Stage: In seven Indianapolis 500 starts, Patrick finished in the top-10 six times, including a third-place result in 2009, the best finish ever for a woman in the historic race.

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!