Can Danica Finally Visit Victory Lane At Richmond?

One Last Chance

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Sept. 7, 2016) – As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams head to the final race before the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, all eyes will be on Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway as teams vie for the remaining spots in the 16-driver playoff field.

So far, 13 drivers have essentially locked themselves into the Chase by securing a win, but they will also have to remain inside the top-30 in the driver point standings to remain eligible. If all 13 stay in the top-30 in points, then that will leave three spots up for grabs in Saturday night’s race. There are four drivers mathematically eligible to race their way into those last three spots in the Chase field based on points: Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman. However, with justSaturday night’s race left before the Chase field is set, there are other drivers and teams who can capitalize on one last opportunity to race their way in with a victory.

Danica Patrick and the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will be one of the groups looking to play the spoiler role and race their way into the Chase field Saturdaynight.

Patrick has seven Sprint Cup starts at Richmond and her best finish to date was a 16th-place result earned in September 2014. In three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Richmond, she finished a career-best 18th in September 2011.

In addition to her stock car experience at the track, Patrick also competed in five IndyCar Series events at Richmond. She earned a fifth-place finish at the .75-mile oval in June 2009, best of her four IndyCar top-10s at Richmond.

With that experience under her belt, Patrick and her No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet team will be in search of victory on Saturday at Richmond as they have one last chance at making the 2016 Chase field.

“I’ve always enjoyed going to Richmond. I had fun racing Indy cars there. I liked driving the Xfinity car there, as well. We didn’t have the greatest results, but it was still fun.”

What makes the racing so good at Richmond?

“When you have a good car, it creates opportunities to pass. Turns one and two are kind of tight, and three and four are more of a long corner, so it’s a challenge to set the car up. We slip and slide there a bunch, anyway. There is more grip at night and I’m thankful for that.”

There are a few drivers still vying for Chase spots at Richmond. Are you expecting anything crazy to happen, or will it be business as usual?

“I highly doubt it will be business as usual. You want to get the most points possible because those spots are open and people are going to try like hell to win the race. There is always that last great push at the end and it will be interesting to see how it turns out. There might be a few yellows.”

Teammates: 

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

Tony Stewart– No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 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 Federated Auto Parts 400 will mark Danica Patrick’s 144th career start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and her eighth at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. She finished a career-best 16th there in September 2014. In three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, she finished a career-best 18th in September 2011. Patrick also competed in five IndyCar Series events at Richmond. She earned a fifth-place finish at the track in June 2009 and scored a total of four top-10s.
• Nature’s Bakery Fantern at Richmond: Alton Ramsey, a NASCAR fan who resides in Chesterfield, Virginia, will join the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery team Saturday at Richmond 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. Ramsey’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.
• Raising Awareness: In honor of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Patrick will utilize a special teal-and-gold-accented steering wheel made by Max Papis Innovations in the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS for on-track activities throughout the month of September. Patrick is one of several NASCAR drivers helping to support The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation in raising awareness and funding for those two causes. At the end of the month, the steering wheel will be signed by Patrick and donated to The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation to be auctioned off via the NASCAR Foundation’s charitable auction site. Fans can also help make an impact by texting the word STRONG to 50155 to make a one-time or recurring donation.
• Patrick Partners with Williams-Sonoma to Benefit No Kid Hungry: Williams-Sonoma recently launched its latest campaign to benefit No Kid Hungry and, as part of the effort, the retailer revealed its “Cook for a Cause” program, which includes a line of limited-edition, celebrity-designed spatulas. Williams-Sonoma will donate 30 percent of the retail price to No Kid Hungry, which can connect a child with 10 healthy meals for just $1. This year’s spatulas feature illustrations contributed by Jimmy Kimmel, Chrissy Teigen, Trisha Yearwood, Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten, Michael Voltaggio, Ayesha Curry, American Girl and Patrick. The limited-edition collection is on sale in stores and online:http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/new/new-no-kid-hungry/.
• 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.
• 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!