Danica Patrick Returns To Her “Home Race Track” This Weekend

As the Blues Brothers sang in 1980…

Come on

Oh baby don’t you wanna go

Back to that same old place

Sweet home Chicago

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery/April O’Neil Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), might be singing that same tune this weekend for Sunday’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.

She grew up in Roscoe, Illinois, which is 115 miles northwest of the racetrack and 90 miles northwest of Chicago. She will have some friends and family in attendance, but she’ll also have a special paint scheme on her No. 10 Chevrolet this weekend.

Nature’s Bakery partnered with Nickelodeon for Sunday’s race and Patrick’s car will have a special Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-inspired paint scheme featuring the character April O’Neil on the hood. The unique scheme was designed by Chicago artist Hebru Brantly, whose work is often described as pop-infused contemporary art.

When Patrick takes to the track at Chicagoland in her No. 10 Nature’s Bakery/April O’Neil Chevrolet this weekend, not only will she be returning to her “home” track, she will also be returning to a facility where she has experienced a measure of success. In four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at the track, she finished a career-best 19th there in September 2014 and has two top-20 finishes to her credit. In four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, she finished a career-best 10th in June 2011 and has earned three top-15 finishes. Patrick also competed in six IndyCar Series events at Chicagoland, earning a pole award in September 2005, two top-10 race finishes and six top-15s.

Come on

Oh baby don’t you wanna go

Back to that same old place

Sweet home Chicago

This weekend, it’ll be “Sweet Home Chicago” for Patrick, who’s looking for a good run for the Nature’s Bakery team.

“The Nickelodeon-sponsored races are really cool because they truly are fun for the entire family. It’s really cool that Nature’s Bakery and Nickelodeon have teamed up to put together an awesome paint scheme with the Turtles on it and, of course, the beautiful April O’Neil. I watched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid. I don’t remember a ton about the show, but I totally remember the theme song.”

What are your overall thoughts on Chicago?

“I enjoy any reason to get to Chicago. I just love the city. It’s a great place. There’s so much to do and the restaurants, the shopping – it’s just a world-class city. I’ve been going there ever since I got my driver’s license. I would drive downtown and park by the Water Tower and my girlfriend and I would put on our rollerblades and tear it up on Lake Shore (Drive).”

You grew up in Roscoe, Illinois, about 115 miles northwest of Chicagoland Speedway. Will you have a lot of family and friends at the race this weekend?

“There are going to be a number of people out there. I normally don’t have a lot because I don’t exactly volunteer tickets because it’s a lot of work and there’s a lot going on during the weekend. For people who come out to the track, you want them to have a good time and, if you don’t feel like you can help them have a good time, then there’s not much point. But it will be nice to have family and friends out. It’s a little different because I rarely have people at the races with me. It’s nice to see everyone and have their support and hopefully we put on a good show for them.”

Sunday’s race kicks off the start of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Does that change things?

“The Chase format makes it more exciting and interesting and adds an extra element to things. It adds an extra storyline to a lot of weekends, especially those at the speedways where unexpected things happen. But no matter what weekend it is, you are trying to do as well as you can.”

Teammates: 

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

Tony Stewart– No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS

Kurt Busch – No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS

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

• The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 will mark Danica Patrick’s 145th career start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and her fifth at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. She finished a career-best 19th there in September 2014. In four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, she finished a career-best 10th in June 2011. Patrick also competed in six IndyCar Series events at Chicagoland, earning a pole award in September 2005 and two top-10 finishes.
• Turtle Power: Nature’s Bakery partnered with Nickelodeon for Sunday’s race and Patrick’s car will have a special Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-inspired paint scheme featuring the character April O’Neil on the hood. The unique scheme on the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery/April O’Neil Chevrolet SS was designed by Chicago artist Hebru Brantly, whose work is often described as pop-infused contemporary art.
• Nature’s Bakery Fantern at Chicagoland: Bryon Dockett, who resides in New Port Richey, Florida, will join the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery team Sunday at Chicagoland 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. Dockett’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!