Danica Patrick Prepares For The New England 300

Patrick has made seven Sprint Cup starts at New Hampshire. Last September, she left the track with a 40th-place finish after contact from another racecar put her out of the event nearly 100 laps before the checkered flag. However, Patrick and the No. 10 team returned to the 1.058-mile track in July and scored her career-best result at the track – a 14th-place effort.

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.

While Patrick has scored a top-10 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in open-wheel competition, she’s yet to find the same success in stock cars.

This weekend could provide a great opportunity to change her results in the Granite State, as New Hampshire is aptly nicknamed thanks to its extensive rock formations and quarries. And on the strength of her solid run earlier this year, Patrick and her team look to be rock solid once again at New Hampshire and take home a top-10 finish Sunday.

“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 ditech Chevrolet SS

Tony Stewart– No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS

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

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

• The New England 300 will mark Danica Patrick’s 146th career start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and her eighth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. She finished a career-best 14th there in July. In two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, Patrick’s top result was a 14th-place effort 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.
• 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.
• 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!