Aspen Dental Joins Danica Patrick At Charlotte

With the organization’s race shop located just 8 miles from Charlotte Motor Speedway, Saturdaynight’s race is very much a “home game” for Danica Patrick’s No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team.

As Patrick hits the track this weekend, her No. 10 Chevrolet SS will feature the signature blue-and-white colors of Aspen Dental. Saturday night’s race marks the fourth and final event during which Aspen Dental will serve as the primary sponsor on Patrick’s racecar this season. In addition, her car will feature a patriotic scheme, complete with stars and stripes, as a nod to Aspen Dental’s support of U.S. military veterans.

Aspen Dental will be honoring more than 1,000 veterans and guests Saturday with a special VIP experience at the Bank of America 500 in a celebration of service and support of access to dental care as a part of its Smile 4 Your Service military veteran recognition program. The experience will include premium grandstand seats, plus access to pit road and the prerace concert by triple-platinum rock band 3 Doors Down. Some of the veterans and guests will also have the opportunity to join NASCAR driver Tony Stewart for an exclusive question-and-answer session moderated by his SHR teammate Patrick. This recognition program is a continuation of Aspen Dental’s support of veterans and a part of the company’s quest to help improve and raise awareness about the oral health needs of veterans.

Additionally, Patrick’s No. 10 Aspen Dental team will have a special honorary crew member forSaturday’s race. Last month, she surprised U.S. Army veteran Daryl Pratt on “The Rachael Ray Show” with free comprehensive dental care courtesy of Aspen Dental and invited the native of St. Augustine, Florida to join her team at Charlotte.

Saturday’s race will mark Patrick’s ninth Sprint Cup start at the 1.5-mile track. She scored her career-best finish there last October when the No. 10 team earned a 19th-place result. In May, the team finished 21st in the Coca-Cola 600.

In addition to her Sprint Cup experience at Charlotte, Patrick has also competed in three NASCAR Xfinity Series races there. Her highest finish was an 11th-place result earned in October 2012.

As they aim to score a solid finish in Saturday night’s race at Charlotte, Patrick and the No. 10 Aspen Dental Chevrolet team hope to be all smiles after taking the checkered flag in front of their family and friends.

“I’ve gotten to see first-hand all that Aspen Dental does to support our nation’s veterans. It’s an honor to have such a large contingent of men and women who’ve served our country at Saturday’srace, cheering on the No. 10 Aspen Dental Chevrolet team. Our country’s veterans have given up so much for our freedom and I am proud to have a partner like Aspen Dental that does so much to honor their service and support their access to quality dental care.”

What are your overall thoughts about racing at Charlotte?

“I like Charlotte. It’s really nice for the crews because it’s a home race for them. They get to sleep in their own bed and a lot of their family and friends are there. So you want to give them a good performance. It’s fun for me at Charlotte because a lot of the crews have young kids, so it’s fun to meet them and see them around the hauler during the race weekend. It’s just a bit of a different experience than a lot of the tracks we go to.”

Teammates: 

Kevin Harvick – No. 4 Busch Hunting Chevrolet SS

Tony Stewart– No. 14 Mobil 1/Rev the Vote 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 Bank of America 500 will mark Danica Patrick’s 148th career start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and her ninth at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. She finished a career-best 19th there in October 2015. In three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts there, her highest finish was an 11th-place result in October 2012.
• Back on Track with Aspen Dental: Aspen Dental returns as the primary sponsor of Patrick’s No. 10 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Charlotte. Saturday night’s race marks the fourth and final event during which Aspen Dental will serve as the primary sponsor on Patrick’s racecar this season. In addition, Aspen Dental is an associate sponsor on the No. 10 Chevrolet for all non-primary races.
• Smile 4 Your Service: Aspen Dental Management, Inc., will be honoring more than 1,000 veterans and guests with a special VIP experience at Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 in a celebration of service and support of access to dental care as a part of its Smile 4 Your Service military veteran recognition program. The experience will include premium grandstand seats, plus access to pit road and the prerace concert by triple-platinum rock band 3 Doors Down. Some of the veterans and guests will also have the opportunity to join NASCAR driver Tony Stewart for an exclusive Q&A moderated by his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Patrick. This recognition program is a continuation of Aspen Dental’s support of veterans and a part of the company’s quest to help improve and raise awareness about the oral health needs of veterans.
• Honoring U.S. Army Veteran Daryl Pratt: Last month, Patrick surprised U.S. Army veteran Daryl Pratt on “The Rachael Ray Show” with free comprehensive dental care courtesy of Aspen Dental. In addition, Patrick invited Pratt to Saturday night’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the native of St. Augustine, Florida will serve as an honorary pit crew member on the No. 10 Aspen Dental Chevrolet team.
• Racing at Home: Race events in Charlotte are a time for many in the NASCAR community to spend a little extra time with their families after many weeks on the road traveling the circuit. For several members of the No. 10 Aspen Dental team, racing in Charlotte is also a return to their home track. Jackman Nate House hails from the nearby town of Gastonia, while engineer William Lee is from Fuquay-Varina.
• 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!