Danica gets NASCAR offer, but to stay in IndyCar
"I really feel that if you want to win Indy, you need to be in IndyCar," she told ESPN.
"Having been there and having done so well, I know what that single race can do for you in your whole life. Since one of my goals is to win that race, I don't believe I can be anywhere else but IndyCar."
Patrick told ESPN her goals of winning the Indianapolis 500 haven't changed because her parents attended a Nextel Cup race last weekend. But she said those goals would be reassessed when she wins the Indianapolis 500.
07/15/06 Danica Patrick said Friday she has received a preliminary offer from a NASCAR Nextel Cup team for the 2007 season and doubts an IRL IndyCar Series team can match the money being discussed. However, she also said she prefers to stay in open-wheel racing, and that preference could play a part in her decision. “The money doesn‘t really matter," Patrick said after qualifying at Nashville. “If the top teams came to me, no matter what the number was, and I thought I had a chance to win, I‘d really think about it. Winning is what puts me in headlines." Meanwhile, IRL team owner Michael Andretti indicated he might – given the right circumstances – be interested in hiring Patrick, but echoed her sentiment that not many open-wheel teams are able to generate the sponsorship money to pay multi-million dollar retainers. Danica Patrick acknowledged Friday that financial numbers have been discussed with a Nextel Cup team, but declined to say which one. “I haven‘t seen an offer, but I‘ve heard about one," she said. When asked which team made the offer, she said, “I‘m definitely not at liberty to say." Speed Channel