Q&A with Danica Patrick

IndyCar's biggest star headed to NASCAR

With the Indianapolis 500 over, a NASCAR Nationwide race on tap for this weekend and in the midst of speculation regarding her future, Danica Patrick was one of a dozen IndyCar Series drivers testing Wednesday at the Milwaukee Mile in anticipation of the June 19 Milwaukee 225. During the lunch break, she fielded 15 minutes worth of questions from local media.

Q. How do you feel about the race being back here at the Milwaukee Mile after being away last year?

A. I complained like heck we didn't come here last year. I said to all the people at the series that was a mistake, that this is the best track for racing for us. There's really two very good grooves for us. The outside one you can use more throttle, and the inside one you have lift a little more so it's very even and it really allows you to move around and use the space for how your car is changing over a run.

Q. Your sponsor's CEO (GoDaddy.com's Bob Parsons) had some comments where you may go NASCAR full-time next year but still try the Indy 500. Is that an option?

A. I'm considering all my options. It's pretty early still to be making decisions. I haven't made any of them, so those speculation rumors that came out a week or so ago (from ESPN), I had to watch the news to know what the news was, to know what my news was. … Once things get to a critical point where they need my decision-making, then that's what we'll do.

Q. The Andretti team has shown itself capable of winning (with Mike Conway at Long Beach) and struggling (with two of five cars failing to qualify at Indy). How do you stack up?

A. We've raced on one oval, and it's Indy and that's a very unique race. There was some smaller teams that performed extremely well. It makes it hard to tell where we are.

Q. The last time you were here was a NASCAR test; is that strange?

A. It feels light years different. We're driving the upside down airplanes here today, and a stock car is not quite like that. They feel very different on short ovals and especially flat tracks. I very much prefer short tracks in an Indy car – I think they're a lot of fun – and in a stock car, it's what I struggle with the most. It's good I came here and got some practice in. JSOnline