Danica to run Nationwide Series Race On Nov. 6 At TMS

[NickHolt]

Danica To Run O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge NASCAR Nationwide Series Race On Nov. 6 At TMS

 

Ft. Worth, TX - IZOD IndyCar Series star Danica Patrick announced her 12-race NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule with JR Motorsports and it will include a stop at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 6 for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge.

 

Photo by Getty Images

 

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, which is part of the Nov. 4-7 Lone Star 500 NASCAR tripleheader weekend, will be the second of two visits to “The Great American Speedway!” for Patrick, who also will compete June 5 in the Texas 550k IZOD IndyCar Series race for Andretti Autosport.

 

Patrick, who will drive the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, is scheduled to make her Nationwide Series debut Feb. 20 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. There is a possibility, however, that the debut could come a week earlier at Daytona International Speedway, which will be determined after Patrick competes Feb. 6 at Daytona in the ARCA Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards season opener.

 

Patrick’s Nationwide Series schedule also will include Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Feb. 27); New Hampshire Motor Speedway (June 26); Chicagoland Speedway (July 9); Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 14); Dover International Speedway (Sept. 25); Auto Club Speedway (Oct. 9); Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oct. 15); Gateway International Raceway (Oct. 23); Phoenix International Speedway (Nov. 13); and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 20).

 

“I’m thrilled to announce our 2010 Nationwide Series schedule,” said Patrick, who will continue to compete fulltime in the IZOD IndyCar Series. “Like I’ve said before, we just want to be smart and calculative about this process. The tracks we’ve selected not only compliment the IndyCar schedule, but will give me quality seat time at a variety of facilities.”

 

While Patrick’s participation in the Daytona race is to be determined, JR Motorsports will still field two cars for the Nationwide Series season opener. Due to sponsorship reallocation for the upcoming season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet in place of Kelly Bires in what is the first of two scheduled races for the JRM co-owner. Bires will return to the seat of the No. 88 Chevy the following week at Auto Club Speedway and could be called upon to drive the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet at Daytona should Patrick not compete in that event.

 

"We want to give Danica the best opportunity to compete at Daytona, and that includes making sure she is 100 percent comfortable in that driver’s seat,” JR Motorsports co-owner and general manager Kelley Earnhardt said. “The Nationwide race there is perhaps the most competitive race of the year. Once the ARCA race is complete, we will get with Danica and make a decision based on the best interests of her, the team, and our sponsor Go Daddy. I’m extremely pleased with the working relationship between Danica and (crew chief) Tony Eury Jr. They are communicating well and working extremely hard in preparing for this season.”

 

For ticket information to watch Patrick compete at Texas Motor Speedway, please call (817) 215-8500 or visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com.