DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Danica Patrick, who survived a spinout to finish 6th in the ARCA 200-mile race Saturday, will be an entrant in Saturday's Camping World 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
The 27-year-old IndyCar star was already scheduled to drive in 12 Nationwide Series events this year, starting with a race at Fontana, California, on February 20. She drives a Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
The Nationwide (formerly Busch) Series is a second-tier league for NASCAR, one step below the elite Sprint Cup Series. The Camping World 300 is a preliminary to the Daytona 500.
ARCA stock cars are almost identical to Nationwide Series cars. Patrick's ARCA start Saturday was the first race in a stock car for the Roscoe, Ill., driver, who in 2008 became the first woman to win an IndyCar event.
Her participation in the Camping World race was contingent on her performance on the high-banked Daytona track. Patrick veered off track after contact with a car driven by former Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet, Jr., and slid sideways through the grass into Turn 1.
Her car sustained minor damage when it struck the 31-degree banking of the corner, but she rallied from the back of the pack and ran as high as 5th before the checkered flag waved.
Inside Line says: Patrick validated all the hype about her venture into stock cars with her performance Saturday. Next weekend, assuming she qualifies, she will get to measure herself against the many Cup Series drivers who will be competing in the 300. — David Green, Correspondent
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