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Why NASCAR needs Danica Patrick
IndyCar driver Danica Patrick
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TEXT OF STORY
Steve Chiotakis: Finally, IndyCar driver Danica Patrick is reportedly negotiating a switch of her driving allegiance to NASCAR. It would be a bigger stage for Patrick, and a big coup for stock-car racing. Joel Rose reports.
Joel Rose: Danica Patrick is the first woman to win an IndyCar event. But she's at least as well known for her exploits off the track, like a series of racy commercials for GoDaddy.com:
Man: Ms. Patrick?
Danica Patrick: Yes I've enhanced!
Crowd: Gasp! Ms. Patrick!
Patrick: It's true: I've enhanced my image with a domain name and a web site from GoDaddy.com.
NASCAR officials may be hoping Patrick will enhance their image, too.
Larry DeGaris teaches sports marketing at the University of Indianapolis. He says after a decline in ratings and attendance this year, NASCAR could use Patrick's star power more than ever:
Larry DeGaris: If you can bring more big-name sponsors on board who are gonna put money behind leveraging their relationship with Danica, that's good for the sport on several levels.
Marketing executives say Patrick could bring millions of dollars in new sponsorships.
I'm Joel Rose for Marketplace.
Danica is not the answer I mean how long can you be in a sport and not win a race and be popular.
Nascar need only look back in years when fans were passionate about a sport they could not live without.To many changes to fast has lost a lot of the old fans.
Go back to a point system where the whole season is counted not a 10 race shootout
Since this story is using reports, who exactly is she negotiating with on the NASCAR side? Which team owner in NASCAR has an open ride for her right now. Not Hendrick. Not at Childress or Petty either Certainly not Roush, heck he needs to get rid of a team by NASCAR rules before the 2010 season begins. Gibbs does, but her in a start-up team with need to qualify for races? Earnhardt Ganassi yes. they were a 4 car team, now down to 2, and Truex is all but gone, so it doesn't make sense.
It'd be nice to see a little more factual information in these stories.
