She's Baaack! And She's Got Hot Wheels ...

Danica Patrick returns to the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend after a little hiatus.

The JR Motorsports driver will take the track at Michigan International Speedway in a paint scheme which is bound to make preschool boys drool and old men sigh.

Hot Wheels, the iconic toy car brand, will be the primary sponsor of Patrick's No. 7 Cheverolet for the CARFAX 250.  The Hot Wheels crew specially designed Patrick's paint scheme which features the familiar red and orange Hot Wheels flames streaking across the hood and sides of the vehicle.

Car design aside, Patrick is hoping to improve on her 24th place finish at Chicagoland Speedway.  But she'll have to do that in the new Nationwide car which last ran at Daytona in July (a race which Patrick's team owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., won).

"It’s going to be nice to get out there and run these new cars," Patrick said. "We’ve been talking about the new cars so much this year, and now I’ll get a chance to shake one down. JR Motorsports has put a lot of effort into its new car program, so I’m hoping we can get the most out of it in Michigan."

You go girl!

Nationwide Boys (and Girl) Might Steal the Daytona Show

The Coke Zero 400 is shaping up to be all sorts of good. 

Kyle Busch is already causing trouble.  He wrecked his teammate and erstwhile "frenemy" Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart and Reed Sorenson in the last few laps of Thursday's practice. 

Bobby Labonte will be making his 600th career start and his first appearance as a Cup race Grand Marshal.

And Goodyear has introduced specially designed tires to show NASCAR's support of the U.S. military.

But even with all the fireworks that are sure to explode on the Cup side, Friday's Subway Jalapeno 250 might steal its thunder.

In the category of a long time coming, the Nationwide Series is going back to the future as the newest evolution of the "pony cars" take to the track.  The new Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger will be long-awaited eye candy for those fans who have long lamented the lack of brand identity on race day.

And although Danica Patrick isn't on the entry list, another lady is - Jennifer Jo Cobb. Cobb, who has a number of ARCA, Truck and Nationwide starts to her credit, will drive the No. 27 Ford for owner Mike Curb.

Then there's the most photographed car in recent memory - the No. 3 Wrangler Chevy with Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel.  A throwback to one of his father's most famous paint schemes, the car is the result of a three-way partnership between JR Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and Teresa Earnhardt.

Not surprisingly, fan response to this collaboration has been unreal. 

Michael Smith at the Sports Business Journal reports, "Wrangler No. 3 merchandise has accounted for eight of the NASCAR.com Superstore’s top 10 best-selling items and it has led all other driver categories in sales. Within 36 hours of the announcement, Superstore sold out of its second-highest-priced item, a special die-cast car that came in a limited edition of 333, priced at $89.99."

And Friday night under those Daytona lights, the famous No. 3 Wrangler car will receive a worthy salute.  Richard Childress Racing is requesting that all fans in attendance stand to their feet at the start of lap three and hold up three fingers for the entire lap.

Now how's the Cup race gonna top that?

Happy Cinco de "Mayo"

NASCAR is going mayonnaise crazy.

Yesterday, Kevin Harvick released pix (via Twitter) of his new ride for the Tech-Net Auto Service 300 at Charlotte - the No. 33 Miracle Whip car.

Couple that with the JR Motorsports-owned Hellman's car, and the phrase "pass the mayo" suddenly has new meaning.

Now if Duke's or Bama mayonnaise would shell out some sponsorship bucks, we'd have ourselves a sandwich spread battle royale...

Danica Wins 'Em Over at Daytona

Psst ... I have a confession to make.

Despite the papparazzi-like coverage of her ascendance into NASCAR, her GoDaddy commercials of questionable taste and those body-baring photos which pepper the 'net, I might like Danica Patrick after all.

This was not the case as I entered the Daytona infield Saturday. Even while watching her No. 7 car roll past me on its way to the starting grid, I felt coldly indifferent in regard to Patrick's fate. After all, how could she possiblly live up to all that hype? Surely there were other female ARCA drivers (like Leilani Munter or fellow Floridian Alli Owens) who better deserved my respect and attention.

But Danica? I just expected her to hang in the back, get caught up in an early pileup, and hop out of the car to a mediocre finish.

I never expected I would actually start cheering for her.

But that's what happened. From my perch in the grandstands, I watched Danica hold her own at full speed, avoid the ARCA wreckfest and pull off a save in the tri-oval that would make even an inveterate Patrick-hater nod with grudging respect.

I guess there's something about seeing a fellow chick not "wussing out" that made me actually start applauding each time she drove by.

And I wasn't alone. Fans of all ilk and affiliation seated nearby jumped to their feet as she slid through the grass and hooted and hollered as she wheeled it back onto the frontstretch. And, as Patrick rolled onto pit road at race's end, she was treated to a standing ovation for her sixth place finish.

Danica passed the ARCA test. But, more importantly, she passed the fan test.

Given her debut, today's announcement that she has decided to run the Nationwide season opener this Saturday is no surprise. Sure, running with the Nationwide crowd will be bring a whole new level of challenges, but you gotta love a girl who's not afraid to play with the boys.

“Racing in the Nationwide Series race was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do," Patrick said today. "The ARCA race was a blast, and I’m not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing.”

So do we. You go girl.

Photo info: Danica Patrick readies to race in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 Arca Race at Daytona - Associated Press

Will She Or Won't She?

The news out of JR Motorsports is that Danica Patrick might run the Daytona Nationwide race after all. But then again, she might not.

Once again, the "will she or won't she" questions looms over Danica. This time the answer all hinges on her performance in the ARCA race the week before the Nationwide season opener.

And, although Patrick is the girl with all the hype, she's not the only girl who'll be taking the track during that race. Carbon-free girl Leilani Munter will also make her ARCA debut at Daytona.



Alli Owens returns to the series with Venturini Motorsports. And IndyCar series driver Milka Duno and Amber Cope (niece of NASCAR driver Derricke Cope) also plan to run in Daytona.

So hang on to your helmets race fans. Only time will tell which girl fares the best -and if Danica does well enough to move up her Nationwide debut.

Top photo: Danica Patrick talks to her Nationwide crew chief Tony Eury Jr.

Bottom photo: Leilani Munter

Yes Danica, There Is a Santa Claus

And his name is Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

If today's media reports are true, Dale Jr. and company will make Danica Patrick's NASCAR wishes come true in 2010.

The long-awaited news broke today that the IndyCar star and erstwhile GoDaddy Girl will officially drive for JR Motorsports next year. The speculation is that she'll run a partial schedule in the Nationwide Series (about 12 races total) as well ARCA.

The official announcement will come tomorrow at 1 p.m. EST in Phoenix, and GoDaddy.com will stream the press conference live.

Though the potential Patrick/Junior partnership was one of the worst-kept secrets in all of racing, the offical word does lend a heightened level of anticipation to Daytona Speedweeks. Just imagine the papparazzi blitz that will descend on the infield when Danica makes her NASCAR debut.

And that's all well and good for now - considering how badly the sport needs ticket sales, television viewership and consumer dollars. But contrary to popular belief, this may not be a winner of a situation for Patrick. If she doesn't live up to the hype and show some promise early on, the "I told you so's" will commence and race fans will, once again, not take a woman seriously.

On the flip side, if she exceeds all expectations and starts out-racing the likes of Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and (dare I say it?) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. himself, that could come with its own set of problems. As my five-year-old nephew said when I told him there would be a female driver in NASCAR next year, "Boys don't like it when girls win, you know."

Yup, NASCAR is a man's world, Danica. And not even Dale Earnhardt Jr. can do anything about that.

Dear Danica, Don't Make Us Look Bad

It's all over the Web - Danica Patrick will reportedly drive for JR Motorsports next year in the Nationwide Series (and maybe for KHI in the truck series as well).

From the moment ESPN's Ryan McGee broke the story, fans from Bangor to Birmingham have been opining both positively and negatively about Patrick's move to the NASCAR ranks.

I'm no IndyCar expert, and I sure can't speak credibly to Patrick's racing acumen. But I do have a request for Patrick as she makes her NASCAR debut: don't make us look bad.

It's gonna take a while for Danica to earn the respect of the NASCAR community. And she's just been handed a historic opportunity to show what a woman can do behind the wheel. Maybe if she follow these three little rules, Danica will find the transition to Nationwide just a little bit easier.

1. There's no crying in NASCAR - Lots of fans doubt if Patrick is tough enough to handle the rough and tumble world of stock car racing. I'm just hoping she doesn't tear up if things don't go her way (or even if they do). Women have a hard enough time being taken seriously in their chosen careers without bursting into sobs every time they get frustrated. And if the only woman on the track cries on camera, there goes any hope for our gender in the sport.

2. Hissy fits are not an option - In short, Partrick needs to leave the diva in the motorhome and exhibit some humility when she enters that Daytona infield. Respect the sport. Respect the other drivers. Show up with a visible appreciation for the history of NASCAR as well as an appreciation for the fans--it'll make your transition to the sport that much easier.

3. Keep the clothes on - Yes, Danica is drop-dead gorgeous and the male population would gladly cut off their right ear just for a chance to sweep her pit stall. But, in solidarity with her female counterparts, Danica needs to show those boys that she's more than just a piece of eye candy who can wheel a car. She needs to really impress them on the track. Be a tough competitor with an unquenchable fire to win. In short, give us more to talk about than just her cleavage.

Bad News: GM Cuts Support For Camping World/Nationwide Teams

You can shove your fingers in your ears, shut your eyes and refuse to acknowledge the inevitable for only so long. But that doesn't keep the inevitable from happening.

Word broke today that General Motors is cutting its factory support for Chevy teams in both NASCAR Camping World and Nationwide Series. This is depressing news for a sport which is also suffering from lower ticket sales, lack of sponsorship and still reeling from a round of 2008 layoffs.

Although some folks, like Rick Hendrick, have publicly said they think General Motors will be all right in the end, I've got to believe that anyone involved with a Chevy race team entertains private doubts.

With the stimulus money long spent and Chapter 11 underway, General Motors must save money where it can. And it would be difficult for the company to justify spending dollars it doesn't have on its NASCAR investment. Especially when it's laying off employees left and right, shutting down plants and operating on a wing and a prayer.

Early news is that the teams most likely to be affected by the cuts will be Kevin Harvick, Inc., JR Motorsports (owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Rick Hendrick) and Rusty Wallace Racing -- all three of which are owned by current or one-time Cup drivers.

What's not yet clear is how much less GM will be contributing to these race teams. Hopefully "cutting back" doesn't mean "cutting off."

So far, there's nothing to indicate that the cuts will affect Chevy teams in the Sprint Cup series.

But time, as always, will tell.

A Tweet Worth Sharing

The cybersphere can't get enough of Kyle Busch's wannabe rock star stunt. And when artist Sam Bass told the media yesterday that he was "stunned and heartbroken" that Busch had shattered his carefully created work of art, the incident took on a whole new tone. (Considering that the official word from JGR the night of the race was that Bass was cool with the smash and knew about it ahead of time...both untruths, apparently.)

Busch's antics were such a contrast to JR Motorsports driver, Brad Keselowski, who won the Nashville guitar trophy last year. He fell asleep holding the guitar on the plane back to NC and the trophy has since been given a place of honor. So, I had to laugh when I logged on to Twitter tonight and saw the Tweet by @MikeDavis88 (Communications Director at JR Motorsports). I repost it here for all of you non-Twitter folks.

The caption that ran with the picture above: "At JR Motorsports, We Break Hearts, Not Guitars."

Priceless.

Junior Fans Hold Out Hope for a Win

Do race fans think Dale Earnhardt Jr will win a Sprint Cup race in 2009? Well, according to the results of last week's decidedly unscientific NASCAR-ista poll, the answer to that question is "yes and yes".

Of the 154 readers who responded, almost half (46%) have "no doubt" that Dale Jr will take the No. 88 car to Victory Lane this year. Thirty percent said "with a little luck" he'll take the checkered flag. And 24 percent say all bets are off -- this won't be Junior's year.

In other Junior-related news, JR Motorsports announced today that time in JRM's No. 5 Nationwide car will be split between Dale Jr, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman and Scott Wimmer.

Junior plans to take the wheel at Texas in April, Talladega in April, Charlotte in May, Daytona in July and Atlanta in September. Martin will drive at Richmond in May. Stewart takes the helm at Charlotte in October. Newman plans to run at Dover in May, Chicago in July, Michigan in August and Kansas in October and Wimmer will race at Darlington in May, Milwaukee in June, Indianapolis in July, Iowa in August, Bristol in August and Richmond in September.

Bad Luck Follows Keselowski to Vegas

If it weren't for bad luck, Brad Keselowski would have no luck at all.

Keselowski went into the Sam's Town 300 hoping to put Daytona and Fontana behind him. And, truth be told, all signs looked promising as he snagged an eighth starting position.

He was positive. Hopeful. Surely, Brad thought, lady luck would smile benevolently on his third race of the season. "It’s just a good thing that the season is 35 races long because we have 33 races to get past the disappointment of these past two weeks, and I feel like Las Vegas is a good place to do that,” he said.

Good thing I didn't bet on that.

In a day filled with flying parts, fiery crashes and yellow flags, the black cloud that's been hovering over the JR Motorsports 88 car didn't dissipate in the Vegas sun. Instead, it followed Keselowski in the form of Mike Bliss who wrecked him on lap seven, sending him down pit road several times over for a little damage control.

Laps later, with his patched-up car back on the track, a tire rub added to his troubles and sent Keselowski into the wall and back into the garage.

The only good news for the #88 car came at the expense of a good chunk of the rest of the field. With more crunches and cautions than you could shake a dipstick at, the race ended with a slew of DNFs.

This made for one heckuva exciting finish. But it also helped Brad finish in an (all things considered) respectable 27th place.

Here's hoping Keselowski's luck turns around for good in tomorrow's Cup race. But I'm not holding my breath---he's starting in 13th spot.