While the end is near for Danica Patrick in one facet of her racing career, she's also facing a new challenge while continuing another career chapter.
Patrick has raced six times on the Kansas Track in the IndyCar Series, including a pole (2005) and four top-10 finishes. But the 29-year-old driver is make her ninth Nationwide start this season on Oct. 8, and it's her first in Kansas City.
In August, Patrick announced she was leaving the IndyCar series to join Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports’ Nationwide team fulltime in 2012. She'll conclude her IndyCar career Oct. 15 at Las Vegas before transitioning fulltime to NASCAR Nov. 5 in Texas.
Patrick also plans to enter eight-to-10 Sprint Cup races, often where the Nationwide series runs on the same weekend.
"There is definitely going to be some sadness about some things,” Patrick told the Kansas City Star. "It’s going to be a little bit bittersweet, and somewhat of a relief, and it’s going to be exciting."
Article Last Updated: October 7, 2011.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
