Danica Patrick Ready to take on Bristol

Danica Patrick has raced at a number of venues throughout her IndyCar and Nationwide Series career. However, March 19 she will come to face to face with a track like no other when she competes in the Scotts EZ Seed 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Patrick, whose foray into NASCAR began last year, will make her first NASCAR short track start on the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. And while she has never experienced anything like BMS before, she says she has heard plenty about it.

“I’ve heard that the atmosphere at Bristol is like no other track in America,” she said.  “Throughout my career, one thing that people tell me over and over is that seeing a race in Bristol is something that every race fan needs to do at least once.

“I can’t wait to compete there – not only will it provide a challenging circuit, but I also have a feeling it will be one of the most electric crowds I’ve ever been able to race in front of. It should be a fantastic show.”

Patrick made 13 Nationwide starts in 2010 with her best finish coming at Homestead where she finished 19th.  When the green flag falls on the Scotts EZ Seed 300, she will become only the fourth woman to compete at the .533-mile oval in a Nationwide Series event.

Patty Moise, Shawna Robinson and Tammy Jo Kirk all came before Patrick, with Moise making the most starts of any female with 14 from 1987-1998. Moise remains the only woman to crack the top 10 in a Nationwide car at BMS with a 10th-place showing in March of 1998. The best finish by a woman in any series at Bristol was Janet Guthrie’s sixth-place showing in the Volunteer 400 Winston Cup event in 1977.

Despite having no experience on a track like BMS, Patrick is excited about tackling the famed half-mile bullring.

“I’m really looking forward to running at Bristol,” she said. “I can’t wait for the challenge. Obviously, it’s a well-known circuit that always has exciting events, so I’ll be looking for a solid run. “

Patrick will compete in the first four races of 2011 for JR Motorsports and could run in as many as 14 events while also running a full IndyCar Series schedule.

“Our stop in Tennessee will be my fourth race of the season and it would be great to finish my early-season Nationwide run on a high note before I move over to begin the IndyCar season in late March,” she said.

Patrick will first take to the track for practice and Ford Fan Friday qualifying March 18. The Scotts EZ Seed 300 follows Saturday afternoon with the Food City 500 March 20.

Tickets for the Food City 500 are available for $93 while tickets for the Scotts EZ Seed 300 start at $45. Ford Fan Friday tickets are only $5 and are just $4 for fans who have tickets to the Food City 500.

A March race weekend package for both the Scotts EZ Seed 300 and the Food City 500 can be purchased for as low as $99.

The 2011 season ticket package also is available and consists of both the Food City 500 and IRWIN Tools Night Race Sprint Cup (Aug. 27) events and the Scotts EZ Seed 300 and Food City 250 (Aug. 26) Nationwide races. Also included are lower-priced options to add Pole Day (March 18) and the O’Reilly 200 Camping World Truck Series/UNOH Perfect Storm 150 Whelen Modified Series races (Aug. 24).

The Wallace Tower package is the lowest priced season ticket at BMS in 2011. The cost for the package is only $185 and includes special food and beverage discounts for season ticketholders.

To order tickets, please visit www.bristoltix.com or call the BMS ticket office toll free at 1-866-415-4158 or 423-BRISTOL (274-7865).

 


Credit: BMS PR