Danica Patrick is coming to NASCAR. You know that now. She's also joining forces with JR Motorsports and its NASCAR-icon namesake, Dale Earnhardt Jr. You knew that, too. But what's interesting about the new Danica deal is the active role which women will play in it going forward.
That's right -- in a sport derided by its detractors as backward-looking, the hottest new team in NASCAR will have at its center two women. In addition to Danica, who's one of the most marketable athletes on the planet, Kelley Earnhardt, sister of Junior, is now one of JR Motorsports' team owners. That's Danica and Kelley up there flanking GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons at Tuesday's press conference.
Sure, the woman-driver jokes are easy to make -- she's going to have trouble putting on her makeup at 200mph, et cetera -- but the truth is that Patrick and Earnhardt will make for a powerful tandem regardless of their gender ... and, to an extent, regardless of Danica's immediate success on the track. (Though it's worth noting that Kelley Earnhardt expects Danica to be running in the Top 15 once she gets rolling.)
JR Motorsports is a true family business; Kelley Earnhardt and cousin/former 88 crew chief Tony Eury Jr. were brought aboard JR Motorsports to join Junior and Rick Hendrick in what Junior last week called a "struggling" operation. JR Motorsports is apparently in dire need of sponsorship, and while Danica and GoDaddy.com will provide a shot, they can't cover the entire operation. Still, bringing in the top draw in IndyCar can't hurt.
Kelley Earnhardt has served as JRM's general manager, and was the one responsible for negotiating the terms of Patrick's deal. And since she landed the mercurial Patrick, one must assume she did her job well. She's already earning praise from high levels.
"I think it could be a really good thing, especially with Kelley," Hendrick said last week of Patrick's then-potential, now-confirmed arrival. "Kelley is such a talent, I think, from a marketing side and if it works out, I think Danica's got talent. So why wouldn't they do that?"
And make no mistake; this isn't some lark. Kelley Earnhardt has her eyes set on NASCAR's top shelf. "The success we've had with Brad Keselowski and the program with Danica we hope will be stepping stones to prepare us for our ultimate goal - to run in the Cup series," she said at the Tuesday press conference. "Whether that is with Danica or not, it is too soon to tell. But I can tell you that is the place we eventually want to be, in the Cup series."
Say what you will, but it's probably best not to doubt an Earnhardt.
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