Danica Patrick? The latest report puts her in a Rick Hendrick Chevrolet, instead of a Jack Roush Ford. But Hendrick spokesman says no way. And Roush's Geoff Smith says the field is still open

  
Indy star sexy Danica Patrick: on Rick Hendrick's radar? (Photo: Indy Racing League)
  

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   (Updated)

   LOUDON, N.H.
   The latest on the Danica Patrick/NASCAR saga is quite intriguing.
   If the Indy-car star does jump from the Indy Racing League to NASCAR, as increasingly appears likely, the battle for her, according to sources close to the negotiations, is down to car owners Rick Hendrick, of Chevrolet, and Jack Roush, of Ford.
  According to these sources, Hendrick and General Motors' Chevrolet division are now suddenly the heavy favorites to sign Patrick.
  But hold on -- Hendrick's Jesse Essex, manager of media relations, is quick to deny the Patrick report: "It is untrue," Essex says.
   Essex, when asked about any talks over the issue, declined to go any further on the point.
  And Geoff Smith, head of Roush Fenway Racing, says he's got a meeting of his own with Patrick's people tentatively set for within the next week or so, and Smith certainly doesn't seem ready to concede anything.
   In fact, just what may be going on in the Patrick camp is still quite unclear.
   And it may be too early to pinpoint Hendrick or Roush or any specific direction Patrick may be going.
   This much appears clear – That Patrick could probably generate as much as $60 million in sponsorship interest, if packaged correctly, which in these strapped economic times, is quite appealing. And that Patrick apparently wants to put together a racing package that allows her to keep running some IRL events.
   It may be the IRL angle that stymies most NASCAR options, because only Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi currently have both an Indy-car and NASCAR operation.
   Smith says he's still not certain that Patrick is even all that serious about NASCAR.
   However, Smith says IMG, the international talent agency that is marketing her in this venture, has been very actively working the NASCAR garage: "The IMG people, led by Mark Dyer, are doing their tours of the various (NASCAR) race teams."
    Smith says IMG is doing three things:
    "Shopping for interest – to see what the interest level is.
   "And they are sharing some ideas they have about what path she ought to take.
   "And third, they are trying to get feedback from the teams they're talking to about whether certain of their paths and ideas are compatible with what the teams think  -- Can she run IRL the same time she's running one of these series? How many races in each series could she run?"
  For example, Roush has said he would like to see her run some NASCAR Nationwide and/or Truck events, along with six or seven Cup events, to get her accustomed to stock car racing, if she does decide to try NASCAR.
   "I haven't spoken to them (IMG) yet, nor has Jack, though I did talk with Mark last week and we're trying to set up a talk," Smith says.
   "I believe they are trying to set up meeting with literally every big team that will talk with them – Gibbs, Hendrick, Childress, Ganassi, Stewart-Haas, Penske, us, Yates, maybe Gillett-Evernham."
   The time frame for making any decisions?
   "We're already in July, and unless she has a sponsorship following…..well, if she does have a sponsorship following, then we could go into the fall," Smith says. "This is a question I have. And if we are the ones who have to find a sponsorship solution, then every day we wait hurts us. Every day."
   Patrick has talked increasingly positive in the past few weeks about moving to NASCAR, as "a new challenge." But she has indicated she was not particularly interested in starting at a lower level of stock car racing and slowly moving up.
   Perhaps complicating any potential Hendrick option is that his plate is currently full. He has four full-time Cup drivers.
   However Hendrick has talked about expanding JR Motorsports, a joint venture with Dale Earnhardt Jr., up to a full Cup program. Hendrick has already been talking with Talladega winner Brad Keselowski about Keselowski's future in NASCAR, with indications he could get a Cup ride with an expanded JR Motorsports venture, presumably with Hendrick engines and Hendrick engineering.
  One interesting angle on the Patrick-Hendrick situation -- both have GoDaddy.com sponsorships. GoDaddy is the privately-owned internet website licensing company, which likes to use edgy advertising.
   Hendrick has been very successful this season with another satellite Cup venture, with Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman. Stewart in fact currently leads the Sprint Cup standings, in his first season as an owner-driver, and teammate Newman is a solid sixth in the standings.
   Patrick herself has insisted she will make no decision or announcement about 2010 until later this season.
   How well Patrick could do in adapting to the heavy, more awkward NASCAR stockers is a hotly debated topic, particularly given Sam Hornish Jr.'s struggles. Hornish, a three-time Indy tour champion, and in his second full season on the NASCAR tour, is only now finally getting comfortable and relatively successful in Cup cars.
   Nevertheless, Patrick's star appeal is quite compelling.
   How significant Chevrolet's role might be in any of the Patrick negotiations is unclear, particularly since GM is currently in bankruptcy and has just announced major cutbacks in its NASCAR operations.
   But if Chevrolet could beat its rivals, particularly Ford, to signing Patrick, that would be a major marketing coup…regardless of how well she might actually do out on the track.
   Ford has a long history of promoting women drivers.
   It is unclear what Patrick's own thinking might really be.
    THIS is what the New York Times said about Danica-to-NASCAR a few weeks ago.