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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
ARCA: Milka Duno, Danica Patrick Together Again
Old adversaries Danica Patrick and Milka Duno will both test stock cars next week at Daytona...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted December 12, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Milka Duno (Left) and Danica Patrick (Right), have a confrontational history on the track and a dislike for one another. (Photos: LAT Photographic)
Danica Patrick and Milka Duno, two open-wheel drivers with a history of intense dislike for each other, will meet again on the track, this time behind the wheel of stock cars.

Both Patrick, who recently signed a limited deal to drive for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and Duno will take part in a three-day ARCA test at Daytona International Speedway Dec. 18-20. The two drivers are both expected to compete in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards on Feb. 6, 2010 at DIS.

“Our plans are to be at Daytona for the ARCA test,” said Patrick, who will pilot a JR Motorsports Chevrolet during the test. “So that's our primary focus right now. I'm very excited. We've all been working so hard to make this all come together. It's no doubt going to be challenging. It's time to get down to business and learn these cars.”

Duno, meanwhile, will pilot a Toyota Camry out of the Braun Racing stable.

The arrival of the two female drivers has thrust national attention on a test that otherwise would go largely unnoticed.

Part of that is due to the history the two drivers have. During practice for an IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio in July 2008, Patrick felt like she was repeatedly blocked by Duno. Patrick went to Duno’s pit afterwards and the two had an angry exchange, which featured Duno twice throwing towels at Patrick. “What the hell?” an agitated Patrick said after Duno tossed a towel at her. “You caused it. You’re slow.”

Later, in an interview with ESPN, Patrick said, “I couldn’t really understand what she was saying. She just kind of kept yelling and I just wanted to say, ‘Look, I just want to know if you saw me.’ And that’s it. That’s all I wanted to know.”

On driver excited about Patrick’s arrival onto the stock-car scene is Kyle Busch, who on Friday announced that he his starting his own two-truck team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“I think it will be good. It’s definitely a positive thing for the sport of NASCAR, to have her come over and give it a whirl, see how well she likes it, see how well she does,” Busch said of Patrick. “I wish her all the best. If she ever has any questions for me or would like to talk to me I’d be more than happy to help her. But I’m sure she’s got plenty of help with (Dale Earnhardt) Jr. and with all the guys at Hendrick Motorsports she’ll be to feed from. Intermixing IndyCars and NASCAR, it’s about as (much) two different worlds as you can get, but I wish her all the best.”

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED, and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com! Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to



Tom Jensen is the Editor-In-Chief for SPEED.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing.
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