NNS: Patrick Hopes To Curb Short-Track Woes At Bristol

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NNS: Patrick Hopes To Curb Short-Track Woes At Bristol

Danica Patrick hopes she runs as well as she did last year at Bristol but avoids the type of accident that relegated her to a 33rd-place finish...

Bob Pockrass | http://www.scenedaily.com | Posted March 15, 2012 Charlotte, NC

Danica Patrick wrecks in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway last March. (Photo: Getty Images)

Danica Patrick returns this weekend to short-track racing, the area where she needs to learn and improve the most in her transition to full-time NASCAR racing.

Just two weeks ago at the 1-mile Phoenix International Raceway, Patrick struggled to a 21st-place finish in the Nationwide Series race. She finished three laps behind the leaders – her third Phoenix race in which she has finished at least two laps down. She finished on the lead lap in 12th last week at 1.5-mile Las Vegas.

While she knows she needs to improve on the short tracks, Patrick also knows there’s no simple solution as she heads into the Nationwide Series race this weekend at half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway with JR Motorsports.

“I don’t think as a driver I feel like I can put a finger on what is the problem on short tracks and is good on mile-and-a-halves,” Patrick said. “All I can do is explain my style of driving and what I like [to my crew chief].”

Patrick, who will return to Sprint Cup competition May 12 at Darlington, hopes she runs as well as she did last year at Bristol but avoids the type of accident that relegated her to a 33rd-place finish.

Ryan Truex, who also was running his first race at Bristol, took the blame for that incident, which ruined a day when Patrick had run in the top 20 for much of the event.

“Last year was my first trip to Bristol and I really enjoyed it,” Patrick said. “I enjoyed the racing and the track. My day ended a little early, but I still got quite a bit of racing in.

“I was still having my best short-track race and I had never been there before. I won’t ever forget walking on to the track the first time and seeing the banking.”

What did she see?

“You can barely walk, it’s so steep. The straightaways are like corners,” Patrick said. “The track really is small. It looks, small, even. It’s just a different visual than most places you will ever go to.”

Even though Bristol is different than short tracks such as Martinsville and Richmond, the challenge at Bristol is the same as at many shorter tracks.

“You just have to make the car turn in the middle of the corner,” Patrick said. “On some level, you might have to deal with a slightly looser car, especially at a place like Bristol, to get it to turn. It pays off in the long run.”

The good thing for Patrick is the track presents options on how to race in order to go fast. There isn’t just one preferred line.

“If you get out of your rhythm, it might not just be one person there, it might be two or three in a line coming at you,” Patrick said. “There are quite a few lines to run out there at Bristol these days.

“It seems harder to get into trouble just because of being able to run wherever you want.”

Patrick will drive a car with a special paint scheme for St. Patrick’s Day. Her green car will have shamrocks and sponsor GoDaddy created a website offering special deals to correspond with the scheme and the “Patrick” holiday.

The car will look different, and Patrick hopes the results are different in this short-track race.

“I need a good short-track finish,” she said. “Short tracks have been my biggest hurdle. A good, honest finish this week at Bristol would really boost my confidence.”

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