SPENCER: Danica The Real Deal

Sprint Cup

SPENCER: Danica The Real Deal

I think Danica's arrival will open doors for young women and give many of them opportunities they didn’t necessarily have before...

Jimmy Spencer | Posted August 25, 2011 Charlotte, NC

Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it on SPEED. (Photo: SPEED)

Newsflash: Danica Patrick is coming to NASCAR fulltime in 2012.

The sport’s worst-kept secret was officially announced today. Danica will run a fulltime NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule for JR Motorsports next year and a partial NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule for Stewart Haas Racing with the early plan of going fulltime in Cup in 2013.

So, what does this mean for both the IndyCar Series and NASCAR and is it a good idea?

Obviously, NASCAR wins on this one and IndyCar loses. NASCAR has a larger fan base and sponsors than IndyCar does, so it’s just natural for Danica and other open-wheel drivers to want to make the move. Her IndyCar fans will come with her and she’s sure to attract new ones to the sport who, if nothing else, are just curious what all the buzz about a female driver as popular as Danica is.

But IndyCar suffers a stinging blow with her leaving that they’re not exactly equipped to take. I don’t think it will put them out of business, but it definitely will hurt that series’ popularity. I think the IndyCar Series is in a serious decline with the fans and I wish they could fix their problems. Even Danica’s presence in their races hasn’t helped attendance at a few recent races. To attract fans, you’ve got to have passing in a race and those cars really struggle with that.

I was very hesitant about her when she first started running Nationwide Series races here and there last year because I didn’t think she could progress while going back and forth between the two sports. I said time and again that she needed to make a true commitment to NASCAR before we could truly tell if she was the real deal or not. She has done that for next year, but she already has run enough Nationwide races this season that I can see she’s probably got what it takes.

She’s focused and determined. Did you watch her eyes in the in-car camera during the Daytona race last month when she was drafting with Tony Stewart? She pays attention intently and has her mind 100 percent on what she’s doing inside that race car. Danica also is inquisitive and asks the right questions and advice. I see in her the desire to really learn, which to me means this is more than just a new way to make money and attract marketing dollars.

She’s paired herself perfectly with JR Motorsports and Stewart. She just signed with two of the most popular drivers in the sport — two guys who won’t feed her a bunch of bull. They will tell her when she screws up and give her feedback she can use. I think she’s the type of driver who will take those words to heart and use them to improve. If you chew her out when she does something wrong, I think she’ll gladly accept that constructive criticism. Dale Jr. and Stewart won’t do it publicly, but I really do think their positive and negative feedback will help her progression in this sport more than most drivers could.

Danica Patrick returns to Nationwide Series competition at Kansas. (Photo: Getty Images)

Not that Danica needs it, but her pairing with Dale Jr. and Stewart can only boost her acceptance by NASCAR fans. They’ve already embraced her with open arms and probably will continue to do so because of who her new bosses are.

I’ve been around for a long time and it’s good to finally see big doors open up for women in this sport the past few years. A few years ago, we welcomed them in as marketing and public relations professionals, then crew members and officials, and now as drivers in top rides. NASCAR needs to continue to diversify like that. While other female drivers paved the way and competed in NASCAR before Danica, I think her arrival will open all kinds of doors for young women and give many of them opportunities they didn’t necessarily have before.

I’ve changed my perspective on her a lot over the past year and I’ll pull for her. Will you?

Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it on NASCAR Race Hub on SPEED. He retired from driving with two NASCAR Sprint Cup, 12 NASCAR Nationwide and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory, putting him in an elite group of drivers who have logged wins in all three of NASCAR’s premier divisions. In 478 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, Spencer amassed 28 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes. He won back-to-back NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships in 1986 and 1987 on the heels of 15 victories, becoming the first driver ever to earn consecutive titles in the series. He earned the nickname “Mr. Excitement” for his flamboyant and aggressive driving style early in his racing career.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jimmy Spencer

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