by Darrell Waltrip
Legendary stock car driver Darrell Waltrip, winner of 84 career NASCAR Cup Series races and three-time champion, serves as lead analyst for NASCAR on FOX.
Updated: November 13, 2009,
Folks, you have to admit that the news of Danica Patrick running some NASCAR races is pretty darn exciting. This young lady creates a stir wherever she goes and whatever she does. At this point in her career she probably could have landed a ride in Formula One if she so desired because of how popular she is.
In today's economy it is all about putting fans in the stands, and she can do that in spades. So you tell me, what sanctioning body wouldn't be thrilled to have her? The Indy Racing League has really capitalized on her popularity. She is clearly the biggest star in that series.
I'll admit, when the news broke that she had a real interest in NASCAR, it made me skeptical. She was in the midst of contract negotiations with Andretti Racing, so I figured from a business standpoint she was using the possibility of coming to NASCAR as leverage within those negotiations.
I get asked every day now from folks how I think she will do over here. I have to be a realist, just like she obviously has to as well. Now back in his hey-day, Dean Martin had a song called "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue." Now the opening lyric goes Five foot two, eyes of blue; But oh what those five foot could do.
Now I have been around NASCAR most of my life and I have never driven an Indy car, but have a pretty good understanding of them. The dry weight of an IndyCar is 1,525 lbs. That does not include the driver or the fuel. They have onboard telemetry. They live by that telemetry. They are agile and quick. The driver and the team have the ability to make adjustments to the car while it is actually racing.
Those are all things we don't have in NASCAR. The driver is the on-board telemetry. That's part of the learning curve she is facing. Our cars are big and heavy. They are 3,500 lbs. They have a limited amount of downforce with pretty small tires for a car that heavy. With the speeds they hit at all the tracks we go to, they are simply a handful.
Our top stars in NASCAR today will tell you the Car of Tomorrow is the hardest car ever to drive. It's the hardest car for a crew chief to figure out. So when I hear stock car guys saying how difficult this car is to drive, well it makes me wonder how Danica at 5-foot-2 and 100 lbs will handle one of our big old heavy tanks. Now that's not a slam at her, it is just a fact. Our cars take a lot of effort and anticipation.
It's just such a transition and learning curve. Look at Sam Hornish Jr. He's had some good races, but frankly he's had some pretty darn bad ones too. Folks, he is a former IRL IndyCar Series champion. Look at my neighbor Dario Franchitti. When he came over to NASCAR, I figured he had as good a chance of anybody to make it. But he couldn't unfortunately. He struggled and then got hurt in a Nationwide Series race that put him even further behind. So he went back to the IRL. Well look what happened this year? He's the new IRL champion.
Maybe our cars, since they are such a handful to drive, teach them even better finesse and car control. So maybe it is easier to go from a stock car to an Indy Car instead of vice versa.
The other thing to remember is that Danica can't simply show up at Daytona next February and drive a Cup car in the 500. It's a NASCAR rule that you have to run the superspeedways of Daytona or Talladega in another series first and be observed by NASCAR officials. Now she could go to Daytona and run an ARCA race or even a Nationwide race but she can't run the 500 until she is observed by NASCAR. They simply want to verify that she is qualified to handle our style of cars at those speeds before they allow her in a Cup car at those tracks.
Being the star she is and the following she has, it would be interesting to see her run an ARCA or Nationwide race. Think about what that does to shine light on either or both of those series if she were to do that.
The thing that has to bring her comfort is that Rick Hendrick will be around. When he's around and looking over everyone's shoulder, well things tend to go smoother. That is about the best insurance policy anyone can have. He has a way of making sure you have all the right equipment and even more so, the right people around you. If you don't believe me, go ask Tony Stewart.
At the end of the day, I still believe coming over here is going to be a physical and mental test for her. The pressure of her running both the IRL and NASCAR events is going to be tough. The demands on her time over here from the media and more importantly the fans are going to take its toll.
This isn't a slam at the IRL but the pressure on a NASCAR driver is much great. We run 36 points races plus a handful of non-point events while the IRL runs 17 events. Our races are much longer too. Granted, she hasn't gotten to the Cup level yet, but sure the anticipation is there and these longer races will factor in.
I just keep doing the math and I keep looking at the challenges she is facing. It's simply going to be difficult at best for her to get comfortable, go through the learning curve and have success over here. It is one thing to be a big fish in a big pond, but it's another to be little fish in a big pond.
You always have to remember that you have to perform in NASCAR, get results and put numbers up on the board. In the IRL, Danica has done OK. To come over here and not be able to deliver the results is a risk/reward she is going to have to seriously consider. There's also the danger of being over-exposed attempting to run both series'.
She and her management team have to take a long, hard look at this because let's face it, there is a lot more at stake here than just money. Obviously if all goes well, her marketability can go even higher than it is now, but what if it doesn't go well? If trying to do both series' is too much and she is only mediocre doing both, then was the risk worth it?
There's simply going to be a lot of challenges, but I for one would like to see her pull it off. I would like to see her be successful because it would be good not only for her, but for our sport as well. But again, if I was 5-foot-2 and 100lbs, well it sure sounds like someone that could slide right down into an IndyCar pretty darn easy but to climb through the window of one of our big ol' tanks, well not so much.
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