NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
CAMPING WORLD RV SALES 301
NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JULY 12, 2013
 
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and discussed the first practice session, racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
HOW WAS THE CAR DURING THAT FIRST PRACTICE?
“We were in qualifying trim the whole time and it was generally loose I would say for most of the practice. We made a final run and we’re moving steadily on fast but by no means are we fast enough. I hit water in three and four. That weeper was a bit of an issue. Hopefully it doesn’t come into play during qualifying. I imagine they’re going to stay on top of that. We just have work to do with getting a car for qualifying for me that I feel really comfortable with.
 
JUST A REACTION TO THE NEWS TODAY WITHIN THE TEAM THAT KEVIN HARVICK WILL BE COMING ABOARD NEXT SEASON WITH BUDWEISER?
“There have been rumors I think. More than anything it’s just nice to be able to get planning and get moving and have everybody moving in that direction. He’s a really good guy. He’s helped me from the beginning when I was running Nationwide. I’m really excited about him coming over and I think we’re going to have a lot of fun.
 
DOES IT CHANGE THE DYNAMIC OF THE TEAM?
“No, there’s not really anything different from yesterday to today or the beginning of the year to now. We’re professional and everybody’s moving in the same direction. That’s to go as fast as we can and to get every car that’s running at SHR as fast as possible. So, I don’t anticipate that much will change through the end of the year either.”
 
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME A WOMAN WILL RUN A SPRINT CUP RACE AT NEW HAMPSHIRE, DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU AT THIS POINT?
“No, again these are not things that I’m aware of. There was somewhere else this year that I don’t think a girl had run a race or something like that. It seems like an odd stat. But being the first to do things is something that’s happened quite a few times but nothing that I keep track of. And on my quest as a driver to be the best driver as possible and as fast as possible and run really well I guess these are just things that happen. I’m running full-time Sprint Cup and we come to Loudon twice.”
 
IN GENERAL HOW DO YOU LIKE THE TRACK?
“I think it’s a good track. I think it’s a lot of fun. That second lane is where everybody runs but the first lane’s possible to run there if the car is hooked up well enough and not too loose. It’s a little bit challenging to pass but I think it’s a good race track.”
 
WHAT DID YOU GAIN FROM LAST WEEK’S RACE AS FAR AS WHAT HAPPENED ON THE LAST LAP?
“I only needed to watch it once to see what happened. Actually I lie, I watched it twice to make sure I knew what happened because I watched it right after I pulled up to my hauler. I saw that and I was like, “Wow, that was me. I came down on the 38.” And then I was like, “Man, I just didn’t feel like I moved.” And then I said to myself, “All I was trying to do was follow the 88.” And so I went back to my bus and watched it and I was like, “I did follow the 88 and that is why I came down”. So, I was just not aware enough of my surroundings, not aware enough that we were turning down the track in the tri-oval that much and it really just felt like we were wrapping around the top coming to the finish line but it gets a little bit harder to judge exactly where you are when you’re going through the tri-oval as opposed to just down the straightaway. So I went and told David I was sorry and I’m really sorry. I not only feel bad that it started the accident but I lost five spots doing it. By no means was it me trying to be tough or move. I had enough momentum to finish ninth.”
 
DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OR WOULD THE CHOICE HAVE BEEN TO STAY A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE WALL?
“Yeah, looking back I would have kept my eyes on the wall and stayed closer to it knowing that it kept you further away from other cars. I can honestly say that I got done and was like, “Man, I don’t know what happened underneath me but it obviously collected me.” But it was my fault. I’m just trying to explain to you how little I thought I did but when you’re running two hundred miles an hour it doesn’t take much. Even David said, “I didn’t even barely feel anything”. But it was just enough to turn the car around. Like I said going two hundred miles an hour it doesn’t much.
 
WHEN YOU WERE EXPLORING THE OPTIONS TO COME TO CUP WHAT WAS IT ABOUT TONY’S (STEWART) TEAM AND PARTICULARLY TONY AS AN OWNER THAT APPEALED TO YOU?
“I think there were two things but there was one main thing. And that’s that we’ve got similar backgrounds. We get along great. He’s not only an owner but a driver, so he’s invested. He wants to run well so that means as an owner he’s going to do what it takes to make it run well. The other part of it that made it a really easy decision as far as being able to move forward was just that they’re a two car team so it was possible to ask be able to ask him if they would be prepared to run a three car team. I didn’t have to wait for someone to leave to find a spot. So it made the planning better. And by all means it took a lot of planning. “
 
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ASKED TO BE IN ESPN’S BODIES WE WANT?
“Yeah, every year.”
 
AND WHY NOT?
“I just never felt like that was something I needed or wanted to do. A lot of the stuff that I’ve done that has been scantily clad has all been swimsuit stuff. I was also asked to do the painted section of the swimsuit issue. I was asked to do that the second year after I’d was in it the first time. I asked one of my most liberal friends if I should do it and she was like, “Um, that’s naked right? Last I checked that’s naked.” Would I feel comfortable? I’m sure it’d be a little bit borderline. There’s a difference to me between going to the beach and wearing a swimming suit and going to the beach and wearing nothing or paint. That’s just pushing the limit a little bit. I mean as far as artistically I think it’d be really fun but it’s not things that I need to do to push the issue with my brand. There’s already enough stuff that I do that pushes that. So, I’d rather stay in my full comfort zone than go that far. I’m not saying there will never be a day. When I speak to them and they ask me each time I say, “Don’t stop asking. I don’t know. I might change my mind one year. And it might be something that parallels something else I’m doing, or where I’m at, or how I’m feeling.” But just not right now.
 
SO IF THEY ASK RICKY TO DO IT, COULD YOU BECOME THE FIRST COUPLE?
“I think the swimsuit issue tried the couple’s thing and that didn’t work. So, I’d be surprised.”
 
WHAT ARE THE KEYS FOR YOU GUYS TO RUN WELL HERE THIS WEEKEND?
“I think qualifying is going to be important that’s why we worked on it the whole time in practice. Not sure it went great but passing is always tough here so qualifying is going to be important. I think that getting through the center of the corner here is going to be really important too. It’s a fairly long corner so you need to get the car rotated. On the other hand I’m not really sure because I haven’t raced here in a Cup car. All I can do is base it off of Nationwide and when we came and tested a few weeks ago.
 
WITH THE OFF WEEKEND COMING NEXT WEEK IS THAT A GOOD TIME FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM?
“Well, I would say that if we had a couple of off weekends it’d be good for all the teams. It’s a lot of work and it’s a grind no doubt. Especially with opening up the testing for those four official tests that can be up to three days long. It wears on a team no doubt. I think it’s going to be nice. Everybody’s been a
sking what I’m going to do. I’m in a wedding. So, that’s what I’ll be doing. The ESPY’s are this week. So, fly out to LA on Tuesday. The ESPY’s are on Wednesday. And then get back for all of the wedding festivities. And then I’m heading down to Indy early. Not really much off-time for me. These last five days have actually been pretty good. I was home Saturday night through last night (Thursday night). That was about the longest stretch I’ve had in one place. Not completely off. I still had a couple things to do but at least I didn’t have to get on a plane to do them.”
 
SOMEBODY ELSE’S WEDDING?
“Somebody else’s wedding. Yeah. No, I didn’t just drop a big bomb right there. It’s somebody else’s wedding. I love weddings. I love love. So, it’ll be fun.”
 
HAVE YOU EVER HAD SPONSORS THAT WANTED YOU TO DO THAT ESPN BODY ISSUE OR THAT THEY DIDN’T WANT YOU TO DO IT?
“I don’t think there’s really been anybody that necessarily says what I can or can’t do. But all I do know is that GoDaddy’s always said from the very beginning and all along is that, “whatever you do we’re behind you”. So, I always felt comfortable that my primary source of concern being GoDaddy would always be OK with whatever it was that I wanted to do. That’s cool for an athlete to know that they’re biggest backer is behind them no matter what. I still have to do things that I feel completely comfortable with and I feel wouldn’t take away from the other things I do. The good things that I do. Because those things can turn negative quick and be louder than the good and that’s not what I want to happen.
 
YOU MENTIONED THE ESPY’S QUITE A FEW TIMES, IS THERE ANYONE YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING THAT YOU HAVEN’T YET?
“You sound like a reporter on the red carpet right now. That’s basically what everyone asks. Since 2005, I’ve been there every year since 2005. And this is what I always say on the red carpet. I don’t know exactly who I’m excited to meet. I mean every now and again I have a year where I’m like, “Oh, this person I heard they know who I am so I’m excited to meet them.” But I’m more one of those people that has an experience there at the ESPY’s and meets someone they didn’t expect to or know much about even sometimes and all of a sudden come away going, “Oh my gosh, he’s a great guy”. Ask me again at the Brickyard and I’ll probably have a story.