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Gene Haas looks to re-sign Danica Patrick

Although Patrick has lacked consistency, team owner believes crew chief change will help the No. 10 Chevy get up to speed.

Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Action Sports Photography

Danica Patrick's 2015 paint scheme
Gene Haas at the Haas F1 Team headquarters in Kannapolis, N.C.
A 2015 paint scheme for Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing
Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Gene Haas hopes Danica Patrick will stay the course with Stewart-Haas Racing.

Patrick, who is entering her third season in the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet, is also in the final year of her contract.

Haas says discussions are ongoing and the evaluation process began from “the day she starts”.

Haas isn’t concern with how Patrick has struggled in the first two seasons. He believes the potential is there.

“This is the last year of the contract we have with her and GoDaddy,” Haas said. “There are negotiations going on. Everything changes in this sport.

“I think she’s done good. When you look back at someone like a Joey Logano, he spent all those years over at Gibbs and it took six year to get going. I don’t think she’s that far off the mark. She’s probably right on the mark really. We’ve made some changes.

“I think putting Daniel (Knost, crew chief) with her is a good change. He’s very technical. He’s the type of guy that will explain to you what the car is doing. If it’s doing this, these are the results you’re going to get. He has a different way of racing than say Tony Gibson. It’s like she said, it’s going to give you a different perspective which will give you different results.”

GoDaddy support

While the commitment from Patrick and Haas appears to be viable, there’s the question of what level GoDaddy chooses to participate at moving forward.

I want GoDaddy to come back. We’ve been talking about it for quite a while. They want to, we just have to make sure we keep giving each other value.

Danica Patrick

Patrick said on Tuesday, “Of course I want GoDaddy to come back. We’ve been talking about it for quite a while. They want to, we just have to make sure we keep giving each other value. They give me value, now it’s about me giving back to them.”

Time to put up

Patrick, 32, has “all the confidence” that she can win a race. It’s just a question of creating the right circumstance and putting the right people around her.

Over the first two seasons, Patrick has reached certain milestones such as becoming the first female polesitter for the Daytona 500 and finishing sixth at Atlanta. But other than increasing her top 10 finishes from one to three from year one to year two, Patrick actually lost one position in the point standings and ended up 28th last year.

Still, Haas believes Patrick’s involvement has been good for the sport.

I think she brings a lot of attention not just to NASCAR but to SHR and the whole racing venue.

Gene Haas

“We’d love to Danica come back,” Haas said. “She’s a big draw. We want to Danica succeed has much as anyone does. I think NASCAR wants to see her succeed.

"So there’s a lot of vested interest in seeing Danica succeed in this man’s sport and we're very fortunate to have someone like Danica here. I think she brings a lot of attention not just to NASCAR but to SHR and the whole racing venue.”

 

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