In a Webcast on Thursday afternoon, Danica Patrick made official what had been assumed for months. With a stock car covered in a black nylon sheet lingering just out of frame, the most visible and highest-paid driver in the IndyCar series announced she would race full time in Nascar next year.
Patrick, who has raced a split schedule in 2011, shuttling between IndyCar and Nationwide — the second most prestigious series in Nascar — could raise interest in stock car racing, a sport that has struggled in recent years to retain television viewership and sponsorship dollars. Making her debut in the series at Daytona in 2010, Patrick contributed to a 35 percent increase in viewership over the 2009 race, according to Nielsen Television Research. (She crashed out of contention midway through the contest.)
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