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07.11.17

Overton's 301 Pre-Report

On Wednesday night, Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), will trade in her firesuit for formal wear as she serves as a presenter at The ESPYS in Los Angeles. The 25th annual celebration of the best moments from the year in sports is scheduled to air live at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC and the night will mark the 13th consecutive year that Patrick has been a part of the event.

After the star-studded festivities conclude in Los Angeles, Patrick will travel to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon and return to her firesuit, helmet and racing shoes for Sunday’s Overton’s 301 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event.

The gates first opened to what is now known as New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 1990. Built as a 1.058-mile oval, the track soon earned the nickname “The Magic Mile.” Now, as NASCAR Cup Series teams head to the track for Sunday’s race, Patrick and the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford team will be ready to find some magic of their own at the track.

Patrick has made eight NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire with a career-best 14th-place effort there in July 2016. In two Xfinity Series starts, she finished a career-best 14th in July 2012. Patrick also earned a sixth-place result in the 2011 IndyCar Series race at the track.

After a top-15 run last July, Patrick returned to the track in September and scored an 18th-place finish, which marked her second-highest NASCAR Cup Series finish at New Hampshire.

This weekend, Patrick heads to New Hampshire fresh off of a 15th-place finish at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. The effort marked the team’s second top-15 finish of the season. While Patrick has earned a top-10 at “The Magic Mile” in open-wheel competition, she’s yet to find the same success in stock cars. As the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford team looks to build on the momentum from its run at Kentucky, the weekend ahead could provide a great opportunity for Patrick to finally find some magic at the track in the form of her first top-10 finish in a stock car there.

 

DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

What are you looking forward to as you return to New Hampshire this weekend?

“I love the area. I do. I love the track, too, because I love short-track racing. When I come to Loudon, I love the lobster. I go to this place that does this amazing, humongous – like way-too-much-food – stuffed lobster dish. And I love the lakes. I’m reminded every time on Saturday, when I drive into the local town, that there’s a farmer’s market, or what looks like one during the day, so I’ve got to try and catch that this year. The summers in the north are so beautiful. I grew up near Chicago, so I really appreciate that. I just enjoy the area, but the racing is great because, again, it’s short-track racing. It’s a little bit interesting because of the different banking throughout the track from lane one to lane two that makes for good racing.”

 

How challenging is New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

“It’s flat and tough to get around, sometimes. You just have to make sure you get through the corners OK and are able to get on the gas quickly on the straightaways. It’s tough but, if you have a good car, you can pass and move up through the field. But it can be challenging if it’s not working in your favor.”

Overton's 301 Notes of Interest: 

The Overton’s 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon will mark Danica Patrick’s 173rd career start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. She’s competed in eight races at the NASCAR Cup Series level at the 1.058-mile oval and her top finish at the track was a 14th-place effort she earned in July 2016. In two Xfinity Series events at New Hampshire, Patrick’s top finish was a 14th-place result in July 2012. In addition to her stock car experience at the track, Patrick competed in the 2011 IndyCar Series event at New Hampshire and earned a sixth-place finish.

And the Award Goes To: On Wednesday, Patrick will trade her firesuit for formal wear as she serves as a presenter at The ESPYS in Los Angeles. The 25th annual celebration of the best moments from the year in sports will be hosted by Peyton Manning and is scheduled to air live at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC. Patrick will be joined by a number of celebrity presenters, including Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Berman, Eddie George and others. 

Aspen Dental: With more than 600 offices in 36 states, Aspen Dental-branded practices offer patients a safe, welcoming and judgment-free environment to get the full range of dental care they need along with the convenience and speed of onsite denture labs. That’s why the Aspen Dental network of independent dental care providers is one of the largest and fastest growing in the U.S. and saw more than 1.5 million patients in 2016. To find out more about how Aspen Dental practices make it simply easier for each of their patients to get the healthy mouth they deserve, visit AspenDental.com.

Vote for Danica: Kids across America have nominated Patrick for two Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Sports Awards: “Queen of Swag” and “Need for Speed.” Fans can vote by visiting Nick.com/KCS. The show, hosted by Russell Wilson, is scheduled to air on Nickelodeon Sunday at 8 p.m. EDT.

Dallas Dogs Available: A plush version of Dallas Stenhouse, the 3-year-old miniature Siberian Husky that belongs to Patrick and her boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr., is now available for sale. Race fans can purchase their own Dallas plush dog at the SHR team store in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the SHR online store and at Shop.DanicaPatrick.com. A portion of the proceeds from all sales will benefit animal charities.

For the History Books: Since Patrick began competing in NASCAR on a part-time basis in 2010, she has made plenty of history. Here is a recap of how she has altered the record books through the years:

• Became the first woman to win a NASCAR Cup Series pole when she set the fastest time in qualifying for the 2013 Daytona 500.
• Led laps 90 to 91 of the 2013 Daytona 500, becoming the first female to lead NASCAR’s most prestigious race. She also led laps 127 to 129.
• Became the first woman to lead a NASCAR race under green (Daytona 2013). Janet Guthrie led five laps under yellow in 1977 at Ontario (Calif.) Motor Speedway.
• Finished 2013 Daytona 500 in eighth place, the highest finishing position ever for a woman in the “Great American Race.”
• Finished 10th in 2012 Xfinity Series points, the highest points finish by a woman in the history of NASCAR’s top three series (Cup, Xfinity, Truck).
• Competed in every NASCAR Cup Series race in 2013, becoming the first female driver to complete an entire season in the series.
• Became the first female to compete in the non-points NASCAR All-Star race (2013) and Sprint Unlimited (2014).
• Have the most starts of any female in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
• With six top-10 finishes, holds the record for the most top-10 finishes of any female in NASCAR Cup Series competition.

History Maker in IndyCar: Patrick became the first woman to win a major-league open-wheel race in a North American series in April 2008 by winning the IndyCar Series Japan Indy 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi oval in Japan.

Big Stage: In seven Indianapolis 500 starts, Patrick finished in the top-10 six times, including a third-place result in 2009, the best finish ever for a woman in the historic race.