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09.29.15
AAA 400 Pre-Report
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Sept. 29, 2015) – As NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams enter the month of October with Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, the color pink is starting to show up everywhere – including Danica Patrick’s No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).
This weekend at Dover, and coming up at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway in Kansas City and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Patrick’s normally green Chevrolet turns pink in honor of breast cancer awareness. It is part of GoDaddy’s annual “Put the Brakes on Breast Cancer” campaign, which runs through the month of October.
While Patrick will wear a pink firesuit to match her pink car, she will also don gloves featuring pink accents at Dover this weekend at Dover. In addition, she will utilize a special pink-accented steering wheel made by Max Papis Innovations in the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS this weekend. At the end of October, Patrick’s steering wheel will be autographed and donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation to be auctioned off.
When Patrick gets behind the wheel of her pink GoDaddy Chevrolet this weekend, she’ll be looking to repeat the team’s success at Dover in May. In her sixth Sprint Cup start at the track, Patrick scored a 15th-place finish – her career-best result at the track. The effort came two weeks after she and the No. 10 team spent three days at the high-banked, concrete mile oval taking part in a Goodyear tire test and NASCAR open test session.
With a little pink on her car and what the team learned in May, Patrick is hoping for a good run this weekend – and to help raise awareness for breast cancer.
DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:
Your No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS will feature a special pink paint scheme for the month of October. Talk about that.
“The pink car really looks great this year and I think fans will definitely notice it on the track. I think we all want to make a statement – I bet there are very few people out there who don’t know someone impacted by breast cancer. My friend had a double mastectomy as a pre-emptive strike because she actually tested positive for the breast cancer gene. She went through everything and hopefully avoided it, but it hit close to home. If we all work together, we can help make a difference. Whether it’s starting a conversation or inspiring donations, every little bit helps.”
What are your thoughts about Dover?
“I always like going to Dover. The track is pretty fun. I remember everyone telling me how unique and challenging Dover was prior to my first race. At the time, I didn’t have a whole lot to compare that track to. They said it was like a larger version of Bristol, but I hadn’t raced at Bristol yet, either. It’s nice to have more of a handle on what to expect heading in there now. Dover is fun. It’s fast and it can make for a really long day of racing. I think that’s part of the appeal of it – how demanding it can be. We definitely want to stay out of trouble, which is easier said than done at these types of tracks.”
How tough is Dover to drive?
“It can be a real challenge. It’s quite quick and, when you come off turns two and four, it drops you down like a roller coaster. You just have to have a good setup and make sure everything is working right or it can be a long day. It’s actually a pretty long race, so you have to be prepared. But it’s a fun track and I’m looking forward to it.”
DANIEL KNOST, Crew chief of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:
What is the key to running well at Dover?
“To me, the key to running well at Dover is to keep the car rotating in the middle of the corner. It’s a high-load place and the track surface takes a lot of rubber. It seems like you’re always terminally tight at Dover. The team that can keep the car rotating and put the power down in the middle of the corner is going to be the fastest.”