Nationwide Series

Just before Kenny Wallace entered his No. 28 Nationwide Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway on Feb 13, 2010, @Kenny_Wallace tweeted that he needed $7200.00 for four sets of tires. He needed the tires for the Feb 20 Stater Brothers 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA.

Wallace said he would have to race on used tires if he doesn’t get a sponsor for Fontana. That $7200.00 would get a company’s name in his quarter panels. Wallace’s offer is a huge bargain in any race that includes Danica Patrick.

The broadcast of the Feb 13 DRIVE4COPD 300 was NASCAR Nationwide Series’ most ever watched race on cable. The combination of the Danica effect and Wallace’s electrifying personality, was too much for Zimmzang CEO Steve Burke, former head of Steve Burke Racing, L.L.C., to pass up.

Just a few hours after Wallace raced to a 16th place finish at Daytona, he received a tweet from @ZimmzangCEO, letting him know that he would look great driving the zimmzang.com car. Burke also suggested in the tweet, that this, “could be the first ever Twitter deal.” 

The next day the two were chatting on the phone during the Daytona 500 pothole debacle. Two days later Wallace tweeted a thank you to Zimmzang of Richmond, VA for the sponsorship.

Wallace's Nationwide Series accomplishments include nine wins, 10 poles, and nine seasons in the top 10 in driver points. He has more than 425 Nationwide starts, making him only the second driver with this distinction. He is the only driver to have won the Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver Award three times, in 1991, 1994, and 2006.

Zimmzang, an innovative printing and advertising company founded by Burke and his father Rich, opened for business on Feb 1, 2010. They are already set to have their name prominently featured on the No. 28 Chevy.

Steve Burke, a 2009 graduate of Virginia Tech's Pamplin School of Business, said that his background in racing led to his company's interest in sponsoring the car. Zimmzang decided to sponsor the car because it was looking for national exposure, CEO Steve Burke said in a statement.

Through Feb 21, the promo code kenny28 will get you a 40 percent discount on first time Zimmzang orders. Not to include promotional golf balls.

"As a relatively new company, Zimmzang is looking for opportunities for national exposure," Burke said. "NASCAR is a great platform for that, particularly because of the excitement generated by Danica Patrick's entry into the field. We're thrilled to be affiliated with Kenny Wallace and his team."

Burke hopes to continue the relationship with more sponsorship in the future. Zimmzang would prefer a race on the east coast, so they can bring the employees to the event.

Team Owner Jay Robinson, based in Monroe, N.C., said that he is "very thankful" that Zimmzang signed on to sponsor this weekend's race, giving the team a better chance of a good finish.

Wallace hopes to "keep the momentum going" with a strong finish in Fontana that leads to a successful season, he said.

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Photo provided by Jennifer Wezensky, JW Public Relations.

Braun Racing rookie Brian Scott will be driving the No. 11 AccuDoc Solutions Toyota at Fontana for Saturday afternoon's Stater Bros. 300, marking the debut of his sponsor in NASCAR.

Scott will be hoping for a great finish at Auto Club Speedway. It'll be his second Nationwide start at the track. Last year he started 12th and finished 23rd.

He also has made two starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series there, finishing 23rd and 29th. 

Scott, his crew chief Billy Wilburn, and his No. 11 team will be keying in on his qualifying setup for the race.

The first five races of the season are based on last season's owner points standings, guaranteeing 30 entries a starting spot in the race.

Being on a brand new team, he doesn't have a safety net of having owner points to fall back on and will need to qualify for the race.

After Daytona, Scott sits 19th in the owner points, safely in the 2010 owner standings. Once the series gets to its fifth race at Nashville Superspeedway on April 3rd, he won't have to worry about qualifying if he stays in the top 30.

"I know for a fact that Billy Wilburn will continue to lead us in the right direction and the AccuDoc Solutions team will put a fast product on the race track, " Scott said. "However, it's pretty nerve-racking to be sitting there praying on factors outside our control like rain. Then we are just hoping on a good qualifying number draw to set our destiny."

For Scott to have a good day at Auto Club Speedway, momentum will be important for him, with the track's long straightaways and flat and wide sweeping corners.

While Scott can change your line of entry coming into and exiting the corners to aid in how his Camry is handling on the track, he doesn't want to make the most common mistake at the track by suffering speed loss in the corners. It will effect him on the straightaways and hurt his chances of a good finish.

Scott will be racing chassis No. BR51 this week, a brand new Camry.

He will have a fast car and Wilburn's leadership will be an advantage for him, but he needs to run a smart race and stay out of trouble.

Scott should have another top 20 or higher finish, depending on how well his AccuDoc Solutions Camry is handling in the closing laps.

While in Fontana for the race weekend, Scott and the other Toyota drivers will also be visiting Toyota's headquarters in Torrance, CA to meet everyone in the Toyota TRD center and thank them for all their hard work.

Source for quote: braunracing.com

NASCAR's first races of the season kicked off at the famed Daytona International Speedway, with three female racers in both the Nationwide DRIVE4COPD 300, as well as the Camping World Truck NextEra Energy Resources 250. 

Unfortunately, these females all fared poorly, with all three crashing out and not even finishing their races.

The most heralded female racer of the weekend was of course Danica Patrick.  Racing her GoDaddy.com JR Motorsports No. 7, Patrick made her NASCAR debut in the Nationwide race.

Patrick started in the 15th position due to weather washing out qualifying.  As the green flag waved, Patrick held her ground for a few laps, but then starting dropping back as she tried to get a feel for her car in the draft.

She managed to miss the first wreck of the race, however, was not so fortunate on the second "big one."  Patrick suffered damage to the car after sliding through the grass and hitting the wall.

"The last time, I held it straight and they spun away and below me," Patrick said of the first accident she avoided.  The second one she just could not miss, losing sight of the spinning cars ahead of her in the smoke.

"I held it straight, hoping they would spin out of the way," Patrick said.  "But they didn't."

After joking with her crew that Goodyear needed to make tires that wouldn't smoke so she could indeed see through the wreck, Patrick took her injured car to the garage.  Her restrictor plate racing debut was done for the day.

"The disappointing part is that I missed out getting the rest of my laps in," Patrick said.  "The car was settling in and I was just getting comfortable."

"I had 50 laps to go," Patrick continued.  "I'm glad I got that second stint but it's never fun to crash up a perfectly good car when it's not your fault."

Patrick was not the only female to crash out of the Nationwide race.  Chrissy Wallace, making history of her own by debuting with her father Mike, her uncle Kenny, and her cousin Steve, joined Patrick in having a tough day.

Wallace's day, however, ended much earlier than Patrick's.  She got hit from behind by Paul Menard on turn four on the very first lap of the Nationwide race.

Wallace's crew was just in the process of unpacking their pit box and settling in for the race when she came sliding down pit road.  Her car was totalled and before the race really even got started; Wallace's day was done.

Although Wallace was upset by being ousted so early from the competition, she was also angry.

"I don't know what Menard was thinking," Wallace said.  "I'm a rookie, but I still know that you can't win a race on the first lap."

Wallace was most upset as, unlike Patrick, she does not know when she will race again.  "We're working on some sponsorship things," Wallace said.  "I don't know.  We'll see."

In the Truck race, there was one female racer behind the wheel.  Jennifer Jo Cobb, who recently bought her Truck team, was anxious to make her debut.

Cobb started in the 28th position in her No. 10 drivenmale.com Ford.  Her race night was destined to be almost as short as Wallace's as she too suffered an early incident that put her out of the show.

"I don't know how to give up," Cobb said in the garage as she and her crew surveyed the damage to her race truck.  "If we can go make a couple laps again for morale and points, which are oh so important, I want to do it."

"Yeah, I don't want to give up," Cobb said.  "I want to get back out there."

Yet Cobb admitted that it was unlikely that she could get back onto the track.  Not only was her truck mangled but she admitted that it was the hardest hit that she had ever taken as well.

All three of these females will indeed go on to race another day.  But on this weekend in Daytona, their hopes and dreams for glory, or at least a full race finish under their belts, were not meant to be.

While Valentine's lovers may be caught in a bad romance or in paradise, everyone at Daytona International Speedway is experiencing one of the more dramatic Speedweeks in recent memory.

From the mainstream media's eyes on open-wheel racer Danica Patrick's debut in stock cars to the exciting action on the speedway, there's a festive feel around the track and NASCAR world.

Drivers and teams have been a part of the most competitive races, with Thursday's Gatorade Duels producing photo finishes that could only be topped by an amazing Daytona 500 on Valentine's Day.

Fans have digested the chronicles and tribulations of Danica Patrick, who has certainly made her presence known with her amazing debut in the ARCA Re/Max Series with a sixth-place finish.

While the media paid little attention to the winner and her competitors, the fuss around the 27-year-old racing star has some validity.

Sure, she's driving for JR Motorsports, which is arguably a satellite organization of Hendrick Motorsports. Little has to be said about the success of HMS, other than the fact that they've won the past four Sprint Cup titles, three Brickyard 400s, and happen to be the home of four superstar drivers.

However, a fast car can only be successful with a great team and a driver who can draft and compete with the best in the sport.

Patrick raced wisely and competitively in the ARCA opener comprised of veterans, young guns, and average drivers who race each lap as if the white flag flies on every trip around the track. 

She's adapted quickly to the heavier cars as well as the draft, observing the ways of her peers and the terminology of stock car racing.

As she gains more experience on the track and in the draft, her confidence grows and that definitely spells trouble for her Nationwide Series counterparts for Saturday's season opener (Live, 1:30 p.m./EDT on ESPN2).

Let's not forget the other female racers who also competed in last Saturday's ARCA opener, which include Jill George, Leilani Munter, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Milka Duno, and Alli Owens. Although they were involved in separate incidents during the wild race, these tough drivers certainly have the talent and wherewithal to succeed in stock cars.

Owens had a solid shot at victory until she spun late in the going in her No. 15 ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota Camry. Despite her incident, she was mixing it up with the leaders, poised to make a move for the win. Don't be surprised if she or any of the other female talents race their way into Victory Lane in 2010.

Munter didn't get to showcase how stout her No. 59 NextEra Energy Dodge Charger truly was in the race, getting wiped out in grinding accident on lap six. Frustrated but determined, the 33-year-old sensation looks to make her next ARCA appearance in the April race at Texas.

Cobb brought home a respectable 17th place finish in her No. 21 car, avoiding the rest of the carnage and incidents that befell her female contemporaries. While her schedule in the ARCA ranks is limited, her fill of NASCAR racing will be satisfied with a full-season rookie campaign in the Camping World Truck Series in her No. 10 Ford.

Saturday will be a day of history not only because of Danica Patrick, but also because of a rare doubleheader ticket that will certainly quench the thirsts of racing enthusiasts at home and at the track itself.

After all, it's not every weekend that the Nationwide Series has a race on the same track and day as its Camping World Truck Series peers.

That's just what'll happen with the season opener for both series. Just a bit past 1:30 p.m. EDT, the "insurance agents" take their shot at stealing the win in the DRIVE4COPD 300. Billed as the "Prelude to the Daytona 500," it could certainly serve as a foreshadowing of the dramatics that will be witnessed for the Cup gang.

Drivers to watch include Danica Patrick, as well as the intriguing family story surrounding Kenny, Mike, Stephen, and Chrissy Wallace. These four fast relatives will be competing in the opener, with uncle Rusty basking in it all as a race analyst for the ESPN2 broadcast team.

Mike Wallace certainly knows his way around this track, having won an ARCA race in 1994, as well as the fact that he is at his best at the plate race.

Additionally, he captured the July '04 race in spectacular fashion, avoiding the fracas between Jason Leffler and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to capture a last lap win.

Younger brother Kenny has certainly got to be excited for the kickoff for the NNS, looking to start his season on a high note for the No. 28 Jay Robinson Racing Chevy team.

Starting his 24th season of racing, "Herman the German" looks to improve on his top-10 points finish from last season. Perhaps this well-grounded racer will show that nice guys don't always have to finish last, going for victories and maximum points.

Rusty's son Stephen might be the Wallace relative who has a chip on his shoulder. While he has the tendency to overdrive his cars, thus resulting in several wrecks, he is a tremendously talented driver capable of reeling top-fives and 10s on a regular basis.

With his father's team aligning themselves with Joe Gibbs Racing, this newly Toyota-branded effort might knock on the door for some wins.

Chrissy Wallace is very similar to her famous uncle in Rusty, with the confidence to hold her own against the boys on the track.

With solid efforts at Martinsville in 2008 and an equally as impressive performance at Talladega last season, the 21-year-old racer said that if she beats her uncle and father on Saturday, they both have to wear skirts at the track. Talk about confidence and poise!

Unlike the Cup Series, which has a weak rookie class, the freshman class of 2010 looks very strong and stacked with checkered flags and championships in the future.

Roush-Fenway Racing has a prodigy in Colin Braun who looks to grab his share of wins in his No. 16 Conway Ford Fusion/Mustang. At the raw age of 21, the pride of Ovalo, Texas, hopes to duplicate his Truck Series success with a solid debut campaign.

Braun has a four other feisty competitors looking to take this year's Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors, including ARCA sensations James Buescher and Parker Kligerman, Truck winner Brian Scott, and Ricky Steinhouse, Jr.

In a few years, these aggressive, young lead footers will most likely be competing in high-quality Cup rides.

Following the Nationwide Series season opener, the Camping World Trucks hit the 31-degrees of banking with their kickoff to what looks to be another action-packed year (Live, 7 p.m. EDT on SPEED).

With a few invasions by Sprint Cup and NNS racers, this series looks for its homegrown talent to trade paint and deliver the most exciting racing product for 10 dramatic months.

Ron Hornaday Jr. joined the "Four Timers' Club," becoming the first CWTS racer to win four driver's titles in its 15-year history.

Joining Cup stars Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson in this prestigious "club," the Californian is poised for another record and history-making championship campaign in his No. 33 Kevin Harvick-owned Chevy.

However, he has some sharks that look to strike first blood, starting with the "World Center of Racing."

Guys like Todd Bodine, Matt Crafton, Mike Skinner, Johnny Sauter, and David Starr hope that the championship will be hoisted in their hands. As to who that driver will be, the only way to know is to follow the truck action from Daytona to Homestead-Miami.

After those two appetizers, perhaps the most dramatic story around the 2.5-mile super speedway is the tremendously fast and risky racing action in the qualifying races preceding Sunday's Daytona 500. It was almost like a page from yesteryear's Daytona, with drivers jostling about in tight drafting formations.

Drivers have welcomed back the return of bump-drafting with relative ease, using the chrome horn to gain that additional speed and position around the track. With the biggest restrictor plate in use since the 1989 season, speeds have been quick and the art of drafting has been a work in progress for every competitor.

As a result, there's been some practice wrecks that wiped out the primary cars of Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Mike Bliss, and David Reutimann prior to the Duels. Those collisions worried Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, who felt that their driver was going to start and park in his qualifying race.

Worries be damned, "Little E" ended up racing the entire distance of Duel race No. 2, although his No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevy was cosmetically damaged. Still, the 2004 Daytona 500 champion has a solid shot at a second victory, as he starts from the outside pole alongside teammate Mark Martin.

As for Johnson, the four-time champion simply sucked it up and won the first qualifying race in his backup machine.

Despite the No. 48 Lowe's Chevy team downplaying their chances at a victory, don't let their guise fool you. Crew chief Chad Knaus and crew definitely have a bullet at their disposal and a driver who's aiming for a second Daytona 500 win.

Not since the 2001 season, have we seen drafting action as intense and heart-wrenching as this year's Speedweeks. Three-to-four-wide racing has been somewhat routine, with mere inches separating competitors around the narrow 50-feet-wide straights and corners.

In spite of this, the usual concerns of race penalties for going below the yellow line, or NASCAR's out-of-bounds line, and failed inspections have been futile. So far.

While "The Big One" has yet to be realized for the Cup gang, it has to certainly be on the mind of every racer who'll be duking it out on Sunday. NASCAR's loosened up the reins on the drivers, separating the men from the boys and the strong from the weak in their steel chariots.

Will the 52nd Daytona 500 (live, Sunday at 1 p.m./EDT on Fox) be equally as amazing as Thursday's Gatorade Duels? That remains to be seen, but based on the practice sessions and just how hotly competitive those races were, fans and teams are in for quite a treat.

Race winners Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne can attest to that, having seen the excitement all around them and their rear view mirrors.

There are plenty of story lines surrounding Sunday's main event, from Mark Martin's Daytona frustration to a group of hungry racers looking to eat their cake in the winner's circle.

Guys like Bobby Labonte, Clint Bowyer, Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, and Elliott Sadler hope their long winless streaks will end with a win, which will certainly be hard fought and earned in style.

Mark Martin's story with Daytona is similar to the Super Bowl frustrations of famed Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino. Both sporting icons have been labeled as '"the greatest talent who have not won the big game."

Marino watched his contemporaries in Joe Montana and John Elway win their share of Super Bowl rings while his Dolphins faltered yearly.

They may have several postseason appearances during his 17-season career but his team managed to only make one Super Bowl appearance, in which they were soundly crushed by Montana's stout San Francisco 49ers.

Martin's frustration is similar, as he's seen his peers celebrate "Great American Race" wins from racers like Dale Earnhardt, Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Bill Elliott, among others. His talent is there and the cars have been generally quick, but his fortunes have been slim to none.

Even when there's a glimpse of hope, it ends up being a torturous tease and agonizing defeat. Almost as painful as the Tennessee Titans' loss against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, Martin's defeat in the 2007 Daytona 500 is brutal to watch.

Just a matter of inches separated the surefire Hall of Fame racer from tasting one of the missing links of his illustrious career, as he saw Kevin Harvick streak by him with just enough momentum at the stripe.

While he has been somewhat under the radar leading up to Sunday, don't be fooled. Having won the pole for the 500, the No. 5 GoDaddy.com team is poised and absolutely ready to give it their best shot at glory for the ageless 51-year-old Arkansas native.

Earnhardt Jr.'s story is one filled with frustration, especially with 2009. To put it in perspective, the Griswold family had better luck with their vacations, reaching Wallyworld, enjoying Europe and coming home from Vegas with a fortune.

Meanwhile, Rusty Griswold's lookalike in NASCAR had a year that would make you want to pull out all your hair. Even when the No. 88 team was in a position to win, they found more ways to lose races.

Bad pit stops, terrible racing luck, and just mediocre set-ups plagued their Impala machines from even being a factor on a regular basis.

Sunday's race may also be the final 500 for Michael Waltrip, a two-time winner of the "Super Bowl of NASCAR."

Recognizing that his driving skills are interfering with his business decisions for his eponymous team, the fan favorite hopes to come home in one piece in the No. 51 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry.

Also notable are the racers who squeezed their way into the 500, like "Mad" Max Papis, Michael McDowell, Scott Speed, and Mike Bliss. Perhaps the most dramatic survivor was Bliss, who piloted Tommy Baldwin's No. 36 Wave Energy Chevy into a transfer spot.

Interestingly, the chassis driven by the former Truck and Nationwide star was the same one that made the Daytona 500 cut when it was driven by Scott Riggs.

With Waltrip perhaps moving into retirement from the driver's seat, some of the names mentioned in the Truck and Camping World ranks may be going at it in the Sprint Cup Series in just a matter of a few seasons.

Enjoy the three races, cheer for your favorites, and hope and pray that each event will be competitive, fun, but safe for all involved. Happy racing everybody, and lovers, enjoy your Valentine's Day weekend.

For the others, Happy Singles Awareness Day to all who love and follow NASCAR more than finding a date!

Braun Racing's rookie Brian Scott will be driving the No. 11 StopRepairBills.com Toyota at Daytona in Saturday's Drive 4 COPD 300.

With two previous starts at Daytona in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Scott is eager to start his rookie campaign in the Nationwide Series.  He finished 10th, and completed all 200 possible laps in the Camping World Truck Series.

Naturally, Scott is looking forward to his upcoming race.

"Racing at Daytona has always been special to me, but this year I have a lot to be excited about," said Scott.

"I have a new series, new team, new crew chief, new sponsors, new everything. After three years in the Camping World Truck Series, making the step to the Nationwide Series full- time is very exciting."

Crew chief Bill Wilburn will be calling his first race with Scott. In the off-season Wilburn and Scott spent some time building their chemistry. Scott, who is eager to work with his new crew, feels Braun Racing did an excellent job putting the team together.

He feels good about himself and Wilburn being on the same page.  They know each others' goals and should have no problems communicating.

Even more exciting for Scott is the fact that this year's rookie class in the Nationwide Series is NASCAR's best in all three of it's top divisions.

Along with Scott, two other Truck Series alumni Colin Braun and James Buescher, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. racing this weekend, it should be a good battle.

I'll be rooting for Scott.

It'll be exciting watching him race this season in the Nationwide and I hope he wins the Raybestos honors.

Racing chassis No. BR49, which is a brand new superspeedway car, Scott well need to qualify well.

I hope he runs a smart race, stays out of trouble, and sets himself up for a great finish. I would love to see him pick up a top-10, but will be happy if he tops his career-best 14th place finish in the series.

Source for quote: braunracing.com

Photo Credit: sports.yahoo.com

For years now, NASCAR fans have been anticipating the arrival of Danica Patrick, but I'm not sure that anyone expected what has become of it.  Since finishing in sixth place in her stock car debut last weekend in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, the first ARCA race of the year, Patrick has announced that she will run in this weekends Nationwide race at Daytona, the Drive4COPD 300.

After the announcement came earlier this week that Patrick will driving the #7 GoDaddy.com car, led by crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and JR Motorsports, the media has been covering her every move.  ESPN has continued to run articles about her practice runs just to add to the hype for this weekend's festivities. 

While all of the fame has been warranted up until this point, not for being consistently good, but for being a competitive female in a male dominated sport, it's starting to get a little out of hand.  It's obvious that the hype is coming because she is a female, not a really good rookie driver. 

In fact, Joey Logano, who raced in a handful of Nationwide races in 2008, made a big jump to racing with the big boys last year and proved to be one of the best drivers, especially in the second half of the season.  Even though he was able to win a Sprint Cup race at Kansas and perform as one of the best Nationwide drivers, he's never come close to getting this much media attention.

It's a great story, but fans need to be realistic, unlike the media has proved to be.  Patrick finished 26th in yesterday's practice session, however, they are making it out to be no big deal.  Unfortunately, those who truly understand the sport of stock car racing and are familiar with the Nationwide series know that this race will not be easy for her at all.

The main problem ahead of Patrick is the likely hood of failure in her first race.  The first Nationwide race of the year always features many of NASCAR's best drivers, and they often come out on top.  The big boys will just add to the typical competition that Patrick will have to get used to in her future with stock cars, and will likely put her outside of the top 15 this weekend.

While it is certainly possible for Patrick to cross the finish line in the top ten, it is highly unlikely due to the toughness of the competition, the unfamiliarity with the track and the car, and the pressure that has been placed upon her. 

When it comes down to it, she has started 81 races in the IRL, with only one win which came in 2008.  There is little evidence that Patrick will be a successful NASCAR driver at this point in time, and until she proves herself in the Nationwide Series, the attention is being overblown.

ESPN is going to continue to take advantage of Patrick's sex appeal and mildly successful career and bring fans to the sport, but they will soon learn after watching the NASCAR circuit, that she is not just a step below, rather she is a whole staircase below the competition.

Ah, Daytona. 

Where the sun shines, the lazy beaches roll, and the NASCAR engines roar twice a year when the boys and girls come to town.

Hold on, boys and girls?

Well, girl anyway.

Danica Patrick will make her first NASCAR Nationwide Series start Saturday when her Godaddy.com Chevrolet rolls onto the high banks of Daytona.

The go-ahead decision to participate in Saturday's race came Monday after her impressive performance in last weekend's ARCA Series race.

Patrick fell to last place in the race after a spin on lap 54 but managed to fight her way back through the pack to finish sixth.

The spunky 27-year-old from Roscoe, Illinois showed what she had in the comeback, dashing up, down, left, and right for positions before the checkered flag halted her efforts.

"I was goin' side by side with people," said Patrick after the race, smiling ear to ear. 

"The GoDaddy car doesn't look very pretty, but it was fun."

Saturday's ARCA race was the most-watched ever, with an increase of over 87 percent from last year.

Four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon said he believes this weekend's Nationwide race will be no different.

"I'm as excited as anybody else to watch," he said. "It's exciting."

Daytona expects a ten percent attendance increase for Saturday's Nationwide race, a jump that's unprecedented over the last decade.

But the female phenomenon hasn't made it this far without criticism from some of NASCAR's greats.

Seven-time Cup champion and NASCAR owner Richard Petty doesn't believe Patrick's move to a stock car career will prove successful.

"I just don't think it's a sport for women," said Petty. "And so far, it's proven out. It's really not. It's good for them to come in. It gives us a lot of publicity, it gives them publicity."

"But as far as being a real true racer, making a living out of it, it's kind of tough."

Patrick will try to continue proving "The King" wrong this weekend, hoping to continue her success despite a huge jump in competition level.

The DRIVE4COPD 300 will be televised live Saturday on ESPN2.  Coverage from Daytona begins at 1 PM ET.

See more articles by Tucker Sargent at http://tuckersargent.blogspot.com/

I am the first to admit that I was skeptical of Danica Patrick possibly making the move to NASCAR. I even decided to write my thoughts out and post them on here, saying she needed to earn her way into NASCAR, especially at it's highest level.

Then the rumors started flowing like a raging river. She began talking to people like Rick Hendrick, Jack Roush, Tony Stewart, and others.

She asked questions, and showed true interest. Owners began talking about it, fans began talking about it. Before you know it, the Associated Press began talking about it.

I began reading, listening, and following closely what has been deemed "Danicamania," wondering if this was for real.

Sure enough, it was no fluke. The press conference was announced, the setting was decided, and an unveiling was in place. Patrick, with the blessing of her Indy Car team, decided to go racing with a roll cage, signing with JR Motorsports, the team led by Dale Earnhardt Jr.

First thing I had come to mind was, "Alright, she's extremely serious about this. A team backed by Hendrick Motorsports means she's in top equipment."

"Maybe this won't be so bad."

Of course, she had to test the waters. She entered into the ARCA race, one of the preludes to the Budweiser Shootout. It was a moment that the media flocked to. This was a sight that people never thought would actually happen.

I was so curious as to what she would do. I knew that she was set to debut in the Nationwide Series at California, but this is Daytona. The racing world is focused on this track for two weeks. It was only appropriate that Patrick decide to get her feet wet at the "World's Center of Speed."

From the moment the green flag dropped, she played the race safe, and used her head. She didn't make any risky moves and stayed right on the yellow line.

Then, her real test. She gets spun out coming down the front stretch, right in the tri-oval. But, much to my surprise, she kept the car off the wall, did no damage to the body, and simply came to pit road for tires and fuel.

She worked her way from her 24th-place spot on the restart to finish sixth in her stock car debut.

It was only one race, but I was incredibly impressed with how she handled the new challenge.

Now, she and her JR Motorsports team have decided to let her take a chance, and will enter Patrick in Saturday's Nationwide Series opener.

The question is, can she hang with the big boys?

This race is notorious for having many Sprint Cup regulars compete. Earnhardt Jr. himself is going to be at the wheel of the No. 88 entry for his team as Kelly Bires has another commitment.

That in itself is a big advantage for Patrick as she now has a drafting partner to work with.

But having your boss in the race doesn't mean she's ready. The ARCA cars and the Nationwide cars run different packages at restrictor plate tracks. The two biggest differences are the spoiler and the roof.

Much like the Cup cars in the early 2000's, there is a strip along the roof, and the spoiler has a "wicker bill" at the top. Both of these create drag, while at the same time give a bit more control to the driver.

The Nationwide car will react a bit different than her ARCA car, and she'll have to get used to the car sucking up to the field in a quicker fashion.

Not only that, she's got to deal with a lot of the top runners in the Cup Series who will be in the majority of the Nationwide field.

Patrick herself admitted that is the one thing she is most concerned about, running with guys like Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton, and others. She wants to earn their respect, but one bad decision or move and the tide would shift.

She is locked into the race because of JR Motorsports acquiring the owners' points from the No. 11, so she is in the field.

But, as much as I am confident in her ability, I'm not convinced that one race is enough for her to be ready. Yes, track time is important, especially someone with only 80 laps in a stock car under race conditions. I just don't think thrusting her into the demon of restrictor plate racing is the best move.

I believe she can do well, the ARCA race proved that. What's got me concerned is that now she's going up against the elite NASCAR drivers, and could easily lose their respect in one move.

We hear constantly of drivers making the "bonehead move" at Daytona or Talladega that takes out half the field. If Patrick happens to be the one in that situation, how does that make her look? More importantly, how does that make Earnhardt Jr. look for hiring her with no stock car experience?

I cannot predict the outcome, I can only hope that she plays it smart and doesn't get risky with the experienced racers.

If she plays her cards right, and races extremely well and with a great amount of intelligence, then even the toughest critics will have to say she belongs in NASCAR.

I cannot say I’m sick of Danica-mania.

She is trying to forge a stock car career in exactly the right way. She didn’t come in with a sense of entitlement, “I’m a good driver in other places, so I deserve to be here” (Scott Speed).

Nor does she think she can just jump right to the top of NASCAR (Dario Franchitti). She realizes she has a long road in front of her, and she is slowly climbing to the top.

She did a mighty fine job in the ARCA race on Saturday.

She was timid at the beginning, but you saw her getting better as the 80 laps wore on. Though not quite comfortable following other cars too closely, she gave Ricky Carmichael a run for his money, trading paint coming to the checkered flag.

Media pundits declared that she had proven herself as a stock car driver and had proven wrong all the haters. Tony Eury Sr., a legend in the NASCAR garage and part owner of JR Motorsports, for which Danica drove, declared her ready for the Nationwide Series race at Daytona (reversing a decision he had made weeks before).

Alright now, hold on folks. Yes, she was impressive. Her spin through the infield demonstrated she has car control, something Darrell Waltrip said, “You either have it or you don’t.”

But driving in an 80-lap ARCA race (for which, 36 laps were caution laps) does not make anyone an ace, no matter how much talent lies underneath.

Chances are, when she gets to California, Danica will still struggle initially. Then, what happens when the Nationwide Series goes to Dover? In all her races, especially with limited practice and even further limited testing, she will have a tough time getting her mojo on until halfway through the race, if that.

Now, I’m not a “hater.” I think she’ll succeed in the long run. But these things take time. She’s already been given the gift of time, patience, and sponsorship money.

She will need it.

She may do fine in the Nationwide race at Daytona. That race will be packed to the brim with Cup drivers, and she will probably learn even more than she did in the ARCA race. The drivers will know how to handle her better and she will get far more green flag laps.

But that eventual California track is an entirely different animal. She will have to nearly start over.

Nonetheless, she will do fine in the long run. Just do not think she has made it yet.

Danica Patrick probably made the best decision of her young NASCAR career—choosing to race in Saturday’s Drive4COPD 300 Nationwide race.

After hearing week after week the saga that followed her desire to race in the NASCAR Series, she held true to her words and now the fans will finally get what they have been waiting for.

"I've got a lot to learn, but I have good people around me. We're ready to go. I am here to drive a Sprint Cup Car in the Sprint Cup Series,” said Patrick.

The decision couldn’t have been an easy one, but when you think of the word competitor, why would any driver choose to sit out the biggest race of the season?

After all she did make it clear that her desire was to someday race in the cup series, and with a lot of the cup regulars entered into Saturday's race, this is her best chance of the season to fulfill what she has set out to accomplish.

Timing in the NASCAR Series doesn’t always play into the driver's schedule. Sometimes drivers have to go beyond the box and seize the moments as they come along.

Such was the case with Patrick, and her wanting to wait for the second Nationwide race of the season at Auto Club Speedway.

"Racing in the Nationwide Series race was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do," Patrick said.

"The ARCA race was a blast, and I'm not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing."

Now you sit back and think about not only the experience that she will gain, but how she will also be among some of the cup regulars in the field.

Danica will be challenged by some of the best drivers in the motorsports world who know how to handle a rookie driver.

Being the competitor that she is, it didn’t make much sense to skip the chance of a lifetime since there are no guarantees’ that an opportunity such as this will arise in the future.

In NASCAR racing, as sad as it is, we have seen the inevitable happen without giving some very good talent the chance to compete at this high level of racing.

Patrick has set a path that only she can walk down, and given the backing along with some of the best equipment in the series, it is up to her to take full advantage of what is being given to her.

Even though she finished 6th in her first official start in a stock car in the Arca Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on Saturday, the trial and error phase has just begun along with a learning curve that is just as uncertain.

It's inevitable that whether she wins, loses, or doesn’t finish the race, the skeptics will be out in full force waiting to critique her every move.

Many fans around the various NASCAR social sites have already spoken saying that she has not earned the right to race in the NASCAR Series, but none of that matters because she is here and ready to make a go at it.

Basically when you come right down to it, we all have our opinions and now its up to her to prove that she does belong racing with the best stock cars drivers that the series has to offer.

Kelley Earnhardt said it the best, “She has worked extremely hard during the past two months for this opportunity. Her dedication and work ethic is infectious.”

Only time will tell how true these words really are.