Bires or Danica, NOT both, in Daytona

Quote :

CONCORD, N.C. – JR Motorsports will field two cars in the season-opening Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway, and new driver Danica Patrick could be driving one of them.

Full-time driver Kelly Bires, meanwhile, might not be racing at Daytona.

Because of sponsorship, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the team’s No. 88 Hellmann’s car, which Bires is scheduled to drive for much of the season.

Patrick may drive the No. 7 car, team co-owner Kelley Earnhardt said Wednesday during the Charlotte Motor Speedway media tour.

Patrick and the team will not decide whether she will run the Feb. 13 Nationwide race until after she competes in the Feb. 7 Automobile Racing Club of America event. Bires or Mark Martin would likely drive the car if Patrick does not.

Click here to read the rest, mostly about Danica

Oh well!

This has to be frustrating for Bires... he NEEDS to be running all of the races. If Danica doesn't run in the 7 car, they better stick Kelly in there and NOT Mark Martin!

i thought i had heard that danica wasn't going to run daytona in the NW series & she would be at california, i hope kelly gets to drive that race!

The more I think about this, the more upset I get.
Ya know sponsors will want Danica over Kelly..... the heck with driving skill.

Yep, just another way to screw over a hungry driver with potential.

so true

Guys like Bires and Sorenson should be running the whole schedule. What has happened to Stephen Leicht too? Is he still part time in the 29?He should be full-time as well.

RCR has no sponsorship; therefore, as of right now, NO Nationwide races for Leicht or anyone else at RCR.

i read on jayski that danica will run....so Kelly gets the shaft once again. if danica wants to run (given she did well in the ARCA race) then jr. should let kelly into the 88! fat chance, i guess jr needs the seat time

Quote :

UPDATE: Danica Patrick will enter Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com on Sunday. The IndyCar Series star who is beginning the transition to NASCAR made the decision after finishing sixth in Saturday's ARCA debut at DIS. An official announcement will be made on Monday. Patrick will be guaranteed a spot in the field using the points Brad Keselowski accumulated in the #88 for JR Motorsports last season. Patrick's biggest reservation about Daytona was keeping JR Motorsports teammate Kelly Bires out of the event and perhaps costing a driver competing for the championship valuable points if she makes a mistake.(ESPN.com)(2-7-2010)

<SOB> I guess I'm not surprised. Yeah right JR needs the seat time. AKA sponsors want JR in the seat. Poor Kelly.
Hopefully JR will let Kelly drive for someone else if there is a seat available.
I applaud Danica for being concerned about Kelly loosing valuable points. I wish Jr would step up and run a 3rd car. It's not like he can't afford it.

I wish we could see what Kelly could do in the ride at Daytona but not to be.