Notebook: Danica denies report about full-time move to NASCAR

Notebook: Danica denies report about full-time move to NASCAR

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(May 25, 2011)

Danica Patrick denied an ESPN.com report that she would be racing full time in the Nationwide Series in 2012 with an eye on jumping to Sprint Cup in 2013, according to a report on thatsracing.com, citing Patrick's interview Wednesday with reporter Bruce Martin.

Martin, who writes for SI.com, asked Patrick about the ESPN.com story during a previously scheduled interview Wednesday at Indianapolis , and her full response follows:

"I'm watching TV and see it scroll across the bottom of the screen. I don't know where it came from but it's all speculation. Anybody can speculate that and write that. I don't know where it came from but there is no truth to it; it's just speculation.

"It's no different than it was last month or even last year. There is nothing new in it."

Patrick is in her second season of driving part time in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports, which is co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. She started 13 races in 2010 and is scheduled to make at least 12 starts in 2011.

Patrick, who is in the final year of her IndyCar Series contract with Andretti Autosport, said last week a move to NASCAR full time was not out of the question.

"I suppose anything is possible," she said Thursday when asked if this would be her seventh and final Indy 500. "But I know I haven't made any of those decisions yet."

Patrick, 29, has been driving full time in IndyCar since 2005. She has one win, in 2008 at Motegi , Japan , and will start 26th in Sunday's Indianapolis 500.

Stenhouse to race in Coke 600

Fresh from the first Nationwide Series victory of his career last Sunday at Iowa Speedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will make an immediate step up in class.

Stenhouse will replace Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Roush Fenway Racing announced Wednesday. Stenhouse also will run Saturday's Top Gear 300 Nationwide race in the No. 6 Roush Fenway car, as scheduled.

Bayne is recuperating from an unidentified illness, perhaps caused by an insect or tick bite that has sidelined him since the April 17 Sprint Cup race at Talladega . Bayne's symptoms have abated, and he is scheduled to return to the track in the June 4 Nationwide race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Bayne will return to the Wood Brothers Ford two weeks later for the Cup race at Michigan .

"Obviously, it's not the circumstances that you want to make your first Sprint Cup start," Stenhouse said. "But you grow up dreaming about this moment, and I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity; to not only make my first start, but to be able to drive the No. 21 Ford of the Wood Brothers in one of the biggest races of the season.

"Trevor is a very good friend of mine, and he's going to be around this weekend, and I know that his help with the transition will be instrumental. Hopefully we can give him an effort that will make him proud before we turn the car back over to him for the rest of the season."

For the Wood Brothers, it's another chance to boost the career of a promising young driver. Stenhouse, 23, was the 2010 rookie of the year in the Nationwide Series.

"We can't wait to have Trevor back with us, but we can't think of a better driver to fill in than Ricky," said Wood Brothers co-owner Eddie Wood. "Ricky has been doing an outstanding job in the Nationwide Series. Like Trevor, he is definitely one of the up-and-coming drivers in our sport, and we're happy that he accepted the offer to step in before Trevor comes back for our next race."

Matt Kenseth will fill in for Bayne in the No. 16 RFR Ford in Saturday's Nationwide event. Kenseth is a two-time winner in the series at Charlotte .