NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GEICO 500
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 1, 2015
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed her season to date, the departure of GoDaddy as primary sponsor at the end of the year, her thoughts on a future sponsor, the Qualifying format change, and more. FULL TRANSCRIPT:
YOU RECENTLY RECORDED THE MOST ALL-TIME TOP 10 WINS BY A FEMALE DRIVER. TALK A BIT ABOUT YOUR SEASON AND HOW YOU WOULD RATE THAT OVERALL AT THIS POINT
“I think we get rated in the point standings every year. That’s usually how people think of the season and how it’s going. But, it’s going better. It’s going better than it has yet in Cup. I think we definitely, as a team, had challenges put on our plate to start the year with a new crew chief and me being a new driver for him and just a lot of changes overall. But, I think that we’ve overcome them really well, and we still have our tough and rough weekends. I feel like, as personalities, we work together well. We get upset and we have our moments, but we are able to communicate really well during. So, I think our professionalism and staying even-keel with each other is allowing us to be able to get the most out of each race weekend and each race itself. I think that in general, it’s going pretty well and it makes me look forward to where we will evolve to because in my mind, it really can only get better as we are still learning each other and learning what set-ups work for me and what changes work for me, so it makes me excited.”
ARE YOU ANY MORE OR LESS CONFIDENT COMING INTO TALLADEGA OR DAYTONA BASED ON YOUR ABILITY ON RESTRICTOR-PLACE TRACKS?
“That’s probably a question I’ve gotten since I’ve been in NASCAR. As time goes, I really don’t feel much different other than I feel like I’m getting better overall and able to get speed out of myself and in the race, especially on all kinds of different tracks. That’s more in my control and our control as a team. So the results are a little bit more match able; you can trust what you’re able to do a little bit more. On a superspeedway, who knows? To me, they were, in the beginning, especially my opportunities to have really good finishes. But, I don’t think that’s the case anymore. So, now they feel very similar to me. I’m thinking more about the luck side of it than probably the potential to have my really good races because I feel like we’re able to do that here and there on lots of other tracks now.”
ARE YOU COMFORTABLE IN THE DRAFT?
“I’ve been comfortable in the draft since I started IndyCars. I’m just saying they’ve been my comfort zone since the beginning, which is the draft.”
GIVEN THE NEWS THAT GODADDY IS GOING TO BE LEAVING, HOW DO YOU LIMIT THOSE DISTRACTIONS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT SPONSORS AND WORRYING ABOUT SPONSORS AS YOU CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THE SEASON? DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE TIME FOR IT, GIVEN THE RUN OF SUCCESS THAT YOU’VE HAD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS?
“It was good that GoDaddy gave us, as a team, time to find someone else for that role; either someone new or one of my great partners that already exists and wants to step-up. It’s as tolerable as a situation as you can imagine. But for me, it’s a little bit bittersweet. I look at pictures of me in the suit and the pictures of the car and I think about I can’t believe it won’t be the green GoDaddy car anymore. In fact, that’s actually what I said to them on the phone. I spoke to Phil (Bienert, Chief Marketing Officer) and Blake (Irving, Chief Executive Officer) who are in charge of making those big phone calls and making those big decisions. And I said, ‘Are you guys okay that you’re not going to see a green car out there anymore?’ That’s actually what I said to them.
“But, on the other hand, my relationship with GoDaddy will still continue. It’s just going to look a little bit different from an overall standpoint. I think we’re going to continue on, obviously, with the things that I have been doing for them as of late; more smaller events and more specific events for them as opposed as just trying to get their name out there as they’ve said they have 81 percent brand awareness in America, so the program worked. It worked so well, that they’ve evolved. But I’m glad to still be with them, and I’m glad that they gave us time to find someone else for that position.”
HOW LONG DO YOU FOCUS ON TRYING TO REMAIN AT STEWART-HAAS RACING; AND WHEN DO YOU REALLY START LISTENING AND DISCUSSING OPTIONS WITH OTHER TEAMS?
“I really am happy at Stewart-Haas and they’re working hard already to find someone for the new primary position. My team is working to find someone for the new primary position. So, I think at this point in time, we’re moving forward with all those intentions. But I guess it is on some level open season in a lot of areas. So, I don’t think you can ever say never, of course; but I am happy where I’m at right now.”
REGARDING THE TEAM, HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THIS? WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATIONS HAVE YOU HAD WITH TONY STEWART IF YOU WOULD GET A MULTI-FACETED SPONSOR OR IT MIGHT NOT BE AS MUCH MONEY AS GODADDY. YOU HAVE YOUR OWN MAJOR MANAGEMENT COMPANY THAT CAN BE WORKING ON THIS. HOW DOES THAT ALL FIT TOGETHER? WHAT CONVERSATIONS HAVE YOU HAD ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED OR WHAT YOU WANT?
“Well, to imagine that this scenario was not possible is a lie, of course. We knew that it was possible that GoDaddy would go away. I think we’re all ready and prepared to move on and to figure out other things. I don’t know exactly. I’m fortunate that I have such great people working around me that they don’t have to let me in on every day-to-day conversation that they have and what’s happening. It’s really only the big things and the things they might need me for. So, I don’t know exactly what conversations have gone on before this happened or right now. But I know that we’re working toward finding sponsors and that includes on my side, so my agent will try as well. It’s a collaborative effort and I know they talk frequently and it’s all to get the No. 10 car back out on the track.”
WHAT HAVE YOU AND TONY STEWART DISCUSSED?
“I haven’t talked to Tony about it yet. I will talk to him and say pretty much what I’ve said to anyone I’ve seen that it happened and I’m sorry this is our new scenario; but on the other hand, GoDaddy has been really great. I say that and it sounds like such a letdown that they’ve been phenomenal. They have been an enormous supporter through every transition. They supported me when I just wanted to run Nationwide to get experience. So, they’ve been great. But it is a new scenario and we’re going to have to figure it out and it’s a challenge, no doubt. Finding primary sponsors is a challenge. But I feel confident that in all the people to find sponsors, I believe in my agent and my team. And we’ll figure it out.”
BEGGARS CAN’T BE CHOOSERS WHEN IT COMES TO A SPONSORSHIP HUNT. BUT YOU COMMAND A BIT MORE SWAY THAN A TYPICAL DRIVER. WILL YOU BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS? IS THERE A DREAM SPONSOR THAT YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE? IS THERE A PARTICULAR CATEGORY THAT YOU WANT?
“I am very fortunate that somebody asked me if it’s a matter of just going out and picking your new sponsors or I’ve been able to do that sort of thing. And I have been. I’ve been very fortunate as a brand being able to be somewhat picky about who it is. For me, it will be more about what their plan is and my two cents as to whether or not I think it fits or how I fit in it. You know what I’ve found, is that companies are extremely open to your ideas as a driver or as a personal idea that I believe will work, because in this day and age it’s about authenticity and people can see through it pretty quick and easy. And your personality shines so much better when you’re in a program that is something that you enjoy and that you’re having fun with and that is a part of you. So, I think that we’ve been able to be a little selective. I don’t think it’s so easy as to just say a company and then go get them and have everything you want. We try, no doubt. But I think it’s more about becoming more of the process with the marketing and branding and to make it all work and being a little bit selective. But, yeah, it’s a tougher environment than it’s ever been, so you also have to be open-minded.”
ON THE QUALIFYING FORMAT CHANGE FOR THIS WEEKEND AT TALLADEGA
“Ricky (Stenhouse) and I looked at each other this morning and we go, ‘I’m so glad the qualifying has changed.’ It just was, I feel, like a very unnecessary stress for everybody. The amount of conversations and meeting with drivers and I felt like I was on ‘Survivor’ and trying to make alliances and finding out the best thing to do was to not have any and just be the one that tags onto the group, because nobody really cared if it was just one car. But, when a group of five saw you, you’re like oh, I can’t have all five of those going faster. So, apparently I wouldn’t have made it on ‘Survivor’ then because I was trying to make too many alliances.
“I’m relieved, for sure. I think that it’s got to be a relief for the teams, too; for a lot of teams, anyway. Like Ricky and I were talking about it was tough to think that a car that might not be fast enough to qualify on it’s own could be on the front row, but that was the scenario we were in. I think more than anything, for teams like Stewart-Haas and big teams that have fast car on the speedway, it’s an opportunity to display their talents and their abilities as car builders and the positions that they’ve earned at great teams. Us drivers get lucky enough to drive them, but on the other hand, we’ve also earned our spots, too. So, it’s just more of a relief than anything that it’s traditional and, well, generally traditional. I think it’s much quicker, right? We get one lap. So, hopefully our car is fast. I guess that’s what I would say now.”
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