Looking for a Top-10 Result at ‘The Magic Mile’
KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina – On Wednesday night, Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS, will trade in her firesuit for formal wear as she serves as a presenter at The ESPYS in Los Angeles. The 24th annual celebration of the best moments from the year in sports is scheduled to air live at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC and the night will mark the 12th consecutive year that Patrick has been a part of the event.
After the star-studded festivities conclude in Los Angeles, Patrick will travel to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon and return to her firesuit and racing gear for this weekend’s New Hampshire 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event.
The gates first opened to what is now known as New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 1990. Built as a 1.058-mile oval, the track soon earned the nickname “The Magic Mile.” Now, as Sprint Cup teams head to the track for Sunday’s race more than 25 years later, Patrick and the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will be looking to find some magic of their own at the track.
Patrick has made six Sprint Cup starts at New Hampshire with a career-best 19th-place effort there in September 2014. In two Xfinity Series starts, she finished a career-best 14th in July 2012. Patrick also earned a sixth-place result in the 2011 IndyCar Series race at the track.
Last September, Patrick was left with a 40th-place finish at New Hampshire after contact from another racecar put her out of the event nearly 100 laps before the checkered flag.
While Patrick has earned a top-10 at “The Magic Mile” in open-wheel competition, she’s yet to find the same success in stock cars. The weekend ahead could provide a great opportunity for the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet team to finally find some magic at the track and earn Patrick her first top-10 finish in a stock car at New Hampshire.
DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:
What are your overall thoughts on New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
“I really like going to New Hampshire. I like that area of the country and I like the restaurants and what it has to offer. I haven’t been there a whole lot, but I enjoy it.”
How challenging is New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
“It’s flat and tough to get around, sometimes. You just have to make sure you get through the corners OK and are able to get on the gas quick on the straightaways. It’s tough but, if you have a good car, you can pass and move up through the field. But it can be challenging if it’s not working in your favor.”
DANICA PATRICK’S NEW HAMPSHIRE PERFORMANCE PROFILE
| Year | Date | Event | Start | Finish | Status/Laps | Laps Led | Earnings |
| 2015 | 7/19 | New Hampshire 301 (NSCS) | 20 | 24 | Running, 300/301 | 0 | $92,965 |
| 9/27 | Sylvania 300 (NSCS) | 22 | 40 | Accident, 203/300 | 0 | $73,655 | |
| 2014 | 7/13 | ×Camping World 301 (NSCS) | 29 | 22 | Running, 305/305 | 0 | $93,340 |
| 9/21 | ×Sylvania 300 (NSCS) | 18 | 19 | Running, 303/303 | 0 | $94,440 | |
| 2013 | 7/14 | ×Camping World 301 (NSCS) | 32 | 37 | Accident, 237/302 | 0 | $77,741 |
| 9/22 | Sylvania 300 (NSCS) | 21 | 27 | Running, 300/300 | 0 | $83,110 | |
| 2012 | 7/14 | F.W. Webb 200 (NXS) | 18 | 14 | Running, 200/200 | 0 | $18,068 |
| 2011 | 8/14 | MoveThatBlock.com 225 (ICS) | 15 | 6 | Running, 215/215 | 0 | N/A |
| 2010 | 6/26 | New England 200 (NXS) | 25 | 30 | Running, 195/200 | 0 | $19,693 |
× Race length extended due to green-white-checkered finish
