Danica's new ride in NASCAR

ORLANDO, FL

Danica Patrick is coming to NASCAR, and while she talks of earning respect, she says that if other drivers don't treat her fairly, "we'll address it as needed."

That's what many NASCAR fans want to hear from drivers but don't. Fans want conflict and controversy. Danica - no last name is needed for the IndyCar driver - could provide that as she moonlights in the Nationwide series the next two seasons for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team, beginning in February. Her arrival should attract new fans and deflect some issues facing NASCAR.

"She has people's attention," Michael Waltrip said during a break at the North America Motor Sport Business Forum. "America wants to know what she's going to do, and they're going to turn on the TV to find out."

Those fans will tune to ESPN, whose family of networks broadcasts the Nationwide series.

"We will benefit because she is clearly (among) the top two or three drivers in terms of moving the meter," said John Wildhack, ABC/ESPN executive vice president of programming and acquisition strategy. "I think there will be clearly a curiosity factor, how well she makes the move to NASCAR."

Eddie Gossage, president of Texas Motor Speedway, calls Patrick "must-see TV" and says she "could draw some attention away from some of the sport's supposed maladies. That's a good thing."

Patrick will make her stock-car debut in the Feb. 6 ARCA race, an event sandwiched between Daytona 500 qualifying and the Budweiser Shootout the day before the Super Bowl. Unless Earnhardt wins the Shootout, Patrick 's performance in the ARCA race will overshadow everything else at the track that day.

She's expected to make her Nationwide debut the following week, the day before the Daytona 500. No schedule was announced Tuesday, but it's expected to be about 10 to 12 races, mainly the Nationwide events before the IndyCar season opens in mid-March and after it ends in early October.

Already some have noted that Patrick's contract ends in 2011 - the same year Mark Martin's Cup deal at Hendrick Motorsports ends - leading to speculation that if Patrick runs well, she'll take over Martin's ride. GoDaddy.com is a sponsor on both cars.

Bob Parsons, CEO and founder of GoDaddy.com, said the idea of Patrick driving in Cup races in 2012 "makes my eyes twinkle."

Not so fast. Marshall Carlson, president of Hendrick Motorsports, calls it "totally a coincidence" that both contracts end at the same time.

"There's been no discussion around Cup racing," Carlson said. "To her credit, she's been very focused on going at this thing incrementally.... I don't know where things will go. None of us do at this point, but, absolutely, the door is open to talented drivers in our Cup cars."

Patrick will participate in ARCA's open test session Dec. 18 to 20 at Daytona but has no other tests scheduled. It will be her first time in a stock car since about seven years ago, when she tested a Busch car at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina.

"It's going to be a challenge," Patrick said of stock cars.

It's one she relishes.

"I think as a naturally competitive person - you can ask anyone - no matter what I do you're always looking for the next challenge," she said. "There's still plenty of challenges in IndyCar... but I have the ability to go beyond that right now, and I think that's really exciting."

As it could be for NASCAR and its fans.