Roush Fenway admits to 'conversation' with Patrick

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Officials from Roush Fenway Racing "had a conversation" with IndyCar driver Danica Patrick as recently as two weeks ago when the Sprint Cup Series was in Phoenix for the Subway Fresh Fit 500.

And while Jack Roush, the founder and co-owner of the organization, said that he was not part of the conversation, he also said Friday from Talladega Superspeedway that he believes Patrick has an interest in eventually pursuing a future that would include at least some stock-car racing. He even offered to lay out a program for her indoctrination into NASCAR.

"I think Danica, from what I understand, has got an interest in stock-car racing," Roush said. "Any sponsor, any team owner that felt the need to have more of a diverse situation in their driving lineup would look at Danica very favorably."

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But that statement from Roush came accompanied by a warning -- not only to Patrick but to all other drivers who might be thinking about attempting the transition from open-wheel racing to NASCAR's top series.

"Any driver that presumes that they can sit in and drive one of these NASCAR cars needs to think long and hard about whether they've really prepared themselves for the experience," Roush said. "I don't know. I'm of the opinion that unless you've been successful in a number of different venues on a professional level, or you've spent time in our Craftsman Truck Series or our Nationwide cars, I would find it hard to imagine that you'd really be ready to get into a Cup car."

Patrick has been in the news because last Sunday she became the first woman in IndyCar history to win a race, capturing the Indy Japan 300 in Motegi, Japan.

Since then, many have been asked the question: Why hasn't it happened in NASCAR? Why hasn't a woman not only not won a race, but why aren't there any women even competing currently at the Sprint Cup level?

The answers to those questions are as varied as they are complex. But driver Clint Bowyer said that it's only a matter of time until Patrick or someone else comes along and is put in the right kind of equipment where she can compete.

"Certainly Danica is big and that says a lot about women in auto racing. Aside from that, I'm just excited for her," Bowyer said. "I think NASCAR needs to have diversity, and I think certainly they're working hard on it. It's not for lack of effort that we don't have that. Over the past few years, there has been a lot of effort put into it -- a lot of opportunities given and a lot of money spent to try to get that.

"It'll happen. I mean, look at what Tiger Woods did for golf. So it'll happen in time. To me, it's no different than walking into a coffee shop. It's not about your skin color or your gender; it's all about your talent and your character."

Roush would not say who from his organization spoke with Patrick. He also stressed that there are no immediate plans for Roush Fenway Racing to pursue her as a driver.

But he did leave the door open to the possibility in the future.

"I haven't had a conversation with Danica. I don't know what her interest is. But I could lay out a program for her to let her have a look at what she might do, and what she would enjoy doing, and see if there was a match there," Roush said.

"But it's not clear that because she won an open-wheel race that it would be a straightforward thing for her to step into a stock car. Quite to the contrary, I think she would have to go and get comfortable with it, and the people around her would have to get comfortable, before they knew if it was a reasonable prospect."

One reporter asked Roush if he thought women really could compete on a regular basis in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, going so far as to suggest that they "might not be mean enough."

Roush had a good laugh at that.

"I think they could do it," said Roush, chuckling. "Some of the meanest human beings I've known in my life are women. And I've got a hit list."