Fate of four drivers most likely on line at Richmond (cont'd)

2. Tony Stewart says Danica Patrick is coming to NASCAR, possibly starting with a Nationwide ride on IndyCar off-weekends. Will this plan work?

Joe Menzer: I defer to Raygs, our resident IndyCar expert. But I did like some of what Tony was saying as far as how she intended to do it. She seems to have a realistic approach where she would dip her toes in and see how she likes it, go slow, and get some experience.

Danica Patrick: Driver and celebrity

David Caraviello: OK, let me say, we all have our doubts about Danica's ability to cut it in NASCAR. We've Smacked about that before. But this plan is very smart. She's showing a lot of respect for the sport, easing into the shallow end of the pool instead of just jumping in the deep end like too many of her open-wheel brethren have done. Give her credit here. If she's going to do it, she's at least going to do it the right way.

Raygan Swan: With only 17 races on the IndyCar schedule I guess it is possible. The travel will be crazy, and she'll have less time to pose for FHM spreads in her underwear, but yes, it is possible. I appreciate her gradual approach, though. At least she is being realistic.

Joe Menzer: I have never doubted that at some point she would give NASCAR a try. I just wasn't sure on what level, or if she would be realistic about working her way up through the ranks. If she's willing to do that and pay her dues, she might end up doing OK. But let's be clear about this: if she runs a handful of Nationwide races next year, that's just the tip of the iceberg on her learning curve. You're talking about a three-year process, minimum, before she'd be ready to succeed on any level in NASCAR.

David Caraviello: If she does what we think she's going to do -- the full IndyCar schedule, and Nationwide races on off-weekends -- she'll be following Stewart's transition to a T. And she'd better get used to the travel. If she does NASCAR full time, there will be plenty of it.

Raygan Swan: That's where I think she'll struggle, the demands on her time. She has a comfy deal in IndyCars right now, time to work on book deals and talk shows and commercials. All that goes out the window. But I don't think the Nationwide Series is exactly a good starting point for her. If she is going to do a developmental program, then start in the Camping World West or East series, ARCA and Trucks. Nationwide as we all know is still Cup Lite. Yes, it's the old car (for now), but it is still highly competitive.

Joe Menzer: She will not do that, I don't think. Sam Hornish didn't. As DC2 pointed out, Tony didn't. She will not start out that low, nor would NASCAR want her to necessarily. NASCAR wouldn't be able to milk the marketing cow that is Danica Patrick if she started out in ARCA, and she would have everything to lose with little to gain. (Sorry, didn't mean to call her a cow, but you know what I mean.)

David Caraviello: I wouldn't be surprised to see her in a few ARCA or Truck events. But Camping World East? Come on. She's still a major-league race car driver. That might be asking her to stoop too low. Given some of the hacks in the Nationwide field these days, I think that is enough of a starting point.

Danica talk

• Junior showing interest
• Smoke offers advice
• Jimmie chimes in
• Where to start?

Raygan Swan: Well, guys, tell that to all the other teenage girls in those low series. Are you saying she could jump in a Camping World East race and win? If not, then it's not too low for her. Neither is ARCA. Then send her straight into NASCAR and watch her fail like the majority of females have

Joe Menzer: Danica Patrick is not "all the other teenage girls." She is a marketing powerhouse. And if she did jump into ARCA or Camping World East and fail to win, then where is she? Nope, that will not happen. She also is a more experienced driver than developmental types. Now I will say that she might benefit from driving a few Truck races. Folks say that's more like the new car than the current Nationwide car.

David Caraviello: Raygan, come on. She's not a teenage girl. Listen, I have as many doubts about her as anyone. But she's a race winner in a major American series and a habitual top runner in the Indy 500. You can't ask her to start out at that low a level. Nationwide is fine. That's what it's there for. As long as she doesn't jump straight into Cup, I'll be OK with it.

Raygan Swan: It won't happen because of marketing plans and sponsors, not because she is above it. She's not above it. I'm not saying she isn't a talented open-wheel driver but when has she ever driven a front engine, full-bodied stock car? And Dario ran ARCA. Didn't Juan Montoya, as well?

David Caraviello: Yeah, a few races. But a handful of ARCA races if different from Camping World East. Listen, once you get past the Cup moonlighters, the talent pool in Nationwide is thin. That's a fine jumping-off point. It worked for Tony. Oh, and guess what ... with Brad Keselowski moving to Penske, there's a GoDaddy-sponsored Nationwide car at JR Motorsports just looking for a driver for next year! What a coincidence!

Raygan Swan: If Juan isn't above ARCA, then neither is Danica. I'm over the GoDaddy crap. And don't get me wrong, I want her to succeed for the sake of the sport, but I don't want to see her process rushed. I'm not saying she has to spend an entire season in the Camping World East Series. I just want to see a genuine development program under her so she doesn't have an excuse if she fails and has to retreat back to the IndyCar ranks like some of her counterparts!

David Caraviello: Montoya has run two -- count 'em -- two career ARCA starts, at Talladega and Iowa in 2006. Danica might run a couple, as well. Her plan is the right one, people. As long as she's not jumping into Cup, I'm OK with it. Goodness, what do you want her to do, Raygan, go run late-model stocks in the weekly division at Myrtle Beach Speedway? Not going to happen.

Joe Menzer: If she and whatever sponsors get behind her can be patient, this is a three-year process, minimum. But when have drivers and car owners ever shown much patience? That's the problem. Here's the other thing: you go and run too many ARCA events or whatever out of the public eye, and suddenly you run the risk of losing your celebrity relevancy. She loses that, she loses her marketability. Then again, she's always walked a fine line between wanting folks to respect her as a racer while posing on the side as a swimsuit model.

Raygan Swan: At the end of the day, I don't care what she does, I just don't want to see her half-dressed on a poster board at Wal-Mart pitching whatever sponsor she ends up with.

David Caraviello: I know. We'll start her out in figure eight racing! Or a demolition derby! That'll get her ready for the action she'll face on the Nationwide tour!

• Stewart says Danica has sights set on NASCAR
• Montoya: Danica would have some work to do (Continued)