Sprint Cup star to work Michigan race, Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1
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Q: Danica, you will be making your first appearance in the booth during the NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday, June 13 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM). You are so accustomed to getting ready to drive, any nerves as you prepare to join the broadcast team on FS1?
DANICA PATRICK: “I wouldn’t really say I’m nervous. I enjoy trying new things, and I’m looking forward to getting in the booth and sharing my perspective with all the fans watching at home.”
Q: Fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers — Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski — have already joined the broadcast team as guest analysts this year. Any key takeaways from watching those guys?
DP: “Those guys have definitely done a great job so far this year, and it’s been great to hear their insight each week as I watched the XFINITY races. I think there are definitely a few things I’ve picked up from watching each of them, and we’ll see how well I can put that to use on Saturday.”
Q: Your teammate, Kevin Harvick, has been in the booth a number of times this year, has he given you any tips?
DP: “Kevin and I talked a bit at Dover a couple weeks ago. I went up to the booth while he was there for the XFINITY race just to see what it was like so I know what to expect this weekend. He showed me a few things and gave me a few pointers.”
Q: You will be joining the booth with another former driver in Michael Waltrip. What can you expect when working with him this weekend?
DP: “Michael is always a fun guy to be around so I expect we’ll have a good time up in the booth.”
Q: Is working in television something that may interest you in the future?
DP: “One lesson I’ve learned is to never say never, and it’s always good to explore different things to see what you might like doing so we’ll see.”
Q: The NASCAR XFINITY Series is off to a great start, and has been coined “the series where names are made.” Are there any young drivers that you are looking forward to watching?
DP: “There’s definitely a lot of great talent in the XFINITY Series. I watch most of the races, but I wouldn’t say there’s any one particular driver that I’m focused on watching — I’m usually more focused on watching how the race as a whole plays out.”
Q: The race will be run at one of the fastest races on the circuit, Michigan International Speedway. Are there any specific challenges that track presents for NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers?
DP: “Michigan is a wide, fast track. There’s lots of room to move around and try different lines. I think it’s a momentum track, and you have to focus on being smooth. At the end of the day, the car has to handle well. It has to feel good. It has to be a fast car. I think those are the challenges — getting your car to handle well and being smooth and consistent, lap after lap, at such a fast track.”
Q: You started your NASCAR career in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (once called the Nationwide Series). How important was your experience in the series before you made the jump to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series?
DP: “Racing in the XFINITY Series was very important to the development of my NASCAR career. Moving over to stock cars from the IndyCar Series was a huge jump for me, and having that time at the XFINITY level really helped prepare me for the move up to the Sprint Cup Series.”
Q: Can you give an early assessment of your team’s performance throughout this season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series?
DP: “It’s been an interesting year so far. We’ve had a few tough weekends, and we’ve also had some races that started out rough, but then we were able to turn things around and ended up finishing pretty well. Daniel (Knost, crew chief) and I are both still relatively green in our current roles and we’re still continuing to work on our communication and how we work together as a team.”