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Can-AM 500K Pre-Report

11.07.17

Can-AM 500K Pre-Report

As Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams visit the “Valley of the Sun” for the penultimate race of the 2017 season, Danica Patrick and the No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford Fusion team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will be looking for another solid finish in the Can-Am 500k at Phoenix Raceway.

Patrick enters Sunday’s race on the heels of back-to-back top-20 efforts after finishing 17th at both Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The efforts marked a positive turn for Patrick after three consecutive races that saw her hopes of a top-20 finish dashed when her No. 10 Ford was collected by late-race accidents, resulting DNFs each time.

As Patrick returns to Phoenix, she brings experience from competing in three different series at the mile oval: the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the IndyCar Series. In her lone IndyCar start at Phoenix in 2005, Patrick finished 15th. She has competed in five Xfinity Series races at Phoenix and earned a 10th-place result in November 2012. Patrick has made 10 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the track and scored her best finish there – a 16th-place effort – after overcoming a pit-road penalty in November 2015. 

In March, Patrick started 26th and finished 22nd in the NASCAR Cup Series race. She struggled with the car’s handling for much of the race but was able to rally from 28th to 22nd in the final 60 laps.

With two races remaining in the 2017 season, Patrick has earned one top-10 and 14 top-20 finishes so far this year. Heading into this weekend at Phoenix, the Code 3 Associates Ford team is looking to close out the season strong and it has great hopes that a return to the “Valley of the Sun” will result in a solid performance. 

 

DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

Talk about returning to Phoenix for this weekend’s race.

“The Phoenix area just has amazing amenities, like great grocery stores, great restaurants and great shopping. When it comes to the track itself, the fans are such a big part of everything. They get in early to camp out and it’s like they have their own little city. They even have a grocery store at the track. There’s always a really big crowd at Phoenix and it’s great to see how much this area supports our sport. I like Phoenix and think it’s a great track, so I hope we can have a smooth run and do well.”

 

Do you have a lot of friends coming out for this race?

“I always have a lot of friends who come out for the races in Phoenix. It’s a nice track for everyone to come out to and, hopefully, everyone has a good time."

 

Cam-Am 500k Notes of Interest: 

The Can-Am 500k at Phoenix Raceway will mark Danica Patrick’s 189th career start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. In 10 previous starts, her best finish at the mile oval is 16th, a mark she earned in November 2015. She has three top-20 finishes at Phoenix.


In addition to her Cup-level experience at the track, Patrick has competed in five NASCAR Xfinity Series events at Phoenix, earning a top finish of 10th in November 2012. She also made one IndyCar Series start at the mile oval, which resulted in a 15th-place finish in 2005.

Code 3 Associates is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing professional animal disaster response and resources to communities, as well as administering professional training to individuals and agencies involved in animal-related law enforcement and emergency response. Its mission is accomplished through hands-on animal rescue and care operations during disaster events in the United States and Canada, and through certified animal welfare training seminars, which include animal cruelty training for investigators. More information is available at code3associates.org.

Dallas Dogs Available: A plush version of Dallas Stenhouse, the 3-year-old miniature Siberian Husky that belongs to Patrick and her boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr., is now available for sale. Race fans can purchase their own Dallas plush dog at the SHR team store in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the SHR online store and at Shop.DanicaPatrick.com. A portion of the proceeds from all sales will benefit animal charities.

For the History Books: Since Patrick began competing in NASCAR on a part-time basis in 2010, she has made plenty of history. Here is a recap of how she has altered the record books through the years:

Became the first woman to win a NASCAR Cup Series pole when she set the fastest time in qualifying for the 2013 Daytona 500.
Led laps 90 to 91 of the 2013 Daytona 500, becoming the first female to lead NASCAR’s most prestigious race. She also led laps 127 to 129.
Became the first woman to lead a NASCAR race under green (Daytona 2013). Janet Guthrie led five laps under yellow in 1977 at Ontario (Calif.) Motor Speedway.
Finished 2013 Daytona 500 in eighth place, the highest finishing position ever for a woman in the “Great American Race.”
Finished 10th in 2012 Xfinity Series points, the highest points finish by a woman in the history of NASCAR’s top three series (Cup, Xfinity, Truck).
Competed in every NASCAR Cup Series race in 2013, becoming the first female driver to complete an entire season in the series.
Became the first female to compete in the non-points NASCAR All-Star race (2013) and Sprint Unlimited (2014).
Have the most starts of any female in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
With seven top-10 finishes, holds the record for the most top-10 finishes of any female in NASCAR Cup Series competition.

History Maker in IndyCar: Patrick became the first woman to win a major-league open-wheel race in a North American series in April 2008 by winning the IndyCar Series Japan Indy 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi oval in Japan.
 

Big Stage: In seven Indianapolis 500 starts, Patrick finished in the top-10 six times, including a third-place result in 2009, the best finish ever for a woman in the historic race.