ESPN is reporting that IndyCar Series star Danica Patrick is in the final stages of negotiations on a two-year contract with JR Motorsports, the NASCAR Nationwide Series operation co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick. The report says Patrick is expected to make her debut with the team at Daytona next February, racing in both the Nationwide and ARCA Re/Max Series.
Patrick is believed to have signed a three-year extension back in September with Andretti Green Racing to continue driving for the team in Indy cars, although there has been no confirmation of this from either side. The JR deal is believed to be a part-time program in between her IndyCar Series commitments.
GoDaddy.com, a sponsor of both Patrick and the JR Motorsports No. 88 Nationwide Series Chevrolet, is believed to be a key player in the deal. JR's Nationwide entry is currently driven by Brad Keselowski, but he is joining Penske Racing in both Sprint Cup and Nationwide for 2010.