Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Wednesday 24 January 2018
Danica Patrick to drive Daytona 500 for Premium Motorsports

By JENNA FRYER hurt Patrick. Premium
AP Auto Racing Writer ranked 34th in owner stand-
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — ings in 2017, but Michael
Danica Patrick has found Waltrip drove its Daytona
a ride for the Daytona 500 500 car to an eighth-place
that helps complete the finish.
closing of her racing career Patrick will be also aided
in appropriate fashion. by her previous experience
Patrick will drive for Pre- with Eury, who was her
mium Motorsports in next crew chief when she made
month’s Daytona 500, her her initial move from Indy-
final NASCAR race. She Car to NASCAR.
also plans to race in the In- “It wouldn’t be just any op-
dianapolis 500 in May. portunity that could coax
The one-race deal for next me back to the pit box,”
month’s NASCAR show- Eury said. “Working with
case will put Patrick in the Danica and GoDaddy
seat of the No. 7 GoDaddy again at Daytona is go-
Chevrolet, the same num- ing to be fun. Danica and
ber she drove when she I have shared success be-
entered stock-car racing in In this June 23, 2012, file photo, Danica Patrick races during the NASCAR Nationwide Series fore in Daytona, and she
2010. Sargento 200 auto race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. has a lot more experience
Her former crew chief, Tony Associated Press under her belt now, so I look
Eury Jr., will return to Pat- 15 car last year) to have sons in late December for cars at Indianapolis Mo- forward to seeing what we
rick’s pit box for her finale. a guaranteed spot in the help making the “Danica tor Speedway. The team can achieve during Speed-
“I keep saying, ‘I couldn’t Feb. 18 season opening Double” happen. is in partly owned by Tony weeks.”
have written a better story event at Daytona Interna- The sponsorship from Go- George, the head of the Patrick has not shown any
about how this would all tional Speedway. The team Daddy gives her additional family that owns the speed- signs of panic about put-
fall into place’ ... Going will receive engineering funds to find seats in both way, and ensuring Patrick is ting together her two final
with the flow is working out support from Richard Chil- races, and the Indy team in the race helps with the races, and credited the
beautifully,” said Patrick. dress Racing. still has to be completed. success of the Indy 500. “positive vibes” that have
“I’ll be back in GoDaddy GoDaddy reunited with Many IndyCar owners have At Daytona, almost the en- helped move the project
green, driving the No. 7 Patrick last week, agreeing said they can’t or won’t tire field has the opportunity along.
Chevrolet with Tony Jr. in to sponsor her cars for the fi- field Patrick in the Indy 500, to be in contention for the “I’m feeling good energy
my ear again. It all makes nal two races of her career. the race that made her victory. The team Patrick with the sponsor and team
my last NASCAR race just She announced her plans famous, but anything can paired with wasn’t as im- we’ve put together for
that much sweeter.” to race Daytona and Indy change now that she’s se- portant as getting a strong Daytona,” she said. “I’m
Premium Motorsports re- before she had rides, and cured sponsorship. engine and solid technical convinced that good vibes
cently bought assets from a deal with Chip Ganassi A reasonable candidate support. translate into performance,
Tommy Baldwin Racing. Racing for both races nev- at this stage would be Ed Premium is hardly a top- and I’m definitely feeling
The No. 7 car will use Pre- er happened. She called Carpenter Racing, which shelf team, but Daytona is the good energy with this
mium’s charter (the No. GoDaddy founder Bob Par- always fields competitive a place where that won’t sponsor and team.”q

NFL rejects veterans group’s

ad for Super Bowl program

Stand.” racial injustice, issues that was accepted by the NHL
McCarthy said the league, created division within the and NBA for use in official
which has editorial control league. programs for their All-Star
over the content, asked The NFL announced Tues- Games.
AMVETS to consider other day that an owner-player McCarthy said the NFL
options for the message, committee was being cre- game program has “never
such as “Please Honor our ated to try to address them. been a place for advertis-
Veterans” or “Please Stand “Freedom of speech works ing that could be consid-
for our Veterans.” both ways. ered by some as a political
The two organizations were We respect the rights of statement.
unable to agree on lan- those who choose to pro- The NFL has long supported
Official balls for the NFL Super Bowl LII football game are seen guage in time to meet pro- test, as these rights are pre- the military and veterans
at the Wilson Sporting Goods Co. in Ada, Ohio, Monday, Jan. duction deadlines. cisely what our members and will again salute our
22, 2018. McCarthy said a separate have fought — and in many service members in the Su-
Associated Press ad from the Veterans of cases died — for,” Polk said per Bowl with memorable
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The NFL spokesman Brian Mc- Foreign Wars group with in his letter to Goodell. on-field moments that will
NFL has denied advertis- Carthy confirmed Tuesday the words “We Stand for “But imposing corporate be televised as part of the
ing space in the Super that American Veterans, Veterans” was approved. censorship to deny that game.”
Bowl program for a veter- or AMVETS , submitted an Some NFL players have tak- same right to those veter- The New England Patriots
ans group that declined advertisement last week en to kneeling during the ans who have secured it for will play the Philadelphia
to alter language about to the third-party publish- national anthem over the us all is reprehensible and Eagles in the Super Bowl in
standing for the national er of the game program last two seasons to raise totally beyond the pale.” Minnesota on February 4
anthem. with the message, “Please awareness of social and AMVETS said the same ad 2018.q