Danica Patrick Announces She Won't Return as Full-Time NASCAR Driver Next Season

Danica Patrick announced Friday that the 2017 season will mark her final campaign as a full-time driver.As seen in the following video courtesy of Fox: NASCAR, Patrick made the announcement two days before the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway:Patrick added that while she will not be a full-time driver in 2018, she will still compete in NASCAR's Daytona 500, as well as the Indianapolis 500 for IndyCar.According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com'sBob Pockrass), Patrick plans to retire from racing following the Indy 500:"Nothing that was being presented excited me, then about three weeks ago, I just blurted out, 'What about Indy' Let's end it with the Indy 500.' This ignites something in me. But I am done after May. Everyone needs to put their mind there. My plan is to be at Indy, and then I'm done."On Nov. 8, Tony Stewartannouncedthat Aric Almirola would replace Patrick in the No. 10 car for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2018.Patrick made her Cup Series debut for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2012and was a full-time driver for the team from 2013 through 2017.The 35-year-old enters Sunday's race winless in the Cup Series, but she does have seven career top-10 finishes to her credit, and she is the only woman to ever win a Cup Series pole.Prior to joining NASCAR, Patrick spent seven years in the IndyCar Series where she became the first woman to win a race.She is also the highest-finishing woman in the history of both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500.Provided Patrick starts the 2018 Indy 500 as planned, it will mark her first IndyCar appearance since the 2011 season.
Click here to read full news..