Patrick will compete in at least 12 NASCAR races this season and could
make her debut in the season opener.
JR Motorsports announced Patrick's schedule
Thursday. Her first race, though, is still uncertain. Patrick is
waiting to decide whether to race in the Nationwide Series opener at
Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13.
The team says it will decide after Patrick
makes her stock-car debut in the Feb. 6 ARCA race at Daytona. If she
feels comfortable, she could race the following week in NASCAR's
second-tier series. It would be a daunting NASCAR start considering
more than a dozen Sprint Cup regulars, including team owner Dale
Earnhardt Jr., drive in that one.
"Like I've said before, we just want to be
smart and calculative about this process," Patrick said. "The tracks
we've selected not only compliment the IndyCar schedule, but will give
me quality seat time at a variety of facilities."
If Patrick doesn't drive the Nationwide race at Daytona, she will make her debut the following week in Fontana, Calif.
Her remaining schedule includes Las Vegas
(Feb. 20), a four-month hiatus to focus on the IndyCar Series and her
return to NASCAR at New Hampshire (June 26).
She also will race in Chicago (July 9),
Michigan (Aug. 14), Dover, Del. (Sept. 25), Fontana (Oct. 9), Charlotte
(Oct. 15), Madison, Ill. (Oct. 23), Texas (Nov. 6), Phoenix (Nov. 13),
and Homestead, Fla. (Nov. 20).