Danica Patrick should boost fan interest in NASCAR

AFTER DANICA Patrick won the pole for Sunday's Daytona 500, we could imagine Brian France and Mike Helton pounding their desks and shouting, "Yes! Yes!"

In recent years, attendance at NASCAR tracks has slipped and television ratings have declined. Also, the purportedly safer, more efficient Car of Tomorrow produced dull racing. Now, France, NASCAR's chief executive officer, and Helton, the sanctioning body's president, have reasons to be excited about the new season.

Having Patrick, the first woman to earn a pole position in a Sprint Cup race, as the fastest Daytona 500 qualifier surely will attract casual fans who are curious to see how she does in the race. Hel-lo, higher TV ratings . . .

Patrick's 196.434-mph qualifying time in the No. 10 Chevrolet impressed people.

"I know there was a lot of pressure on her to come here and qualify well, in the top six, to lock us in," crew chief Tony Gibson said. "I'm proud of her to carry that weight on her shoulders. She didn't falter. She did everything right."

Said Patrick: "I just feel like I'm comfortable. I'm cool."

Patrick, 30, has earned the respect of her competitors.

"She has shown through the Nationwide Series that she is competitive and she can get in there and mix it up," five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson said. "[She has] kind of [held] a straight wheel in the important situations and has led laps and has been up front. I think through a large degree she is great. She is there, she's fine.

Looking forward to Sunday's 500, expect Patrick to be aggressive but not six beers-crazy.

"She's going to have to get out there and race," Gibson said. "Definitely, we're not going to put ourselves in very bad positions. If it looks like it's getting hairy, she can get out, go to the back and ride. We're in a position to do that.

"The Gen-6 car is new. There's still a lot of things that are not answered. She's going to have to get out there and let us know what we got to do to make the car comfortable for her, two wide, three wide, whatever it takes."

Patrick clearly seems to responds well to the spotlight.

"I think when pressure's on, I do feel like it ultimately ends up becoming some of my better moments, better races, better results," she said.

"I don't know why that is. I grew up with good values and good goals. I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl. That was instilled in me from very young, from the beginning.

"I also feel like I've been lucky in my career to be with good teams and have good people around me. I've been lucky enough to make history, be the first woman to do many things. I really just hope that I don't stop doing that. We have a lot more history to make. We are excited to do it."

While Patrick's achievement is historic, another important story line Sunday will be how the new, Gen-6 cars race. The cars' bodies of these sixth-generation cars reflect the styling of the manufacturer brands. Also, they have more downforce, which should produce more grip and thus better side-by-side racing.

"The cars look a lot like the '05, '06 car to me," Johnson said. "Track position is going to be important. You are going to have to race for it. I was surprised to see the middle lane work so well in the Unlimited [last Saturday night's non-points kickoff race].

"Defending your position is going to be important. Before, you could fight your way up and just kind of sit in the first couple of rows and let the race kind of evolve from there. It seems to me that the outside lane does carry a bit more momentum. They can stop the inside lane.

"If you work your way to the front, you can't just be content sitting in the bottom lane or really even the middle lane. You might have to move around from the head of the line."

Patrick finished 17th in Thursday's first 150-mile qualifying race won by Kevin Harvick.

"[My car] was really tight to start the race off," Patrick said. "We were really conservative with the setup, and we wanted to make sure the back was locked down, but it was just way too tight, especially around [Turns] 3 and 4. So, we freed it up at the first stop."

Harvick also won the Sprint Unlimited, establishing himself as a favorite to win his second Daytona 500.

Kyle Busch won the second 150-miler. After leading until the first pit stops, Jeff Gordon was penalized for entering pit road too fast. He finished 12th.

Patrick and Gordon were assured their front-row starting positions. The duels decided the remaining starting field.

THE CHASERS (in alphabetical order): Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart.

ON THE HOT SEAT

* Kyle Busch: Incredibly, one of series most talented racers missed last year's Chase. This year, he needs to re-establish his stature.

* Carl Edwards: He also missed the Chase, failing to win a race. If he's a non-Chaser again this year, people will start to doubt his abilities.

* Danica Patrick: Winning the pole for Sunday's Daytona 500 puts the spotlight on her and raises expectations for her first full Cup season. If she can finish in the top 20 in points, she'll have a satisfactory season.

* Jeff Gordon: Still formidable, but hasn't won a Cup title since 2001.

* Juan Pablo Montoya: This sounds like a recording - still has only two career victories (both road courses) in six full Cup seasons. It's time to prove he can win on an oval.

FIVE DRIVERS TO WATCH

* Brad Keselowski: Let's see how he handles his first season as defending champion.

* Jimmie Johnson: After winning a record five consecutive championships, Johnson finished third last year and is eager to return to championship form.

* Joey Logano: He makes his debut with Penske Racing. He's only 22, but is in his fifth Cup season. It's time to produce.

* Matt Kenseth: He's in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing after a long career with Roush Fenway Racing.

* Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Observers will watch how the two-time reigning Nationwide series titlist's romantic relationship with Danica Patrick will carry over to the track.

Daytona 500

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Fla.

When: Sunday, 1 p.m.

TV/Radio: Fox/WNPV (1440-AM)

Race course: 2.5-mile oval

Race distance: 200 laps

Race forecast: occasional showers, low 70s

Last year's winner: Matt Kenseth

Last year's pole winner: Carl Edwards, 194.738 mph

Track qualifying record (without restrictor plates): Geoffrey Bodine, 197.478 mph (Nov. 1997).

Track facts: In winning last year, Matt Kenseth led twice for 50 laps, including the last 38 laps. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second; Greg Biffle was third . . . Sterling Marlin (1994-95) is the last driver to win consecutive Daytona 500s . . . Other past winners in race are Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Michael Waltrip, Ryan Newman, Trevor Bayne and Jamie McMurray . . . Johnson is making his 400th career Cup start . . . Dale Jarrett is the last polesitter to win the Daytona 500 (2000).

Up next: Subway Fresh Fit 500, March 3, Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Ariz., 3 p.m.; TV: Fox; last year's winner: Denny Hamlin.