(12-8-09) – Alli Owens is entering her third consecutive year of ARCA racing in 2010. She also commented on Danica Patrick’s announcement today.
“I’m thrilled that another woman will be racing stock cars,” said Owens, who is planning a partial ARCA Series schedule in 2010 driving for Venturini Motorsports. ”Someone of Danica’s popularity and talent will no doubt be a great addition to NASCAR and ARCA. I think Danica will show girls that the door is wide open for them to pursue opportunities in motorsports. Lots of kids think that racing isn’t for girls, but Danica and I are proving that we have what it takes to mix it up with the boys. It’s great for racing and great for women everywhere.
“Almost all of the top (Sprint) Cup Series teams have entries in the ARCA Daytona race. It will be a proving ground for Danica for sure. Here first taste of stock car racing won’t be easy. She’s going to have to learn the ins and outs of stock car drafting. So much of her success will come down to who’s willing to race with her, and that’s a matter of earning her competitors’ respect. She’ll need to show them that she can push them to the front and they’ll be happy to return the favor. Once you put your helmet on, it doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy. It only matters if you can draft with the cars around you.
“Stock cars don’t have near the downforce that IndyCars do. The toughest obstacle for Danica will be learning how far she can push her car and what its limits are. It seems like even the most talented open wheel drivers have a hard time adjusting to stock cars. Most of the guys that come from the IndyCar Series take a few spins because they’re used to a car with much more control. I think Danica has a ton of talent and is obviously a great driver, but it’s probably going to take more than a season before she feels comfortable wheeling a stock car. If Danica comes into stock car racing committed to learning the cars and what it takes to make them competitive, and is committed to learning how to communicate with her crew, she’ll persevere. It will be a long road, but she can do it.”
