Racing icon Danica Patrick has proven time and again that she's always willing to travel outside her comfort zone and tackle new challenges. Next up in that regard is hosting the American Country Awards on December 10th.
At least Patrick won't be flying solo, so this task may be a little less daunting than her weekly 300 miles per hour trips around racetracks. She will be co-hosting the event with country music star Trace Adkins, who co-hosted the event last year with Krisitin Chenowith.
In a statement Adkins proclaimed excitement to be working alongside Patrick saying, "I can't wait to see if I have what it takes to keep up with this racing superstar."
In her own statement, Patrick could barely contain her enthusiasm for the upcoming awards show.
"I'm so excited to host the American Country Awards with Trace Adkins. I have no doubt he'll be able to keep up with me. I've become a huge fan of country music since I came to NASCAR and have been fortunate to be in videos with Miranda Lambert and Colt Ford."
Unfortunately for Danica, her fame off the track is still eclipsing her success on it. In her first full season at NASCAR's highest level, she was unable to qualify for the playoffs. Patrick said missing the Chase was not unexpected, and there is plenty of room for improvement.
"I think that realistically, not necessarily for the Chase in particular, but I think to really understand the car and feel comfortable in the car and be able to start to have some more established expectation levels, I think it takes at least three years to get to that point," said Patrick. "And some people say five years."
Like any racer, Patrick is hoping to speed up that learning curve. "I really hope it doesn't take that long. But I feel like in my mind it's realistic to think it could take at least three years to at least feel comfortable in the car. And then it's about being in the right situation where you're in the right group and you have the right car and your manufacturers are good."
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