Duno plans ARCA Daytona debut

Milka Duno plans to join IndyCar rival Danica Patrick in the ARCA season opener at Daytona on February, after enjoying a successful first stock car test at the track last weekend.

Duno was one of several female drivers taking part in the three-day ARCA RE/MAX Series test at the 2.5-mile oval, where she set the 13th fastest time during her only full day of running among 60-plus drivers.

The Venezuelan was more than happy with her test at the wheel of Braun Racing's #90 Toyota, which she drove for a full day on Saturday but only for a few laps on Sunday due to an engine problem.

"I think I adapted to the car pretty quick, although it was not easy," Duno said. "I think the times show that.

"The car moves around a lot and you have to be very gentle. But I'm happy with the result although I think I could have done better on Sunday, if not for a broken piston on the engine."

Duno took particular delight in beating rival Danica Patrick on the timesheets on Saturday, when most of the drivers completed the bulk of their running.

"Well, she was testing last week at another track," said Duno referring to a private test session Patrick held at Orlando before running at Daytona.

"She ran a lot more laps than I did on Saturday, plus she had two cars at her disposal. And despite that she wasn't faster than I was."

Following her first test, Duno is targeting the ARCA season opener at Daytona on February 6 to make her stock car race debut.

She says a deal is close and pending on sponsorship money, but she is also considering taking part in some NASCAR Nationwide Series races during the year.

A further ARCA test could take place at Talladega if her plans to race at Daytona finally materialise.

"We would like to run the ARCA race in February," said Duno. "I think the team was very happy with what I did in the test, but we need some sponsorship to make it happen.

"The real plan is to do some ARCA races and some in Nationwide also. That's something we've been working on for a while and I hope it happens."

Besides Duno and Patrick, ARCA regular Alli Owens was notable among the female on track at Daytona last weekend, setting the third fastest overall speed.

Duno plans ARCA Daytona debutToure happy at Barca

Patrick eyes summer NASCAR races

Danica Patrick is considering contesting some NASCAR events in between IndyCar races during the summer, rather than doing all her stock car racing outside the IndyCar Series calendar as initially intended.

The American will compete in a currently unspecified programme of ARCA and Nationwide Series races with JR Motorsports next year to get a taste of NASCAR, but is also committed to Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series for at least the next two seasons.

Although it was previously suggested that all Patrick's NASCAR outings would take place before or after the 2010 IndyCar season, which starts a month after NASCAR and finishes six weeks sooner, she is now pondering adding some stock car races between IndyCar rounds in the middle of the year, once the Indianapolis 500 is out of the way.

"I think our plan is to run a few races through the summer after Indy maybe," Patrick told American TV channel SPEED. "That's the idea right now. We still haven't nailed down exactly the places we're going to go to. But we do plan on running a few."

Patrick added that one of the reasons she had been attracted to NASCAR was because there were fewer opportunities to race on ovals in the IndyCar Series' increasingly diverse calendar.

"Just over the last couple of years watching the transition that the IndyCar Series has made with its schedules and tracks and everything... It's not that I don't enjoy that, as well. There's probably nothing more rewarding than being fast on a road course because it's really up to you," she said.

"But on the other hand, [in] the races, there's a lack of racing and not much passing that happens. It came to how much I liked oval racing, short ovals, mile-and-a-half, side-by-side, the challenge of the short ovals, the chess match that is the two-mile ovals - it's just interesting to me.

"I'm excited to do more of that and that's going to come with all this [NASCAR] running."

Patrick eyes summer NASCAR racesBig guns set sights on Canales

Patrick to skip Daytona Nationwide

Danica Patrick will miss the Nationwide Series opener at Daytona International Speedway in February, and plans to make her NASCAR debut a week later at Fontana.

The female racer recently announced that she will make her NASCAR debut in 2010, competing on a partial basis in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports, a team co-owned by Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Although Patrick will be at Daytona in February for the ARCA RE/MAX Series event, where she is set to make her stock car race debut, she will not enter the Nationwide Series event.

The race takes place on the day before the Daytona 500 and usually a high number of Sprint Cup drivers compete in it, something that makes Patrick hesitant about it being the right event to make her NASCAR debut.

"The race is basically a Cup race, some 30-odd drivers in Cup run in it," said Patrick. "So, is that the right time for me to start or not? You only get one grand opening, so I've heard. We want it to be the right opportunity."

The IndyCar star now plans to make her Nationwide Series debut at Auto Club Speedway on February 20 and she will also enter the following event at Las Vegas, where she will drive the #7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with sponsorship from GoDaddy.com.

Patrick still has to confirm her full NASCAR schedule for next year, which may include up to 13 events.

Patrick to skip Daytona NationwideRace hots up for Suazo

Duno plans ARCA Daytona debut

Milka Duno plans to join IndyCar rival Danica Patrick in the ARCA season opener at Daytona on February, after enjoying a successful first stock car test at the track last weekend.

Duno was one of several female drivers taking part in the three-day ARCA RE/MAX Series test at the 2.5-mile oval, where she set the 13th fastest time during her only full day of running among 60-plus drivers.

The Venezuelan was more than happy with her test at the wheel of Braun Racing's #90 Toyota, which she drove for a full day on Saturday but only for a few laps on Sunday due to an engine problem.

"I think I adapted to the car pretty quick, although it was not easy," Duno said. "I think the times show that.

"The car moves around a lot and you have to be very gentle. But I'm happy with the result although I think I could have done better on Sunday, if not for a broken piston on the engine."

Duno took particular delight in beating rival Danica Patrick on the timesheets on Saturday, when most of the drivers completed the bulk of their running.

"Well, she was testing last week at another track," said Duno referring to a private test session Patrick held at Orlando before running at Daytona.

"She ran a lot more laps than I did on Saturday, plus she had two cars at her disposal. And despite that she wasn't faster than I was."

Following her first test, Duno is targeting the ARCA season opener at Daytona on February 6 to make her stock car race debut.

She says a deal is close and pending on sponsorship money, but she is also considering taking part in some NASCAR Nationwide Series races during the year.

A further ARCA test could take place at Talladega if her plans to race at Daytona finally materialise.

"We would like to run the ARCA race in February," said Duno. "I think the team was very happy with what I did in the test, but we need some sponsorship to make it happen.

"The real plan is to do some ARCA races and some in Nationwide also. That's something we've been working on for a while and I hope it happens."

Besides Duno and Patrick, ARCA regular Alli Owens was notable among the female on track at Daytona last weekend, setting the third fastest overall speed.

Toure happy at BarcaDuno plans ARCA Daytona debut

Patrick eyes summer NASCAR races

Danica Patrick is considering contesting some NASCAR events in between IndyCar races during the summer, rather than doing all her stock car racing outside the IndyCar Series calendar as initially intended.

The American will compete in a currently unspecified programme of ARCA and Nationwide Series races with JR Motorsports next year to get a taste of NASCAR, but is also committed to Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series for at least the next two seasons.

Although it was previously suggested that all Patrick's NASCAR outings would take place before or after the 2010 IndyCar season, which starts a month after NASCAR and finishes six weeks sooner, she is now pondering adding some stock car races between IndyCar rounds in the middle of the year, once the Indianapolis 500 is out of the way.

"I think our plan is to run a few races through the summer after Indy maybe," Patrick told American TV channel SPEED. "That's the idea right now. We still haven't nailed down exactly the places we're going to go to. But we do plan on running a few."

Patrick added that one of the reasons she had been attracted to NASCAR was because there were fewer opportunities to race on ovals in the IndyCar Series' increasingly diverse calendar.

"Just over the last couple of years watching the transition that the IndyCar Series has made with its schedules and tracks and everything... It's not that I don't enjoy that, as well. There's probably nothing more rewarding than being fast on a road course because it's really up to you," she said.

"But on the other hand, [in] the races, there's a lack of racing and not much passing that happens. It came to how much I liked oval racing, short ovals, mile-and-a-half, side-by-side, the challenge of the short ovals, the chess match that is the two-mile ovals - it's just interesting to me.

"I'm excited to do more of that and that's going to come with all this [NASCAR] running."

Patrick eyes summer NASCAR racesBig guns set sights on Canales

Karthikeyan eyes NASCAR move

Former Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan is considering a move to NASCAR after taking part in last week's ARCA series test at Daytona.

The Indian drove for the Starbeast Motorsports team, which is affiliated with NASCAR Sprint Cup squad JTG Daugherty Racing, on the opening day of the test.

"It's a whole new ball game out there," Karthikeyan was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

"I was lucky enough to be invited for a few sessions. NASCAR racing is pure, more basic with its oval tracks and inclined speedways.

"It's a totally new experience driving heavier cars with spotters speaking to you all the time."

The 32-year-old has primarily raced in A1GP since his F1 career ended with a Williams testing stint two years ago, although he also contested several Le Mans Series races for the Kolles Audi team this season.

He said had planned to continue with A1GP prior to the series' collapse, and will stick with the nation versus nation championship if it is rescued.

"It has thrown things open right now," Karthikeyan admitted. "The financial downturn caused havoc. If A1GP survives I will be there next year. It is a great championship with a lot of competition.

"However, we will have to sit down and discuss the future course of action if things remain the way they are."

Adriano offers on tableKarthikeyan eyes NASCAR move

Karthikeyan eyes NASCAR move

Former Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan is considering a move to NASCAR after taking part in last week's ARCA series test at Daytona.

The Indian drove for the Starbeast Motorsports team, which is affiliated with NASCAR Sprint Cup squad JTG Daugherty Racing, on the opening day of the test.

"It's a whole new ball game out there," Karthikeyan was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

"I was lucky enough to be invited for a few sessions. NASCAR racing is pure, more basic with its oval tracks and inclined speedways.

"It's a totally new experience driving heavier cars with spotters speaking to you all the time."

The 32-year-old has primarily raced in A1GP since his F1 career ended with a Williams testing stint two years ago, although he also contested several Le Mans Series races for the Kolles Audi team this season.

He said had planned to continue with A1GP prior to the series' collapse, and will stick with the nation versus nation championship if it is rescued.

"It has thrown things open right now," Karthikeyan admitted. "The financial downturn caused havoc. If A1GP survives I will be there next year. It is a great championship with a lot of competition.

"However, we will have to sit down and discuss the future course of action if things remain the way they are."

Karthikeyan eyes NASCAR moveAdriano offers on table