August 2006

For the first time in weeks, Danica Patrick can race without dodging questions about her future.


"I had to lie," she said. "It wasn't anything hurtful, I just couldn't answer."

Patrick was driving for Rahal Letterman Racing in the Firestone Indy 400 on Sunday, the first race since her plans for next year were announced.

She chose to stay in the Indy Racing League by accepting an offer to join Andretti Green Racing next season after flirting with going to NASCAR.

The only woman in the IndyCar series and its one mainstream star created a buzz earlier this month when her father and agent were guests of Roush Racing at a Nextel Cup event in Illinois.

Patrick insisted her possible move to NASCAR was not just hype.

"I'm not lying when I say we had offers," she said, declining to give specifics. "And, I'm not lying when I said I was interested.

"I'm not going to write that off for my future. I think it would be fun, eventually, but my heart is in IndyCar right now. I'm not done here."

Patrick is coming off consecutive fourth-place finishes - her best of the season in which her average finish has been ninth.

She was the first to qualify Saturday, turning a lap of 213.357 mph that was quickly surpassed by Marlboro Team Penske teammates Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr.

"I had my best qualifying lap of the day, then the Penske cars go and crush it by 3 mph and make me look silly," said Patrick, who  started 11th in the 19-car field.

She did not complete the race on Sunday.