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Danica Patrick has revealed the Ed Carpenter Racing IndyCar livery that she will use when competing at the 2018 Indianapolis 500.
The Indy 500 will be the final race of Patrick’s career after she drove in this year’s Daytona 500 as part of the ‘Danica Double.’
Patrick will form a three-car team for ECR at the Indy 500 alongside Spencer Pigot and team owner Ed Carpenter.
The car has been decked out in the green of Patrick’s primary sponsor GoDaddy, who rejoined and reignited her search for rides at both events after enduring a lengthy off-season with little progress.
Patrick let slip at Daytona that she would finish her career with ECR at the Indy 500 and said that seeing her car in the flesh is “scary”, having never driven the IR-12 or the current engine specification that IndyCar uses.
“It’s pretty damn real, it’s completely real,” she said.
“Yeah, I’m excited. “It scares me a little bit to look at how small that rear wing is, but hey, I’m sure there’s [downforce] grip somewhere – more grip than I’m used to.”
Patrick has already undergone a seat fitting at ECR and says her early experience of the team has been positive.
“Everybody’s been great,” she said.
“Everybody’s been good to work with and fun and easy, and working hard, and getting the right people involved. [It’s] giving us a shot to finish the way I started.”
The former NASCAR driver was scheduled to run in the two days of testing ahead of the Indianapolis 500 that was supposed to happen this month, but the running was postponed due to poor weather.
Patrick added that the rescheduled dates of 30 April-2 May will make her testing more representative and beneficial, as she will not use a simulator in preparation for the Indy 500.
“I don’t think it’s very realistic, I think it’s counter-productive or just not productive at all,” she said.
“For me, it’s just getting a feel for the tendencies of the car in general [in testing at Indianapolis].”
“Even if I was getting back in the exact same Indycar that I drove the last time I was in one, I’d still want to know that after being gone so long.
“Just knowing what does a little bit of front wing do, what does a little right rear spring do, what does a stiffer front sway bar feel like.
“Just little things to change them up and see what the tendencies tend to be with the car. Things that will maybe be go-to when we get going for real.”