It wasn't hard to imagine what was going through Danica Patrick's mind as she sat in line on pit road at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.
For a driver whose primary objective in the IndyCar Series is to win its biggest race, she was staring at the very real possibility that she wouldn't even qualify for the starting grid.
If she had not already decided to make the jump full time to NASCAR, that was one of those moments that would have crystallized the decision.
ESPN reported this week that the decision has, indeed, been made, that IndyCar's biggest star will drive full time in the Nationwide Series in 2012 and then in Cup in 2013.
And even though Danica still insists she has barely given any thought what she'll do, it's really a no-brainer.
IndyCar has become more and more difficult for her to succeed in. Half the races are run on road or street courses and her strength is on ovals.
And she drives for Andretti Autosport, which has an impeccable Indy pedigree but whose wins are few and far between.
Staying at Andretti is a dead end for Patrick and dabbling at NASCAR on a part-time basis isn't accomplishing much either.
It's time to fish or cut bait.
NASCAR offers endless possibilities for any driver who comes with a substantial fan base and a slew of sponsors. Patrick has both.
But the question becomes -- does she stay with JR Motorsports for another Nationwide season or look for greener pastures?
Greener pastures would make more sense. Like Andretti, JR Motorsports has the name but not the wins. Plus, it has no Cup program and no plans to start one.
JR Motorsports has a close alliance with Hendrick Motorsports. There won't be any room on that team any time soon, but Patrick could be farmed out to Hendrick West, AKA Stewart-Haas Racing.
But there are other possibilities that combine strong Nationwide teams with the possibility of a Cup ride.
Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide cars run up front week after week. Gibbs is also a three-car team with room for a fourth if sponsorship becomes available.
Roush Fenway would also be a good choice. Ford is definitely on the rise and Roush puts together a great program for its Nationwide teams. Patrick would be a good choice to eventually replace the underperforming David Ragan in the UPS car.
Roger Penske's team is another possibility. Penske won the Nationwide Series championship last season with Brad Keselowski and could expand back to a third Cup team.
Plus, Penske has what Gibbs and Roush don't -- an Indy car capable of fulfilling Patrick's dream of winning the Indy 500. That's significant since her reported decision to make the leap includes a provision to also race in next year's Indy 500.
Chip Ganassi could do likewise.
Wherever she ends up, she's at least not making the mistake that some other open-wheel drivers have made in jumping to the Cup series too soon.
Kimi Raikkonen, for instance, is about to make his Nationwide debut after one 15th-place finish in a Truck Series race. And the former Formula One world champion will likely make his Cup debut before the year is out.
Even a driver as talented as Juan Pablo Montoya needed three Cup seasons to get the hang of stock-car racing.
For a driver whose primary objective in the IndyCar Series is to win its biggest race, she was staring at the very real possibility that she wouldn't even qualify for the starting grid.
If she had not already decided to make the jump full time to NASCAR, that was one of those moments that would have crystallized the decision.
ESPN reported this week that the decision has, indeed, been made, that IndyCar's biggest star will drive full time in the Nationwide Series in 2012 and then in Cup in 2013.
And even though Danica still insists she has barely given any thought what she'll do, it's really a no-brainer.
IndyCar has become more and more difficult for her to succeed in. Half the races are run on road or street courses and her strength is on ovals.
And she drives for Andretti Autosport, which has an impeccable Indy pedigree but whose wins are few and far between.
Staying at Andretti is a dead end for Patrick and dabbling at NASCAR on a part-time basis isn't accomplishing much either.
It's time to fish or cut bait.
NASCAR offers endless possibilities for any driver who comes with a substantial fan base and a slew of sponsors. Patrick has both.
But the question becomes -- does she stay with JR Motorsports for another Nationwide season or look for greener pastures?
Greener pastures would make more sense. Like Andretti, JR Motorsports has the name but not the wins. Plus, it has no Cup program and no plans to start one.
JR Motorsports has a close alliance with Hendrick Motorsports. There won't be any room on that team any time soon, but Patrick could be farmed out to Hendrick West, AKA Stewart-Haas Racing.
But there are other possibilities that combine strong Nationwide teams with the possibility of a Cup ride.
Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide cars run up front week after week. Gibbs is also a three-car team with room for a fourth if sponsorship becomes available.
Roush Fenway would also be a good choice. Ford is definitely on the rise and Roush puts together a great program for its Nationwide teams. Patrick would be a good choice to eventually replace the underperforming David Ragan in the UPS car.
Roger Penske's team is another possibility. Penske won the Nationwide Series championship last season with Brad Keselowski and could expand back to a third Cup team.
Chip Ganassi could do likewise.
Wherever she ends up, she's at least not making the mistake that some other open-wheel drivers have made in jumping to the Cup series too soon.
Kimi Raikkonen, for instance, is about to make his Nationwide debut after one 15th-place finish in a Truck Series race. And the former Formula One world champion will likely make his Cup debut before the year is out.
Even a driver as talented as Juan Pablo Montoya needed three Cup seasons to get the hang of stock-car racing.
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