Who’s cheering for Danica?

Danica Patrick is a young racing driver who has become one of the biggest brands in the sport.

Certainly IndyCar, the professional open-wheel series she's in, does not have the massive audience and popularity of NASCAR, but her face is likely just as recognizable as those of NASCAR greats Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. She definitely stands out as the No. 1 woman in racing, far ahead of her most successful predecessors. Yet her performance on the track has not been overwhelming. The fiery driver sometimes places well, but she has won just one race and that was in Japan in 2007.

And here she is now, venturing into NASCAR with her first race in the ARCA series Feb. 5. From there, the plan is to race a limited schedule in the Nationwide Series, which is the feeder series for the big leagues: the Sprint Cup.

But why has Danica made the decision to race in NASCAR when most others who made the leap from open-wheel racing have had a rough go of it? Will this venture be more successful for her?

I recently attended an automotive seminar where Patrick and NASCAR team owner Tony Stewart were appearing. They were bantering about Patrick's monumental decision to enter NASCAR. The pair spoke about the vast differences between IndyCar and NASCAR racing machines and the racetracks and Patrick admitted that it would take time for her to adjust and it would likely be tough. While continuing to race full time in IndyCar, Patrick will drive in a dozen Nationwide Series races for team owners Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnheardt Jr. in the JR Motorsports' No. 7 car. Hendrick owns cars piloted by several of NASCAR's top drivers.

Many women have come before Danica, and many were talented and attained success. But Patrick is incredibly sellable, petite and attractive and has fierce determination. It's a bold move to head into the shark tank of tough good-ol'-boy drivers who make up NASCAR, but it's not surprising that she has chosen, rather than focusing on one league, to take on this new endeavor, possibly diluting her focus and chance at greater success in one avenue of the sport.

To say the least, 2010 will be a racing season to watch, if only to see how Patrick does. She gained a landslide of fans after leading several laps of the 2005 Indy 500 -- the first woman to lead the historic yearly race -- and after that, endorsements poured in and all eyes were scrutinizing her every move. She made more history when she won her first IndyCar race in 2007. Now she has both automotive enthusiasts and those more interested in entertainment than cars and racing talking about the decision to head into NASCAR.

Regardless of any criticism, Patrick is a great woman because she has held her own among the men and she has talent. Will she do better in NASCAR than in IndyCar? Dramatic differences between the two series will no doubt plague her, just as they did Juan Pablo Montoya, Sam Hornish Jr. and Dario Franchitti, three drivers who moved to NASCAR from open-wheel racing -- and these were top drivers. Franchitti, for example, who had won the Indy 500, was never competitive in NASCAR.

Knowing this, I don't think that Danica Patrick arriving in NASCAR is as much of a gender headline as it is about Danica having the ability to be competitive. Let's face it: The car has no idea if a man or woman is behind the wheel. No, this is an issue of car versus car, sport versus sport, skill versus skill. Most of her predecessors have realized the difficulty and tremendous challenge in the transition and that's the only real issue in my mind. There are millions of devoted NASCAR fans who are die-hard supporters and might not welcome her. And perhaps, while some have already embraced her, the drivers might not be so welcoming on the track.

One thing is for certain: Patrick will bring a whole lot more attention to an area of auto racing that has been suffering since the downturn in the economy. It will undoubtedly be entertaining. Even the most chauvinistic men will likely watch, maybe hoping to see her lose.

However, I think women and kids will tune in, inspired by her tenacity and ambitious spirit, especially in the wake of intense scrutiny. In many ways she's an underdog even though she might be getting even more attention that NASCAR Sprint Cup champ Jimmie Johnson. And Patrick fans just might give the Dale Jr. loyalists a run for their money.

I am definitely a Danica Patrick fan and I'm a NASCAR lover. I think what Patrick does for women and for racing is phenomenal. And I will be watching, admittedly in eager anticipation of her doing great things.

Among her numerous accomplishments, Courtney Hansen is the author of "Garage Girl's Guide," the host of Spike TV's "PowerBlock," the former host of TLC's "Overhaulin'" and a writer with Wheelbase Communications. You can e-mail her by logging on to www.wheelbase.ws/mailbag.html.