Carpenter backs Patrick awkwardly

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A fellow IRL driver said Danica Patrick has what it takes to succeed if she switches to the paint-swapping world of NASCAR and she’s plenty aggressive in open-wheel racing when it’s “the right time of the month.”

Ed Carpenter, who trails Patrick by four slots in the IRL IndyCar Series’ points race, made the comment when asked how Patrick might handle NASCAR racing during a radio interview.

“I think Danica’s pretty aggressive in our cars,” Carpenter said Wednesday on WGFX-FM in Nashville.

“I mean, you know especially if you catch her at the right time of the month, she might be trading plenty of paint out there,” he said. “But I think she’ll hold her own. Who she’s going to drive for is hard to say. I don’t think she’s leaving.”

Carpenter later told the AP he didn’t mean to be disrespectful of Patrick.

He said he was trying to make the point that Patrick is competitive and already proven as a capable driver. He predicts she’ll stay in the IndyCar Series.

“It’s obvious when you’re around her, she’s very competitive,” he said in a telephone interview afterward. “I think she has goals that she hasn’t accomplished yet in the IRL Indy cars. That’s going to want to make her stay.”

Patrick, a presenter at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, didn’t take offense when told of Carpenter’s comments.

“That sounds like a good joke to me – it’s pretty funny to me,” she said backstage. “No big deal. Ed is a really nice guy. There’s no drama there. I think it’s funny. I’m glad he’s showing some personality.”

There has been wide speculation that Patrick will switch leagues after her IRL contract ends this season.