GoDaddy Reunites with Patrick for 'Danica Double'

Danica Patrick is a step closer to finishing her racing career at the Indianapolis 500 this May, and will do so in familiar colors.

Patrick confirmed today that she will be sponsored by GoDaddy as part of her plan to compete in next month’s NASCAR Daytona 500 and in the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil in May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Patrick did not announce the teams for which she’d drive in the two races. The 35-year-old, who launched to stardom in the Verizon IndyCar Series from 2005-11 and became the first female winner of a major open-wheel race when she was victorious at Japan’s Twin Ring Motegi in April 2008, previously announced she planned to conclude her notable driving career at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” this year.

“This is definitely the way I want to finish my racing career – at these two iconic races, backed by my iconic, long-time sponsor,” Patrick said. “GoDaddy was there for me when my career was just really starting, so it’s exciting to be getting back in the GoDaddy ‘green’ for my final two races. Our brands have always been powerful together.”

Patrick made 115 Verizon IndyCar Series starts in seven seasons and grabbed worldwide attention when she led 19 laps and finished fourth in her Indianapolis 500 debut in 2005. She drove with GoDaddy sponsorship most of her time with Andretti Autosport from 2007-11, including her best Indy 500 finish of third in 2009.

During their association, GoDaddy used Patrick extensively in promotions to help make her more of a household name, including a series of commercial spots that aired on Super Bowl broadcasts. Then, GoDaddy billed itself as a website domain company but it has rebranded as "the world's largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures.”

“You could say, ‘We’re getting the band back together,’” said Barb Rechterman, chief marketing officer for GoDaddy. “It makes sense in that our goals are so well-aligned – she’s passionate, tenacious and creative just like so many of our customers who are also looking to leverage the power of the internet and turn their ‘side hustle’ into a full-time business. Danica absolutely epitomizes the heart of our GoDaddy customers. We love it.”

The Indianapolis 500, on the 2.5-mile IMS oval, is the sixth of 17 races on the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. It airs live on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network at 11 a.m. ET May 27. The 2018 season begins with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 11 (12:30 p.m. ET, ABC and Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network).