“But there’s nothing to report right now. I’m sorry, I feel like a broken record. I feel like I’m really boring. Am I boring you guys?’’
Patrick is in the second year of juggling a limited NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule for the JR Motorsports team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. with a full-time time ride for Andretti Autosport on the Izod IndyCar Series, where she is 15th in the point standings.
In her five IndyCar seasons driving for car owner Michael Andretti, Patrick has had three poles and 19 top-five finishes, highlighted by a win in 2008 at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan.
She said the recent decision of Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards to remain with Roush Fenway Racing provided her little refuge from questions about her own status for next season.
“But good for him,’’ she said. “Congrats to him. I hope he got a great deal and I hope he’s happy and I think he’ll probably continue to do great.’’
With five IndyCar races and six Nationwide races left on her docket this season, Patrick was asked if there was any timeline on a decision.
“There’s no timeline,’’ she said. “Everybody is of the mind frame that we’ll get through it piece by piece. As I’ve been told, ‘You just go do your job and drive the car and do well,’ and when I do well, everything takes care of itself.
“And that’s the best thing I can do and I can focus on.’’
Fast times Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Dario Franchitti, the Izod IndyCar Series points leader, and Scott Dixon, winner of last weekend’s race at Mid-Ohio, topped the speed charts in the second of two practice sessions yesterday.
“You sense it, no doubt,’’ Franchitti said of the speeds. “For me, the first time I got up to speed and was almost flat through [Turns] 3 and 4, it got my attention.’’
Franchitti, who was fastest in both sessions, did the quickest tour of the 1.058-mile oval with a 21.566-second lap (171.099 miles per hour) during the second session. It was nearly 2 m.p.h. faster than his lap in the first practice, when he topped the charts at 169.718 m.p.h.
