NASCAR: Danica Patrick out at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2018

After five seasons driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, Danica Patrick will not return to the team in 2018.

Danica Patrick, 35, announced that she will not be returning to Stewart-Haas Racing in the 2018 season to continue driving the #10 Ford for the sixth straight season in the NASCAR Cup Series.

This announcement does not come as a huge surprise seeing as how she has posted nothing more than lackluster results throughout her Cup Series career. In 180 career races, 170 of which with the top-tier Stewart-Haas Racing organization, she has failed to post one single top 5 finish

Also, she has just one top 10 finish in the last 90 races, with that being only a 10th place finish earlier this season at Dover, and she only has six other career top 10 finishes, the best of which being only a 6th place finish at Atlanta in 2014.

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To add onto that, she herself has also been frustrated lately with her lack of good performances.

"“It hasn’t been super fun lately. But every year I start the year, I always have hope that it’s going to be the year that things are going to click. I understand my career hasn’t progressed. Maybe it’s regressed? Why is that? Am I worse driver than I was a couple of years ago? Probably not. I don’t think anybody gets worse. So it’s really a matter of all the factors around you.”"

She has also had sponsorship issues recently, which make things worse, especially coupled with her inability to perform at a high level despite the fact that she drives for one of the sport’s top teams.

Here is Patrick’s statement on her departure from the team.

"“It has been my honor to drive for Tony Stewart, Gene Haas and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing for the past six seasons. Together we earned a Daytona 500 pole, seven top-10 finishes and we also had some exciting racing along the way. My time driving for them, however, has come to an end due to a new sponsorship arrangement in 2018. Sponsorship plays a vital role in our sport, and I have been very fortunate over the course of my career, but this year threw us for a curve. Our amazing partners, such as Aspen Dental and Code 3, stepped up in a big way on short notice this year and I am incredibly grateful.”“I wish SHR the best of luck with their new sponsorship and driver. Thanks for the memories. Right now, my focus is on the remainder of the 2017 season and finishing the year strong. I have the utmost faith in myself and those around me, and feel confident about my future.”"

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