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NASCAR Cup Series is the only series in which Danica Patrick would drive in 2018

By Asher Fair

LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 22: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Code 3 Associates Ford, prepares to drive during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 22, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 22: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Code 3 Associates Ford, prepares to drive during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 22, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /
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Danica Patrick made it clear that she would not be seeking any opportunities next year outside of the NASCAR Cup Series. Will she get a ride?

A few weeks ago, Danica Patrick made many headlines in the NASCAR world when she announced that she would be giving up her role as the full-time driver of the #10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford following the conclusion of the 2017 Cup Series season after driving for the team for five full seasons.

There has been a lot of speculation as to not only which driver will be taking Patrick’s place in the #10 Ford next season, but as to where Patrick herself will end up driving in 2018 if she does continue her racing career.

According to Patrick herself, if her racing career does continue past the conclusion of the 2017 season, it will have to be in NASCAR, and it will have to be in the Cup Series.

"“If I don’t do Cup, I don’t think I’ll do anything because my only goal is to win in Cup. My goal is to be one of the only drivers to win in Cup and [IndyCar]. So, that’s attained through winning in the Cup Series. If I don’t think there’s a solid potential for that to happen, I’m just spinning my wheels.”"

In reference to her IndyCar career, Patrick drove in that series from 2005 to 2011. She won one race in 116 attempts and had far more success in that series as a whole than the has in the Cup Series.

From a NASCAR standpoint, Patrick has made it clear before that she would only be willing to drive in the Cup Series. However, she had never officially ruled out driving in another non-NASCAR series. Now, it appears as though she has done just that.

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Given the fact that her results driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, which is one of the sport’s top-tier teams, have been anything but good, Patrick may struggle to find a ride in the Cup Series next season, especially given the fact that she has had recent sponsorship issues.

In 182 career Cup Series races, not only has Patrick never won a race, but she has never even finished a race in the top 5. Her best career finish is a 6th place result at Atlanta in 2014. She has just seven career top 10 finishes, giving her an average of one top 10 finish per 26 races. Just one of her seven career top 10 finishes has come in her last 92 races, and that was only a 10th place finish at Dover earlier this season.

Next: 10 NASCAR drivers who deserve Danica Patrick's ride

Seeing as how Patrick won’t have a ride with a top-tier Cup Series team next season as well as the fact that she has expressed no desire to run at the back of the pack, which is what she would likely be doing if she ended up driving for a small team, a return to the Cup Series does not appear likely for her, which in turn means that her racing career may be over after the end of the 2017 season.

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