PHOENIX — Danica Patrick signed with JR Motorsports on Tuesday to give NASCAR a try, but her schedule in the second-tier Nationwide Series has not been determined.
Patrick will make her stock car racing debut in the Feb. 6 ARCA race at Daytona International Speedway, a day before she’ll be featured in two Super Bowl ads for sponsor .
The IndyCar sensation unveiled her green and orange No. 7 Chevrolet in a news conference at Chase Field with , which is sponsoring her in both series.
“We’ve all been working very hard for some time now to bring this all together,” Patrick said. “There’s much relief there, but I’m starting to get a little bit nervous that now it’s time to do my part of the deal and get out there in these cars and perform. It’s no doubt going to be challenging.”
Trail Blazers lose Fernandez
PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Trail Blazers forward Rudy Fernandez underwent a procedure to alleviate nerve pressure in his back that was causing leg pain, and he is expected to miss up to six weeks.
It is the latest injury to befall the Blazers, who are down to nine available players. Fernandez was averaging 8.6 points, 2.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 23.3 minutes a game.
• The Indiana Pacers, who have dropped nine of their last 10 games, have lost scoring leader Danny Granger for at least four weeks with a foot injury.
Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said Granger, who averages 24.4 points per game, had been playing with a bad heel for about six weeks.
Pacquiao-Mayweather promoters eye Dalla
s
LAS VEGAS — Promoters are going to Dallas to meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as momentum grows for a March 13 megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Promoters Bob Arum and Richard Schaeffer planned to tour the new Dallas Cowboys stadium today along with HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg and listen to a proposal from Jones to host the fight. Other leading contenders for the fight are the MGM Grand hotel arena in Las Vegas and the Superdome in New Orleans.
Neither fighter has formally signed for the fight, though both have agreed in principle to terms.
Footnotes.
World Cup slalom champion Jean-Baptiste Grange will miss next year’s Vancouver Olympics because of a right knee injury suffered last week at Beaver Creek. He was one of France’s best hopes of a medal in Vancouver.
• Peter Gammons is leaving ESPN after 20 years to become an analyst for MLB Network.
• The Minnesota Lynx hired former Detroit Shock assistant coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve as head coach.
• CoCo Vandeweghe, a niece of New Jersey Nets general manager and coach Kiki Vandeweghe, and Ryan Harrison have earned spots in the main draw of the 2010 Australian Open by winning U.S. Tennis Association wild-card playoffs in Atlanta.
• Lee Westwood, who finished at the top of the European money list, has been selected the European Tour’s golfer of the year for 2009.
The Associated Press
