--- title: "Danica Patrick Unveils GoDaddy IndyCar for the 2018 Indy 500 Race" description: "Patrick will pilot the bright-green IndyCar for what will be the final race of her life-long racing career." date: "2018-03-28" modified: "2018-03-28" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19706/danica-patrick-unveils-godaddy-indycar-for-the-2018-indy-500-race" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "People" - "Racing" tags: - "Danica Patrick" - "Indianapolis" - "Indianapolis Motor Speedway" - "Indy 500" - "indycar" - "Indycar Series" - "racing" - "Racing News" --- # Danica Patrick Unveils GoDaddy IndyCar for the 2018 Indy 500 Race ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* Danica Patrick and [Ed Carpenter Racing]() took to the yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to unveil their 2018 Indy 500 contender, an eye-searing liveried racer that bears the bright-green sponsorship of GoDaddy. Back in November of last year, Patrick claimed that she looked forward to completing the "Danica Double," which consisted of NASCAR's [Daytona 500]() and IndyCar's Indianapolis 500. With the Daytona stock-car race already in the books, it's Patrick's turn to complete the second, open-wheel portion, of her retirement party. Patrick stopped racing in IndyCar back in 2011, and to say that things have changed since then is a gargantuan understatement. For starters, the cars are completely different. As a result, the popular racing driver didn't waste any time bringing up the new [2018 IndyCar aero kit](). “It’s pretty damn real, it’s completely real,” said Patrick, who turned 36 on March 25. “Yeah, I’m excited. It scares me a little bit to look at how small that rear wing is, but hey, I’m sure there’s (downforce) grip somewhere—more grip than I’m used to.” https://twitter.com/\_/status/979006751973543941 Another thing that'll be different for Patrick come the month of May is her racing team. Having previously raced with IndyCar's powerhouse [Andretti Autosport](), it'll take some time to adjust to a smaller, less sponsor-clad team like Ed Carpenter Racing. But so far, the 116-race IndyCar veteran says she is coming to terms with her new team. “Everybody’s been great,” said Patrick. “Everybody’s been good to work with and fun and easy and working hard and getting the right people involved. Giving us a shot to finish the way I started,” she added. To this day, Patrick is the only woman to win a major open-wheel race, with her 2008 victory in Japan, as well as [the only woman to lead the Indy 500]() for a full lap. The latter she will attempt to repeat and hopefully improve during the 102nd running of the Indy 500 on May 27. ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()