(Danica)
With Danica Patrick still struggling in NASCAR, could she be headed back to open-wheel racing as one of the drivers for her boss, Gene Haas, who will launch a North Carolina-based Formula One team in 2016?
That question was posed to Haas Saturday afternoon following qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix, and while he sounded intrigued by the possibility, he also sounded as though it would be unlikely to actually happen.
Asked if Patrick would be a good candidate for the Haas Formula One team, Haas said, "I think she would. I think she would. She would bring an awful lot of viewership. I think it would be great for America. I think she would be a great candidate."
Haas then quickly added, "Whether that's going to happen or not ... that's, that's, that's ... you know I think that's kind of a long shot there, too."
Right now, Haas is building his Formula One operations in an industrial park in Kannapolis, N.C., adjacent to Stewart-Haas Racing, the NASCAR Sprint Cup team he owns with three-time series champion Tony Stewart.
Haas had hoped to launch his Formula One team in 2015, but recently said he was pushing back the start to 2016.
In the Verizon IndyCar Series, Patrick posted one victory and seven top-three finishes in 115 races from 2005-11. In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, she has two top-10 finishes in 59 starts, with her best result a seventh-place run at Kansas Speedway last month.