(Jimmie) Johnson has words of warning for Danica (Patrick)

Yahoo Sports ^ | 5/21/09 | Dam Wetzel

[NormsRevenge]

The Indianapolis 500 is Sunday and we know this because we’ve been treated to a month of questions to Danica Patrick about when she’s going to give NASCAR a try.

It’s a sign of how far general interest in open-wheel racing, not to mention its signature event, has fallen. The hard-core fans will still turn out and tune in this weekend, but it’s saying something when the most asked question is about the future of a driver who isn’t even a favorite to win the race.

Jimmie Johnson has heard the questions and Patrick’s open-ended answers about the possibility of a jump. As NASCAR’s Sprint Cup champion three years running, Johnson’s advice to a potential opponent is pretty simple.

Come on over, although not until you’re ready. And, trust me, you’re not ready.

His suggestion is for Patrick to re-sign with the Indy Racing League and spend her free time driving on minor league stock car circuits so she can learn to handle the vastly different machine. It’s not her lack of talent, he says, it’s her lack of experience.

“If she’s serious about doing it, she needs to spend a year or two, while racing IRL, running ARCA, running trucks, running Nationwide and really understanding the difference in the vehicles,” Johnson told Yahoo! Sports last week.

“Otherwise, she’s going to be put in a tough situation. … You can’t just show up in the Cup Series and go.”

That probably isn’t what Patrick wants to hear because such a transition makes little business sense and, if nothing else, Danica is about business. Patrick is a major-league star, and potentially failing in the minors isn’t worth the risk to her highly profitable image.

[BlueNgold]

Tony Stewart, an IRL champion, spent a year in the Busch Series getting ready.