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A source close to the situation characterized team owner Rick Hendrick as an "important player" in the deal.

Earnhardt and Patrick already have a corporate connection, in current sponsorship deals with GoDaddy.com. The Web site registration service is a sponsor on JR Motorsports' No. 88 Chevrolet, which has earned four Nationwide Series wins this season with Brad Keselowski at the wheel. Keselowski is leaving the team at season's end to drive for Penske Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

GoDaddy.com also recently signed on to sponsor Hendrick's No. 5 Chevy beginning in 2010. That car is currently driven by Mark Martin, who is signed through 2011.

As recently as last weekend, some Sprint Cup stars, most notably open-wheel defector Juan Pablo Montoya, have suggested that Patrick concentrate on running one series only instead of jumping back and forth from IndyCar to stock cars. Patrick herself has openly expressed reservations about diving into NASCAR's notoriously long schedule.

But even those who have advised her to resist the temptation to double dip admit that the potential financial windfall might be worth the grind of logistics and the learning curve of stock car racing.

Patrick made headlines in April 2008 when she won an IndyCar race at Twin Ring Motegi, the first for a woman in a major American non-drag racing series. She was the first woman to lead a lap at the Indianapolis 500, in 2005.

A woman has never won a race in any of NASCAR's top three national series. The last regular female competitor in the NASCAR Nationwide Series was Patty Moise, who started 22 of 26 races in what was then known as the Busch Series in 1995. Shawna Robinson won the pole position for a Busch Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1994.

Ryan McGee covers motorsports for ESPN The Magazine. ESPN.com NASCAR writers Marty Smith and Ed Hinton contributed to this story

confirmed on espn2 ( 7 TO 10 DAYS signing) I am so excited lets go DANICA

Well I missed the announcement -but I think it will be really interesting to see how she fairs-running with the heavier cars--again, only time will tell

PLUS

However, it seems it may not happen after all. Dale Jr said that his team, JR Motorsports was having discussions with Danica about her running some Nationwide races with them. Well, today SIRIUS radio reported that although there were "talks" about her running Phoenix, realistically that is looking more and more unlikely.

It seems Ms Patrick wants $300,000 to run one Nationwide or Truck race. Now, I don't know how much money the drivers in these series get to run a single race, but I do know that Kyle Busch takes no money for driving Billy Balew's number 51 truck. Dale Jr doesn't pay himself when he drives the 5 car in the Nationwide races -it's a part time ride, and has limited sponsorship. I'm sure Kevin Harvick doesn't pay his buddies much, if anything at all when they jump into one of his trucks for a race.

Seems Ms Patrick isn't really interested in learning how to drive these stock cars after all. As many of you have said, she is just in it for the money. Unfortunately, no one is going to want to pay her that kind of money until they can be reasonably sure she can 1) bring the car back home in one piece, and 2) bring the car home in a winning position, so they can afford to pay her.
HELL THAT IS A PRETTY STEEP figure

I remember a quote from Kenny Schrader a while back when he said that drivers were in the industry for 2 reasons and in 2 catagories. #1 is the driver who is there for the money and the publicity. Then there were the #2's. The racers. A racer will drive anything, anytime, and anywhere. Even for little or no money. They do it for the love of the race. If you consider this fact from Schrader to be true then you have to qualify Mrs. Patrick a #1, driver only, not a racer.

She won one race in ten years what's the big deal??? *yawn* So she's got looks, that don't win races the last time I checked I personally do NOT want her in our sport- - she can stay where she's at or go do something else with her life !!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it !!!

ESPN has reported that Danica Patrick is in the final phases of signing a two year contract to drive for JR Motorsports, beginning in 2010 during the ARCA race at Daytona International Speedway.

Patrick already signed a three year contract extension with Andretti Green Racing to continue her career as an open wheel driver, and the move to NASCAR will not affect her current status with AGR.

Rick Hendrick, who owns part of JR Motorsports along with supplying Stewart Haas with their engines and chassis, is once again one of the key players in the deal as reported by ESPN writer Ryan McGee.

Patrick, who has been toying with the idea of becoming a NASCAR driver since the beginning of the season, couldn’t have signed with a better team especially when you look at the drivers that she will be surrounded with.

HMS easily has the cream of the crop in his stable, and each one the drivers has their specialty that can help further her career.

Tony Stewart will probably be her biggest asset in helping her make the transition, since he has shown the most success as far as active drivers are concerned since making the switch from open wheel to NASCAR.

Patrick has already visited Stewart on more than a few occasions, with Stewart saying that she came to him for advice concerning the move.

Then you have the veteran Mark Martin who has been around the sport for so long that not only do the younger drivers come to him for advice, but the older ones as well.

She couldn’t ask for a better driver to help her along with the knowledge, as well as the etiquette that she will need to succeed that Martin knows all to well.

Jeff Gordon, who is a four time champion, has probably overcome more adversity to get to where he is, then any of the other HMS drivers.

Gordon is another driver that carries a lot of knowledge, and has won championships while being scrutinized for not being one of their own.

Patrick will need to glean off of her fellow teammates if she ever expects to succeed, because doubt along with the usual fans that will choose to dislike her will be plentiful.

She is entering into another type of jungle, and this jungle is a lot more vicious than what she is used to.

Just the fact alone that she will be racing in two different types of series, will bring the detractors in droves to try and discredit her.

But than again there will be those who will embrace her courage, boldness, and her audacity to venture beyond a world where she has already found comfort.

The only obstacle that just might come in her way is the attitude that she portrays, which will not be tolerated on this side of the fence.

Its time for her to grow up and realize now more than ever, that the world of NASCAR will not put up with her childish antics and that these boys play for keeps.

Special thanks to Ryan McGee and ESPN Sports

Perfect, Earnhardt and Patrick, a match made in heaven. Neither can win!!!! Maybe Eury Jr. can be her crew chief!

Yea but winning or not they will pull in more cash than any other drivers , I believe they will win. I like them 2gether. Hi Mass !!!