Select quotes from Danica Patrick press conference

(About being fastest at last month’s Open Test at Homestead-Miami Speedway): “It’s always nice to have a good run, but I think this oval racing is so temperamental that one weekend you’re on, one weekend you’re off, and sometimes you don’t know exactly why. I’ll take it. I don’t think it’s the magic pill that all of the sudden unlocks the season. I think it’s a good thing, and it’s a good sign. I’m happy with it, and I think ultimately what it does is give us some confidence. Confidence can take you a lot further than anything sometimes. We all feel pretty anxious and ready for this to start."

(About racing against so many new drivers): “The drivers who are more aggressive and take more chances I think it’s going to be a little bit more of a rollercoaster maybe for that style of driving with more accidents probably, and also to be able to leap forward quicker (after pit stops) and get back to the front. It’s probably all going to balance out in the end, but you’re going to have to be really careful, especially until we get to know the tendencies of these drivers and who plays fair and who doesn’t. I think it’s going to be a tiptoe game at the beginning a little bit if you want to stay in the race, if you want to make sure you keep clean and stay in the race, which is the only way that you’re going to win it at the end anyway. I think you’re just going to have to be careful. On the other hand, we’re going to show them the ropes. They’re going to see what it’s like out there. They’re going to see in practice what it’s like, how chaotic it can be and close we run and how often we run that close. It’s probably going to be an eye-opener for us."