Grapevine: Silly Season set for flying start

Silly season will get its unofficial start Tuesday, when Danica Patrick unveils a $21 million sponsorship deal with Motorola by driving her new Andretti Green Racing car on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

"I'll definitely always be grateful to Rahal Letterman Racing," Patrick said before Sunday's PEAK Antifreeze 300 at Chicagoland Speedway.

"These were the most important years of my career, but I'm excited about what's coming up next. If I wasn't excited, I didn't make the right decision. It's going to be different, but it's going to be good."

After Patrick's drive down the Miracle Mile, the musical chairs will begin in earnest. Several drivers are shopping around, including one of Patrick's soon-to-be-ex-teammates, Buddy Rice. While Rice remains under contract with RLR, he has been looking elsewhere.

"There's a lot of stuff going on," Rice said. "I'm pretty busy, but we'll see what happens. When the music stops, I'll have myself in a seat, for sure. I'd like to be back in the IndyCar Series, but you've got to have options.

"You've got to make sure the competitive seats are available, and right now it looks like they are. We'll just have to wait and see."

Among the other intriguing questions - and one that has been circulating for some time - is where  Dario Franchitti will race next season. He reportedly has signed with RuSPORT to compete in the final three Champ Car races of the 2006 season, replacing injured Christiano da Matta.

However, he was replaced by A.J. Foyt IV for Sunday's IRL finale after sustaining a head injury in a crash of a vintage Jaguar last weekend at Goodwood, and his contract with AGR ends after Sunday's race.

AGR teammate Bryan Herta reportedly is moving to the team's American Le Mans Series effort next year. If Franchitti also is gone from the team's IRL program, will AGR add a fourth driver to its stable of Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti and Patrick? Team officials aren't saying.

Other drivers in search of rides include Scott Sharp, who declined to comment Saturday on his future plans, and Foyt, who could end up back with his grandfather's team.

The grandson of A.J. Foyt left Foyt Enterprises after last season for NASCAR Busch Series racing. The experience with Braun-Akins Motorsports ended badly, and Foyt IV has visited with his former team this weekend at Chicagoland while subbing for Franchitti.

"When the NASCAR deal was offered to him, I kept my mouth shut," the elder Foyt said. "Yes, I was against it, but I wasn't going to speak out. He did only one thing that I told him not to, and I'm still pissed at him for it. I told him, 'Don't sign with no agents,' and he did."

Foyt indicated it's possible that his grandson might return to the team someday, as did the younger Foyt, who joked about visiting his notoriously cantankerous grandfather.

"He's as chipper as ever," the younger Foyt said.