Danica Patrick set to announce NASCAR switch imminently

Patrick's sponsor GoDaddy.com has scheduled a media announcement at noon US Eastern Time, where her 'racing future' will be revealed.

The IndyCar star has been transitioning to NASCAR over the past two years, entering part-time schedules in the Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports. She has already competed in 20 races with a best result of fourth, claimed at Las Vegas last March. She also led laps and was a contender for victory last month in the second-tier series event at Daytona.

Patrick is expected to compete full-time in the series next year with Dale Earnhardt Jr's outfit while making the next step on her way to the Sprint Cup Series, which is believed to be her next goal. She is also expected to attempt a number of Cup events next year with Stewart Haas Racing, owned by two-time Sprint Cup and former IRL champion Tony Stewart.

Asked last weekend at Montreal about her future, she remained tight-lipped as did both Earnhardt and Stewart at Michigan.

It remains to be seen whether Patrick will include the Indianapolis 500 in her 2012 racing schedule. GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons had hinted at Patrick's switch already last May, also saying he would expect her to still race at Indianapolis.

While Patrick's move to NASCAR is expected to be a major boost for the series, her departure from the IZOD IndyCar Series is set to be a blow for America's top single-seaters championship, as she is regarded its most popular driver in the US.