The Danica Patrick NASCAR era has begun

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Irish American driver Danica Patrick made five turns around the Daytona International Speedway in the JR Motorsports ARCA car last Friday.

"I didn't realize it was 2½-miles," she said. "I guess I'm not a very attentive driver."

"Without making anybody mad, it did go a little slow," Patrick said of the ARCA car she was driving. "You do notice it. You notice the engine sitting down in the corners just from the load and constant turning. It doesn't pick up as much speed down the straightaway.

"Then again, with the movement these cars have and the travel I don't think I want to go 230(which is the speed of the INDY car series).

 Nine photographers and several TV stations were present. .

"It was a bit of a circus out there," Patrick told ESPN. "I'm not unfamiliar with having people around, but it does seem funny when there's not much else going on. I definitely felt singled out. I'm lucky for that, but it definitely felt like there was a lot of interest.

"I felt the lenses of cameras all morning."

Patrick will make her NASCAR debut on Feb. 6 at Daytona.

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Nster.com