Danica sticks with IMG, agents field 2012 offers

[June 18, 2011]  WEST ALLIS, Wis. (AP) -- Danica Patrick is sticking with IMG in the wake of agent Mark Steinberg's split with the sports management giant.

And though Patrick hasn't made a decision on the future of her racing career, she says her agents officially are free to listen to offers. Many racing contracts contain clauses that prohibit drivers from negotiating new deals with rival teams until a specific date, but Patrick said she's under no such restrictions.

"That's open," Patrick said Friday at the Milwaukee Mile. "My agents are working."

Patrick's upcoming career decision has been one of the most widely discussed topics in racing this season.

She is showing steady improvement in NASCAR's Nationwide Series and is considering a full-time move from IndyCar to NASCAR. But she might be able to pull off a deal that also would allow her to run in the Indianapolis 500 -- a race she still desperately wants to win.

Patrick's next step will be a big one, but that doesn't mean she's receiving daily updates from her agents.

"I don't really know what they're doing, to be quite honest," Patrick said. "I get updates randomly. But for some reason, they don't like to tell me. They like to just let me do my job and they let me know when there's something of significance. Otherwise, they don't tell me."

That's by design, of course, allowing Patrick to concentrate on driving until the wheels really start turning on a new deal.

"They're doing what they do best, I'm doing what I do best," Patrick said. "These things take time anyway."

Steinberg, who represents Tiger Woods, did not renew his contract with IMG and left the company last month. Woods has said he's keeping his business with Steinberg.

"Steinberg is someone that's definitely helped me," Patrick said. "I'm not really sure where that situation's going to go. But I'm staying with IMG."

[Associated Press; By CHRIS JENKINS]

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