Danica Patrick joins Carpenter for Indy 500 swansong

©NASCAR

Danica Patrick will close the curtain on her motor sport career with a final performance at the 2018 Indy 500 with Ed Carpenter Racing.

Patrick inadvertently revealed her ride at the Brickyard at yesterday's Daytona 500 media day. Questioned by reporters on her Indy 500 prospects, a distracted Patrick said:

"I didn’t have time to meet up with Ed and the people… Oh, did I just say that out loud?" she quipped, appearing annoyed with herself.

"Oh, well. I’ve never done that in my career."

One of only 14 drivers to lead both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500, and the only women to have achieved such a feat, Patrick competed in the IndyCar series from 2005 to 2011, recording one win (in Japan in 2008), three poles and seven podium finishes.

Her best performance at the Indy 500 came in her rookie year, in 2005, when she finished fourth with Rahal Letterman Racing.

After a five-year full-time stint in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Patrick announced her retirement from full-time racing at the end of 2017, and will bow out of the sport with a final appearance at this weekend's Daytona 500 and one last run around the Brickyard in May.

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