Patrick refocuses on IRL

SAO PAULO - Danica Patrick's stint in NASCAR is receding into her rearview mirror - for now.

Patrick is back with the IndyCar Series after three races in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide circuit, and she can't wait for the open-wheel season to get under way with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on Sunday.

"I've really enjoyed my time running in NASCAR thus far," she told The Associated Press in an e-mail. "However, the IndyCar Series has always been my focus and winning the Indianapolis 500 is a lifelong dream. I'm looking forward to getting back into an IndyCar."

Patrick will stick with the IndyCar Series for the next four months before returning to NASCAR in the last weekend in June. She will then spend the rest of the year going back and forth between the final nine IndyCar races and at least 10 more Nationwide events for JR Motorsports.

She felt she raced well in NASCAR despite disappointing results. She finished 35th at Daytona after a crash, was 31st in California and placed 36th in Las Vegas after another accident. She also came in sixth in an ARCA race in Daytona.

"It's always helpful to be behind the wheel, no matter what kind of car it is - seat time is seat time," she said. "I think the main thing that NASCAR has done is provided me with a base to build my versatility as a driver."