Danica Patrick talks Indy's centennial, future in NASCAR, more (Cont.)

SI.com: The street course at Sao Paulo is the fastest street race of the season featuring a mile-long straight that allows more drafting and passing. How unique is that compared to the other street course races?

DP: "I am looking forward to it because it was a good race last year. I actually thought I would finish pretty well. Last year got off to a bad start. There was a first corner accident and we were told those who make the corner will be in front of those who bypass the corner. Well, that didn't happen. When I got on the radio to say, 'Hey, what the hell is going on? Put those cars behind me.' Then you are behind those cars that finished third, fourth and fifth. I tried to be brave when it was raining out and almost made it back to the pits but I spun and was two laps down. It was not great, but in the race I was competitive, I was fast and I was passing some people. If everything went well it would have been a great day. I do look forward to going back for that purpose and that reason that there will be the ability to pass.

"I think any time you are on a street course things will happen. Like at Long Beach, accidents happen, there are mistakes and there are less room for error on the street circuits unlike the permanent circuit road courses where you can be off track a little bit and keep driving and come back on and not hit a wall. There is less passing, less accidents and less yellows. Between that and the fact there is a mile-long straightaway where you can get a draft and pass people it makes it real exciting. I wish they designed all road courses to have an element like that in it."

SI.com: Andretti Autosport has been accused of being a dysfunctional team. Is that accurate?

DP: "The team has lost virtually all of its base drivers from when the team was extremely successful. Dario Franchitti has left and Bryan Herta has left and Tony Kanaan is gone now and Dan Wheldon left. Marco Andretti has been there since 2006, but other than that it is different drivers throughout. What they had back in those days was very special. They had amazing chemistry, they all got along, they were all the same age and were almost buddies. I get along with my teammates fine today, but it's not that level of friendship they had back then. They were a real special group. It's like having a great football team together and they win a championship and sometimes it's because they have chemistry and are a special team. That is what they had here.

"It's a pretty high standard to have. I think we have a good group of drivers now. Everybody gets along very well and this is an opportunity to get back to some of the fun teammate stuff and try to jell a little bit. It's something you are always trying to achieve and it doesn't happen all the time. Every team has its challenges and we are no different."

SI.com: Contrast that to your NASCAR Nationwide team with Aric Almirola and Josh Wise at JR Motorsports.

DP: "Aric is a wonderful teammate. He helped me from the first day he drove last year when he was not a full-time driver. He was very helpful and makes me always feel like I'm on the same level. He doesn't come and give me lessons; he comes and talks to me about the car. He wants my opinion on the car and what it is doing. Oddly enough, Josh was in the next garage stall next to me for the first four races I did this year. I saw Josh all the time. He's a nice guy as well.

"We all get along really well. Tony Eury, Jr. is just kind of a cool guy. He is kind of funny. Pops, his dad, who does the 88 car is a little more serious and gets a little more moody, but he is also funny as well. It's a good group of people."

SI.com: In your heart are you still an IndyCar driver?

DP: "Yes, absolutely. That's what I'm doing now and that's what I've been doing for seven years."

SI.com: With your contract up in both series this season, some want you to switch to NASCAR, others want you to remain in IndyCar but is the most logical step a continuation of competing in both?

DP: "Yes, that is a viable option. All the options are open. The answer is yes."

SI.com: Is there still enough exposure in IndyCar racing that can benefit yourself and the rest of the series?

DP: "We're the same race cars doing the same kind of racing throughout the year so it would be great if people paid attention the rest of the year like they do at Indy. But the other events don't have 100 years of history, they don't have the stories, there are missing elements.

"The answer is no. I would love if the series got more attention the whole year. I'm not the solution maker to that. All I can do is drive my best, put on a good show, you can't do it every weekend, but hopefully you do throughout the year and help get new people interested. But that's something we as a series have tried to achieve for years is how to generate more attention for the whole year -- not just Indy."

SI.com: Can you describe how much more exposure you get when you run a Nationwide race?

DP: "Look at the ratings and see the difference. The St. Pete race was up in ratings (1.6) and that was great. The Nationwide races are between a 1.2 to 2.0. The rest of the IndyCar races on cable get about a .3 or .4 and that's not good. The series needs to make those numbers bigger because that is what sponsors look at when they are looking at sponsoring a driver or a team. If you don't have viewership numbers, then you don't have the sponsors, then you don't have the sponsorship money, then you don't have the cars and you don't have the event. It's a chain reaction.

"Eyeballs are important."