Daytona Beach, Fla. - Danica Patrick proved this much Saturday: Her desire to drive stock cars is not a novelty act. Despite a collision with another car that briefly dropped her deep in the field and her unfamiliarity with the famed "drafting" at Daytona International Speedway, Patrick drove an impressive race and stormed back to finish sixth in her first stock car race. "I had so much fun in a race car today," an ebullient Patrick told a media swarm that greeted her in the garage after the race. "I can't wait to do it again." The 80-lap ARCA Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 -- won by Bobby Gerhart of Pennsylvania -- was Patrick's first step toward racing on the much larger NASCAR circuit in and around her full schedule on the Izod IndyCar Series. Indeed, the race essentially was a practice round for Patrick before she immediately jumps to NASCAR's second-level Nationwide Series either next weekend here or Feb. 20 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

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