Hinchcliffe Set for Andretti Autosport, Go Daddy Entry

Though an official announcement directly from Andretti Autosport has not yet been released, it appear that 2011 Rookie of the Year James Hinchcliffe will pilot the team's Go Daddy sponsored machine in the 2012 Izod IndyCar Series season. "Hinch" replaces the outgoing Danica Patrick, who joins the NASCAR Nationwide Series on a full-time basis and Sprint Cup Series on a part-time basis, as well the late Dan Wheldon, who had reportedly signed with the Andretti outfit.

The joked about assuming Patrick's role of being a spokesman for Go Daddy with the USA Today. "I'm stepping into her heels, if you will," Hinchcliffe quipped to USA Today's Nate Ryan. "But that's part of what makes this deal so exciting because they did such a good job with Danica and her Go Daddy Girl image. I hope that makes me the first Go Daddy Guy."

However, he also understands the gravity of driving the car that seemed destined for Wheldon and was humbled and flattered to be mentioned for the drive after Wheldon passed. "There's no doubt that weighed on me from the first phone call," he told Ryan. "It's pretty common knowledge Dan was a shoe-in with Go Daddy and Andretti. I look at Dan Wheldon as a tremendous race car driver and a champion but also a tremendous person and human being. And if that's the guy that Go Daddy wanted, to know that I was the next guy in line and thought of along the same lines is an incredibily humbling thing, and it makes me really proud. I'm going to think about him every time I get in that car. There's no doubt that a part of me will be driving for Dan this year."

A formal announcement will be forthcoming.