Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Agree to New Contract: Details and Reaction

Danica Patrick's NASCAR future was secured Tuesday as the 33-year-old driver signed a contract extension to remain with Stewart-Haas Racing.  

The new deal became official during a press conference as Stewart-Haas co-owner and NASCAR superstar Tony Stewart made the announcement, according to NASCAR on Twitter:

Although full terms of the deal were not disclosed, Patrick's contract is a multiyear pact, per Jeff Gluck of USA Today.

In addition to a new contract, Patrick will have a new sponsor in 2016 after GoDaddy ended its endorsement deal with her. As seen in this tweet, she will now represent Nature's Bakery in its first foray into NASCAR:

NASCAR's Twitter account also provided a look at the new paint scheme for her car as she is going from green to blue:

In a piece published on The Players' Tribune, Patrick reflected on what's been an uncertain time in her career: 

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This past year, for the first time in more than a decade, I was put in that uncertain position once again … but the stakes were a little higher this time.

Losing GoDaddy as my primary sponsor after six years wasn’t easy, but those changes are a reality in this sport. This experience certainly wasn’t something unique to me — more or less every racer, regardless of their success, is forced to look for a sponsor at some point — but it did make me realize how truly fortunate I’ve been for so many years.

"

Patrick is in the midst of her third full NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and she is on pace for her best finish in the points standings as she currently sits in 21st.

She had one career victory in the IndyCar Series, and although she has yet to take the checkered flag in NASCAR, she does have five top-10 finishes this year and seems to be trending in the right direction.

While Patrick is making progress on the track, there is no question that her marketability is a big reason behind Stewart-Haas Racing's decision to bring her back. Stewart-Haas co-owner Gene Haas recently admitted as much, per Lee Spencer of Motorsport.com:

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Every year she gets a little better. She's better this year than she was last year. So I think she's kind of improving. Statistically, we see that. Danica is a special person, too, because she has so much demand for her image, and we like that. We really like that. That's a good balance. Even if her performance is taking longer than we'd like, she has so much consumer demand that it balances it out really well.

"

Fox Sports' Tom Jensen broke down why the deal was a good thing: 

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Patrick has a strong following outside of the hardcore NASCAR fan base — people who read about Patrick, people who watch Patrick, people who follow what she does closely. With the possible exception of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Patrick generates more interest than any other single driver in the sport. Her staying put keeps her fans engaged.

"

Even though Patrick is still a middle-of-the-pack driver at this juncture in her career, her value is obvious both to Stewart-Haas Racing and NASCAR as a whole. She is an inspirational figure to young girls and boys alike, and there is little doubt that her mere presence helps in terms of expanding NASCAR's fanbase.

Patrick receives plenty of criticism from those who believe her exposure doesn't match her on-track output, but she finished in the top 10 of the IRL standings six times and continues to make strides in the stock-car ranks.

If her upward trend continues, then it may not be long before she finds her way to Victory Lane, which would be a monumental moment in NASCAR history.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.