When Indy racing comes to Alabama in April, fans will be watching one high-profile driver in green: Danica Patrick recently signed a three-year contract with the Bruno Event Team, which, in turn, has a three-year contract with Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds.

Those who haven’t seen Patrick race have almost certainly seen her drive, if only in television commercials for her major sponsor, GoDaddy.com. It’s easy to see why she’s popular. However, speaking to reporters during a visit to the park to test her car recently, Patrick demonstrated that her popularity stems from more than her virtuosity behind the wheel and her model’s good looks.

She complimented the track and local race fans, saying they were among the top reasons for choosing to race here.

“I think that one of the things that stands out about Barber Motorsports Park is that every time we’ve been here, there have always been fans out at the track. I think that’s really one of the big things that drew us to come here,” she said.

“We want to go places that we’re wanted, and we really felt wanted here. So I appreciate everything you guys do,” she said. “This morning I saw an ad already for the April race. I was happy to see that; I’m happy to see you guys trying to promote the event and sell tickets.”

Tickets for the Grand Prix of Alabama, set to begin April 9, apparently are selling well. Gene Hallman, Bruno president and CEO, said all RV and motor home spots for the April race were sold out, and tickets have been purchased in 32 different states.

“This is our first-ever event, and we were very nervous going into it,” Hallman said. “This is the heart of NASCAR country. But it is clear, abundantly clear, there’s plenty of room for open-wheel racing to succeed and flourish, and (Patrick is) a very large part of that.”