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(AP) - JR Motorsports hopes Danica Patrick will stay the course next season.

Team co-owner Kelly Earnhardt-Miller says Patrick has expressed interest in running again in the Nationwide Series and that the team is trying to finalize sponsorship and a driver for the No. 7 car.

Earnhardt-Miller spoke just before Patrick started practicing for Saturday's Indy 250.

Patrick is familiar with the historic 2.5-mile oval from her days as an IndyCar driver and has grown accustomed to all the questions regarding her future.

She's been running part-time this season in the Sprint Cup Series and full-time in Nationwide.

Earnhardt-Miller says a best-case scenario would be keeping Cole Whitt in the No. 88 car, while putting Patrick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and others split time in a fully-funded No. 7 car.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)