Danica Patrick will lose her NASCAR Cup ride at Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of this season and has not yet announced where – or even if – she will race in 2018.

And while the Roscoe, IL-native stated recently that she’s not truly considering an IndyCar return, she opened the door to speculation by saying “never say never.”

Patrick spent the first two seasons in her seven-year IndyCar career at Rahal Letterman Racing, having raced junior formulas for Bobby Rahal for three years. While her sole IndyCar win would come with Andretti Green Racing, at Motegi in 2008, her first significant moments in IndyCar came with RLR in May 2005. Patrick qualified fourth for the Indy 500, became the first woman ever to lead laps there, and ultimately finished fourth.

Asked today if he'd “like to have her back in Indy,” Graham Rahal said: “Danica I would consider a great friend of our family. She certainly was a big part of the history of our [RLR – now RLLR] program years and years ago.

“It would always be great to have her back to drive at Indy. But really that's completely up to her and the decisions that she makes.

“We always welcome to IndyCar – like we did Fernando [Alonso] – the best talent to come and try their hand at running in the 500. Whoever that may be in the future, it would be great to have them.

“But I think you'd really have to ask her what her future plans are.”