INDIANAPOLIS -- The stars are aligning for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500. A month after confirming that well-known sportscaster Mike Tirico would present the Greatest Spectacle in Racing to millions of a viewers around the world, NBC announced Wednesday who would be helping him do it: Danica Patrick.

The racing trailblazer and eight-time 500 starter will join Tirico in the booth, giving NBC the makings of a star-studded lineup for their inaugural 500 broadcast.

“When we got the Indy 500, the first thing we asked ourselves was, ‘Who is going to be the face of this event?’ said Sam Flood, Executive Producer and President, Production, NBC Sports & NBCSN. “In terms of a race car driver and someone who has crossed over into (IndyCar) and is fearless both in the car and in her commentary, it's Danica.”

While Patrick doesn't own much experience in the broadcast booth -- she served as an analyst for three Xfinity Series races with Fox Sports -- that isn't something that scares her or should alarm fans, she says. Along with her wealth of experience at Indy she intends to put in a lot of work preparing for Memorial Day weekend and lean on Tirico for the things she doesn't yet know. After that, she's just planning to be herself.

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During a media teleconference following Wednesday's announcement, Patrick vowed she wasn’t going to try and emulate someone else’s style or be something she’s not.

The plan is simply to be Danica Patrick, to give fans a taste of the candid, quick-witted persona she brought to the race track every weekend during her nearly two decades behind the wheel.

“Don’t worry,” Patrick said with a chuckle. “I won’t be afraid to give my opinion. … Can’t change my stripes.

"Being me will be what makes me good, if I can deliver that in a nice way, in a good package," said Patrick who recently became the first woman to host the ESPYs and will give the keynote address at the IndyStar Sports Awards this May. "You can’t be anyone else, so the biggest mistake you can make is to try to emulate someone else."

She added, though, that her broadcast persona would likely come with an added layer of sensitivity. For years, she purposefully blocked out everything but the race. She had no interest in being distracted by its pomp and circumstance -- especially on race day. She didn’t want to know other drivers’ stories. She didn’t care. For her purposes, those were simply her competitors, and all she cared about was beating them to the finish line.

But with the days of chasing checkered flags behind her, Patrick will allow herself to soak in the festivities and learn about the 33 drivers on track. In fact, she’s looking forward to embracing both.

She's also looking forward to bringing her highly trained analytical eye to the broadcast. She wants to let viewers in on how "the air moves from car to car behind, alongside, in front, how you can manipulate other cars based on your line.

"I'm more of a rookie in the booth, but I do carry non-rookie stripes as far as the race goes," said Patrick, who had six top-10 finishes at Indy, including a career-best third in 2009. "So I hope that's the part of the broadcast that I can include that will be insightful and interesting and good for viewers.

As a relative newcomer to the booth, Patrick says she will rely heavily on the expertise of everyone at NBC as well as her veteran partner. She’s already spoken with Tirico and is looking forward to many more conversations before Memorial Day weekend.

And while she’s excited about the challenge of presenting the Greatest Spectacle in Racing to millions of fans around the world for the first time, fans shouldn't look at this as a prelude to a full-time career in broadcasting.

Like her farewell drive at Indy last year, this is a one-and-done.

"One of the things that I wanted to do moving out of racing was being able to move into the other businesses that I have started, that need my attention," said the entrepreneur who has a wine company, an athleisure wear clothing line and a health and fitness book and workout program to cultivate. "If anything is going to be successful, you have to put work into it.

"I think doing regular broadcasting would be something that I’m not sure would fit, although at my age you learn to never say never because things change quickly. At this point in time, it’s just the Indy 500. I say ‘just,’ but I only mean that it's the one event, not that it’s just this race. It is the biggest race, and I’ll do my preparation and be ready."

Follow IndyStar Motor Sports Insider Jim Ayello on Twitter and Facebook: @jimayello.