NASCAR

Aaron Rodgers and Danica Patrick seem to be rounding out the first lap of their rumored romance -- 'cause now they're dining together out in the open ... as seen here.

The Packers QB and NASCAR driver were spotted grabbing a bite Saturday night at The Mission Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona, accompanied by a small group of people.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ Aaron and Danica sat next to each other, but didn't show off any kind of PDA while there. We're also told other patrons recognized them, but left them alone.

Rumors have been swirling about the reported couple, who apparently got together shortly after the holidays. Word around town is ... things are moving fast with Aaron after Danica split from her BF of 5 years, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., late last year.

Looks like they have plenty of time on their hands to cozy up -- Aaron's season is over after the Packers didn't make the playoffs, and Danica's set to retire soon. Kismet!

Wanna know the difference between IndyCar and NASCAR?

Indycar studs Alex Rossi and Conor Daly broke it down for us ... telling TMZ Sports there are 2 fundamental differences beyond the types of cars they race.

1) NASCAR drivers make more money and 2) they get more chicks (because of #1).

But things are looking up for Conor and Alex -- 'cause they're one of the teams on the new season of "The Amazing Race"!

And they didn't get eliminated on the first show ... which is more than some people in our office can say!

Danica Patrick is officially single ... her 5-year relationship with NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is over after the guy publicly pumped the brakes when it came to marriage.

How do we know? Because Danica shared her frustration about the relationship situation back in July.

Here's the deal ... 35-year-old Danica had pulled an April Fool's gag on social media claiming one of her rings was an engagement ring.

So, when we saw Danica and Ricky out we asked if there was any movement on the engagement front. She told us Ricky had not proposed but added, "I was ready yesterday."

That day never came ... and now the relationship is over.

Jeff Gordon says Bubba Wallace isn't just important to NASCAR for being the first Black full-time driver at the top level in 46 years ... he's also a LEGIT badass behind the wheel.

Wallace will drive the legendary No. 43 car for Richard Petty Motorsports next season -- a tremendous honor ... since that's The King's car.

Gordon says it's important to acknowledge the historical significance of having a black driver in the full-time circuit -- but says the real focus should be on what he can do on the track.

Jeff also explains why he thinks there aren't more black drivers in the sport -- and how Wallace can help change that moving forward.

Not all NASCAR people are siding with Trump -- with Dale Earnhardt Jr. throwing his support behind NFL protesters ... despite several NASCAR owners bashing them.

After POTUS said NFL owners should fire any "son of a bitch" who takes a knee, two of the most powerful men in NASCAR gave major stamps of approval.

Richard Petty said, "Anybody that don’t stand up for that ought to be out of the country. Period."

Team owner Richard Childress was asked what he would do if any of his staffers protested the anthem -- "Get you a ride on a Greyhound bus when the national anthem is over."

But Earnhardt -- hands down the most popular NASCAR driver of the last 10 years -- sees things differently ... and weighed in Monday morning with a quote from John F. Kennedy.

"All Americans R granted rights 2 peaceful protests," Dale Jr. tweeted.

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

As for Trump, POTUS praised the NASCAR community early Monday morning.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has found the secret to boosting his Uber rating -- MONEY!

The NASCAR legend got the Uber blues on Saturday when he learned his rating was a crappy 4.0 on the 5.0 scale. He tweeted about it, "That's complete sh*t."

Uber immediately reached out to Dale and tried to help him with some quick tips ... and Junior says his rating's been way up ever since.

"I've been tipping really good and been nice to the driver ... and it's working out! My ratings are up!"

Earnhardt says he's cool with the company now -- and says it's the best way to go out if you plan on boozing.

Danica Patrick is more than ready to tie the knot with her racing BF Ricky Stenhouse Jr. -- and how do we know? She said it on camera ... right in front of him!

The two have been dating for 5 years and when our camera guy asked DP if the rumors of her being engaged were true or just a little joshing around. Ricky answered "Someday, not yet."

Our guy then (foolishly?) stated the two probably still weren't quite ready to tie the knot, and that's when Danica jumped in to set the record straight.

"I was ready yesterday."

What followed was one of the most awkward hugs in LAX history, and most likely a quiet Uber ride home.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he's decided to retire from NASCAR after the 2017 season because, "I just wanted the opportunity to go out on my own terms."

Junior opened up about the decision at a news conference Tuesday -- saying he thought about how he wanted to end his storied career while rehabbing from an injury last year.

Dale thanked a bunch of people who impacted his life -- including his wife, fans, sponsors and his late father Dale Earnhardt saying, "I would not have been a race car driver if not for him. He believed in me."

As for his future ... Junior wants to stay involved in racing in some capacity, saying "I want to be a part of the future of this sport for many, many years to come."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is waving the white flag on his storied career -- announcing he'll retire from NASCAR after the 2017 season.

The 42-year-old has racked up 26 wins (including TWO Daytona 500 victories) in 603 starts since turning pro in 1999.

He suffered a concussion back in 2016 that forced him to miss roughly half the season -- but he's since returned to the track and now the retirement tour begins.

Think Kobe Bryant ... but faster.

We recently got Dale Jr. out and talked about his recent marriage and the possibility of kids in his future ... and whether he would pass on the famous Dale Earnhardt name.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. just made Mark Zuckerberg drop an S-bomb ... taking the Facebook creator on his first ride on a NASCAR track ... and it blew the billionaire's mind.

Zuck hooked up with Dale Jr. at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Facebook Live -- and got his first taste of 160 mph speed!!!

In the end, Zuckerberg called the ride an "amazing experience" ... and even got in the driver's seat for a few laps of his own.

Joey Logano should've been EXPECTING a fight with Kyle Busch this weekend ... especially after the way he was driving ... so says NASCAR analyst Jeff Hammond.

Hammond was covering the Kobalt 400 for FS1 and says he loved the passion Busch showed when he confronted Logano after some "aggressive driving" on the track.

Bottom line ... the whole "leave it on the track" mentality doesn't apply when you spin out a race car around 180 MPH.

"In Joey's situation, you should expect that kind of a retaliation. You gotta be looking for it. Your head's gotta be on a swivel."

In fact, Hammond says MORE drivers should show the kind of passion Busch did.

Hey, more fights? We're down!

Kyle Busch thought Joey Logano did him dirty during NASCAR's Kobalt 400 race ... so he went after the guy with fists after spinning out.

Busch rushed Logano and his crew on pit road Sunday after Logano appeared to have made Busch spin out in the race ... costing him a shot at victory.

You can see Busch stomping over like he's on a mission, and that's when Logano's pit crew got involved.

Busch left the rumble fuming with a bloody forehead. Clearly he doesn't like being cut off.

Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman says he's taking on a new challenge as the owner of a NASCAR racing team ... telling us he LOVES the sport and wants to inspire black kids to love it too.

TMZ Sports spoke with Merriman who revealed he's part-owner of a NASCAR K&N team ... a regional series used to develop drivers. It's like the minor leagues ... a stepping-stone to get to the majors.

Why NASCAR? SM told us he's a HUGE racing fan, having caught the bug at a race some years ago ... and said he wants to do something to promote his passion to black youth.

"We thought NASCAR would be a huge deal for us, kinda going into a different demographic. There's not a whole lot of minorities looking to be into NASCAR."

Merriman says he thinks once black kids are introduced to the vroom-vroom life -- you might see more of them get involved with NASCAR ... maybe even choose that sport over the NFL or the NBA.

The last Earnhardt with the name Dale may have already rolled off the assembly line ... 'cause Dale Jr. tells TMZ Sports he will NOT name his future kid Dale Earnhardt III.

Screw the bars and the online dating sites -- ya wanna find a smokin' hot lady, hit the RACE TRACK ... that's what Kyle Busch did.

The NASCAR driver hit up Craig's in West Hollywood Thursday night with his fitness model wife, Samantha ... and they explained how fast cars brought them together almost 10 years ago!

Kyle also makes his prediction for Daytona 500 -- himself -- and tells us who he's most concerned about when he hits the track on Feb. 26.

But enough of that ... check out the pics of Kyle's wife -- and go buy a ticket to a NASCAR race already.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished first in 2016 by getting married to his longtime girlfriend before the clock struck 12 on NYE.

NASCAR's golden boy tied the knot Saturday night to Amy Reimann, who he got engaged to last June. The ceremony went down at Childress Vineyards in North Carolina, and Dale looks like he couldn't have been happier to ring in 2017 with a pair of wedding bands.

A big chunk of the NASCAR community was there too -- from Chocolate Myers and Danica Patrick to Bubba Wallace -- to wave in their star driver toward the finish line. Congrats!