SYSTEMS GODADDY

Smoother IPO path after Google domain move

Danica Patrick appears to have nothing but open road ahead of her.

Go Daddy, whose domainnaming services are pitched by the race car driver, is expected to have a much easier time selling its initial public offering in its road show next week, as Google has decided against making an aggressive push into the domain space, The Post has learned.

Go Daddy first filed papers for an IPO last June 9 — the same month Google announced it was planning to move into the space.

As a result, Go Daddy’s IPO has run under a yellow flag since that time.

The Go Daddy effort was dealt a blow in January when the search giant announced it was opening Google Domains Webhosting — and that it would charge $12 a month, slightly less than Go Daddy.

But the Google storm appears to have passed, sources said.

“They are not looking to overtake Go Daddy,” a source familiar with Google’s plans said. Google, too, has no plans to offer a Webhosting or Webbuilding service and is referring customers interested in those offerings to Go Daddy rivals Wix and Squarespace, sources said.

Some Wall Streeters believe a smaller Google effort in the domain space will still result in consolidation among Web hosting firms.

A Google spokesman declined comment.

Go Daddy, during the road show, is expected to compare itself within the Webhosting space to Netflix’s position in the video streaming game — and not to rivals Web.com Group or Endurance International Group, sources said.

Go Daddy has a 20 percent stake in the domain space, which is larger than its 10 closest competitors com bined, the company says.

The KKR and Silver Lake Partnerscontrolled Go Daddy increased EBITDA from $196 million in 2013 to $271 million in 2014 by adding 1 million customers — for a total of 13 million customers.

The PE firms paid $2.25 billion for the company in 2011, and are expecting the market to value it at roughly $4.5 billion. They are not selling any shares in the late March offering.

Proceeds will be used to pay some of the company’s $1.4 billion in debt.

Go Daddy declined to comment.