Sarah Fisher   LATEST SNIPPET Fisher optimistic ahead of opener Direct access to this web page:  http://bit.ly/952zqf 2012 New Fisher optimistic ahead of opener 2012 IRL Race Schedule 2011 IRL Race Schedule - No events for 2011. Sarah was pregnant. 2010 IRL Race Schedule 2009 IRL Race Schedule 2008 IRL Race Schedule 2007 IRL Race Schedule & Results and Standings Fisher honored as "Leading Light" Sarah Fisher Racing on the move Team owner/driver reviews her 2009 season Background Bio Fast Facts Sign-up for Sarah Fisher's Newsletter Snippets Web Site , E-Mail 2012 Fisher optimistic ahead of opener As crazy as it may seem, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing nearly missed the start of the season. When Chevrolet and Honda had to increase their engine supply after Lotus stumbled out of the gate, Fisher’s team was left in a quandary; they had a chassis, which they were developing throughout the off season, but no engine and no promise of one until Indianapolis in May. Outsiders worried about the team’s fate, and there may have been even more concern within the team. “Oh absolutely (I was worried), because it’s just an issue of supply and demand,” said Fisher, whose team has run on a part-time basis since 2008. “(The engine makers) didn’t think there were going to be this many cars and there weren’t enough crankshafts to go around.” Fortunately for them, Bobby Rahal, who had secured an engine deal for a second entry in his own team, agreed to transfer that contract, for Honda engines, over to Fisher, preventing what certainly would have been an unnecessary stumbling block before the season even started. “It was quite the process,” said the relieved Fisher. “But, it’s behind us and we’re moving forward. So, we’re just very lucky.” With that dilemma behind them, the focus turned to testing ahead of the season opener. The delay of their engine contracts meant they were behind in that department, and their first session together came earlier this month at Sebring as part of the official “Spring Training” test. Overall, with rookie Josef Newgarden, they turned the 15th quickest lap over the four-day stretch. But, while the timesheets have them in the middle of the pack, Fisher was over the moon with their performance. “I think it was a fantastic test,” she emphasized. “Yeah, in the lap times, we weren’t sitting P1. But, it was the first time Josef had ever been in an IndyCar. It was his first ‘big car’ test and he did a wonderful job for us. He had really great car feedback, which is going to be important and crucial in developing this new car. But, as far as giving him the tools necessary to go out there and win races, we haven’t left any stone uncovered.” Her jubilation stems the team’s preparation through the winter; despite the uncertainty surrounding the engines, everyone in the shop had been working on the chassis, ensuring it would be ready to go once an engine was fitted in. “Regardless of the engine contracts, we were still doing quite a bit of R&D behind the scenes to make sure the car was as ready as it could be,” Fisher elaborated. Though their bread and butter has been oval racing, the emphasis on road and street racing in 2012 means a change in the approach, or so we assume. However, as Fisher explains, their road course package has been solid. “I think our road and street program has been at a level where it could perform, I think it’s a total combination. And Josef proved that the last few weeks for us.” She indicates that the reason it may appear their road and street course program lagged was a result of her. “It was entirely because of the driver, and that was because of me. I’ll be the first to admit it: I have no ego, that’s why I pulled myself out in 2010 and put Graham (Rahal) in the car for the road races. There are so many kids out there who deserve an opportunity and may not (get it), for whatever reason.” She explained further that, because of budget constraints, it made sense to place the emphasis on the ovals. “For myself, I came from USAC Midgets and Sprint Car days and ovals were my forte, that’s what I did well on. So, when we only had a limited budget to work with, how do you best spend your money? You spend it in the areas you’re best at, and that was oval racing for us.” Of course, that emphasis paid off in spades last year with Ed Carpenter taking his and the team’s maiden win at Kentucky. “When we had the same kind of limited budget in 2011, we again said ‘Well, we want to focus on ovals again, because that’s where we’re going to best be able to spend our money, and who better than Ed Carpenter to do well on ovals?’ He has the same exact background that I do and he has the same expertise on ovals that I did. So, it matched extremely well and that was the opportunity that we put together as a combination.” But, with Carpenter leaving to form his own team and the 2012 schedule heavy on road and street circuits, bringing in Newgarden, whose background is in road racing, both in Europe and in the U.S., was the best fit. And, though he is a rookie, Fisher is elated with his performance so far. “He is more prepared for the opportunity than any other talent that I have worked with,” Fisher said of the up-and-comer. “He is more prepared for this opportunity than I was, in my opinion. It’s so refreshing to see how hard he works at being the best race car driver car and we’re very lucky to have him in the No. 67 car for sure.” She is especially pleased with how he has fit in with the team, immediately establishing a rapport with their engineers and mechanics. “I was very impressed, though, with how well Josef and the engineering staff have already gelled together. Since we hired him back last year, he’s been in the shop pretty much every day; he’s in the shop as much as the other guys. That’s very encouraging and he’s very genuine. And to work with the guys all off-season while Andy (O’Gara) and I were figuring this engine deal, they gelled and formed a big chemistry with our engineering staff and it really paid off for that test.” Yet, Newgarden remains a rookie and has not yet competed a full weekend in an IndyCar. This means, like all rookies, there will be growing pains this year. But, as Fisher points out, there is no harm in that. “We’re expecting to have scenarios where we’ll have to put cars back together and we’re hoping for scenarios where Josef (can show) he’s the star we know that he is,” she added, “He just has to be, for lack of a better word, nurtured, I guess, and molded. But, he’s doing such a great job.” But, for her optimism as the season nears its curtain raiser, she is careful not to make expectations too lofty. “I don’t expect to put a number on it,” she said. “We all want to be in the top 10 or top five, but I think right now we got to see where (Josef) shakes out. I think he’s incredibly talented and I think we’re a lot further ahead than where I thought we were going to be already. That being said, it’s just like ‘Let’s get to St. Pete and see how it goes,’ and then we can sort of lay out what we’re going to expect this year.” Still, it would not come as a shock if they run well as the year goes on. “I think he sets the bar a lot higher for himself than any of us do, for sure. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some results out of him already,” Fisher of Newgarden’s attitude. “I think it’s going to be very interesting. When you have a rookie, and he comes in on day one, his very first time in a big car with anything over 400 horsepower, and he comes in and starts debriefing the car like a veteran, it’s so refreshing to see how well-prepared he is for the opportunity.” Source: indycarnation.indycar.com/exclusive-news/2012/03/24/fisher-optimistic-ahead-of-opener 2011 Carpenter Pushes to Victory at Kentucky Speedway: Scores first personal and team win Tears of joy were abundant in the 67 pit stall as Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) driver Ed Carpenter edged championship front-runner Dario Franchitti by a nose on a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon at Kentucky Speedway to claim his, as well as SFR’s, first IZOD IndyCar Series victory. “It felt way better than I ever thought it was going to feel,” said an elated Ed Carpenter. “Dario raced me hard and clean. I knew we had the better car but in the second or third stint.” Carpenter rolled off the grid from the fourth starting position on Sunday, in front of a sea of family and friends, and remained in the top-five throughout most of the race. “It was a weird race because my visor was falling off in one of the stints and we had all sorts of stuff going on. However, I wasn’t going to let a visor coming off stop me from winning the race. I drove 15 or 20 laps with one hand holding on to my helmet til our next pit stop.” The 30-year old husband and father of two was thankful he had one Honda overtake assist (push-to-pass) left on the final lap. He and Franchitti battled for nearly 21 laps as the Kentucky Indy 300 came to a close, separated by no more than two-tenths of a second. “I’m just so proud to be a part of this team and this organization. I can’t thank Andy and Sarah enough, and I’m especially thankful to my wife for supporting me all these years to get to this point; it’s taken a long time to get our first win, but that’s fine with me. It’s just an awesome day for Dollar General, Angie’s List, Fuzzy’s Vodka and everyone.” The victory was also the first for the Sarah Fisher Racing organization, and after missing the previous three races with the birth of her and husband Andy O’Gara’s daughter (Zoey Marie), Sarah was back to witness history. “Just to see Ed drive his tail off is just so amazing,” said a teary-eyed Fisher. “We figured out that next year, Dollar General is not coming back, so maybe they’ll change their mind now. But, you know certainly it was just a great weekend. The guys all worked their tails off, and I haven’t been to the shop in three weeks. My baby girl is obviously good luck…I’m just so happy to be here.” Carpenter’s 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues Sunday, October 16th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition (HD) at 3 p.m. (EST) on ABC. Additional coverage will be available on IMS Radio, XM Satellite Radio Channel 94 “IndyCar Racing,” Sirius Channel 212, along with broadcast coverage summaries available at www.indycar.com and www.sarahfisherracing.com Source: www.sarahfisherracing.com/pressrelease2.php?id=71 Fisher honored as "Leading Light" IZOD IndyCar Series owner/driver Sarah Fisher was honored by Women and Hi Tech during the Leading Lights Awards in Indianapolis on Oct. 14. Fisher, the owner of Sarah Fisher Racing, was given the “Risk Taker Award” at the annual event, which honors women of achievement in science, education, and technology. Now in its 10th year, Women and Hi Tech is an organization of women and men whose goal is to attract, develop, retain, support and promote women who are interested in technology, through networking, role modeling, education and professional development. Source: indycar.com/main/content/40152-fisher-honored-as-andquot-leading-lightandquot/ 2010 Sarah Fisher Racing on the move Sarah Fisher Racing has begun moving into a facility -- a few doors down from its current Indianapolis shop -- that will triple its space to 15,000 square feet. The news comes on the heels of the announcement that the team would expand Sarah Fisher's Dollar General program to nine races and add 2006 Firestone Indy Lights Champion Jay Howard for four events in 2010 with backing from Tire Kingdom. "Growth is a great problem to have," Fisher said. "We've worked tirelessly to build and expand this program, and we're thrilled to see the results in our 2010 plans. I have a new teammate, a new car, and now we will have the room to stretch our legs and keep developing." The new facility features a dedicated build area for the team's cars, an in-house setup and twist rigs facility, a design area and state-of-the-art machine shop. Source: www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=15478   2010 IRL Results Date Track Start Finish Laps Status 5/1 Kansas 14 17 198/200. .Running 5/30 Indianapolis 29 26 125 Handling 6/12 Texas 16 15 227/228 Running 6/20 Iowa 18 22 95/250 Contact 7/18 Toronto NA . . . 7/25 Edmonton NA . . . 8/8 Mid-Ohio NA . . . 8/22 Infeneon NA . . . 8/28 Chicagoland 25 15 199/200 Running. 9/6 Kentucky 21 22 134/200 Mechanical 9/18 Japan NA . . . 10/2 Homestead-Miami .17 22. 197/200 Running 2009 Decade of change Team owner/driver reviews her 2009 season Personally, it was a building year from a growth perspective and looking toward the big picture -- not only as a driver, but also for our company. As our season went on, we kept improving both on track and off. To only have six opportunities to make a lasting impression lends a tough percentage towards success. So many new experiences occurred this year that it is a challenge to rate it nothing but great as a whole. We had an impact on our sponsors, our fans and peers with performances that included my best personal finish at the Indy 500 and improved numbers at most other venues. I feel as though our team also created an impressive off-track presentation that few who see the whole season attempt to showcase. For all these opportunities, I am proud of where we have come as a company and of the people who were a part of that. In general, I have personally become more of the entrepreneur. In handling how the processes work for me day-to-day and enlisting the help of hand-selected people who are there to make it successful are all challenges I faced and believe to have tackled this year. Adding people has been a great experience, one not many people can say during these times. Sarah Fisher Racing has truly become a platform with staying power, even in the last months of this season. Looking back, you always want to learn and improve on prior performances. What we have to look forward to as we approach the 2010 season is an exciting list of developments and areas we can do better in and thankfully have a much more definitive plan of attack, in comparison to the past years. I am so thankful to have had such great people behind me: the people at SFR, the fans and all of our partners. It amazes me how much support there is out there and that in itself drives me forward every day. As we age, we continually learn. Or at least that is the idea. I look back at what I could do at the beginning of 2009, the stresses I had, and what looked like a full plate … and laugh. Today, I have been able to learn from every concept of the business. On track, it has made me a better, more confident driver. I know what I have and I am very lucky. I have worked hard, and am thrilled to be in a third-year contract with not only my primary sponsor, Dollar General, but also with my team; never before done in my career. Source: www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=15571 2009 Results Date Track Start Finish Qualified at Total Laps Status at Finish 4/26 Kansas 11 13 208.543 199 Running 5/24 Indianapolis 21 17 222.082 200 Running 6/6 Texas Motor Speedway 14 17 212.554 222 Running 8/1 Kentucky 22 12 NA 200 Running 8/29 Chicago 19 14 212.125 199 Running 10/10/09 Homestead 16 18 210.174 187 Running 2008 Accepting Donations 5/12: With all the requests to make donations, they can be sent here 5/12/08 Collection Agency 5/12: The IndyStar suggests that maybe SFR needs a collection agency Fisher Tops 224 in Practice on Pole Day 5/10: Sarah will attempt to qualify on Sunday Fisher Fights to Keep Racing 5/10: Sarah keeps plugging away the Indianapolis Business Journal reports Fisher Spinning Her Wheels 5/8: Rain and no sponsor don't dampin Fisher's spirit Fisher Still Fighting Uphill Money Race 5/7: Primary sponsor has yet to pay SFR USA Today reports Worshipping at the high church of Indy 5/6: Senator Hillary Clinton stops by Sarah's garage Fisher endorses Senator Clinton for President on opening day at the speedway. 5/4/08 Sarah talks with Forbes Magazine about life in the fast lane while visiting NYC - Video - Forbes 4/29/08 Fisher and anchors Kathy Lee Gifford and Hoda talked racing and changing tires video here Video - Today Show 4/23/08 Congratulations Danica 4/21/08: With her win, we all have something to celebrate! Can't wait for May. Sarah talks with Speed Freaks 3/9/08 Fisher Excited About New Team 3/3/08 Race Car Driver, Sarah Fisher, Shares Her Day at Work in New Book, “Water Cooler Diaries” 3/1/08 Sarah Fisher Establishes Female Owned IndyCar Series Team; Janet Guthrie and Lyn St James Weigh In 2/27/08 Fisher branches out as first female IRL owner 2/26/08 2007 A Conversatoin with Sarah Fisher 9/12/07 What's more challenging: Driving a race car or planning a wedding? 9/6/07 IndyCar driver prepares to walk down the aisle 8/30/07 DNF at Infineon spoils memorable weekend in Wine Country 8/30/07 Racing to the altar -- and racing at Sonoma 8/23/07 IndyCar Still Waits for Fisher to Emerge 8/11/07 A little sore after a big crash, but Kentucky could hold cure 8/10/07 Fun times in Ohio, but Mid-Ohio road course another story - 8/2/07 Mile-and-a-half package out of tune in Nashville - 7/20/07 Fireworks at The Glen, glass blowing and country music - 7/10/07 More planes, trains and automobiles - 7/3/07 After seventh-place showing at Iowa, bring on Richmond - 6/28/07 All Grown Up: Only woman to finish runner-up in IRL race returns for her second tour with the series - 6/29/07 IRL women keeping fast company - 6/29/07 Grown-up Fisher ready for run at IndyCar success - 6/8/07 Indy done, it's off to my first race in Milwaukee - 6/1/07 Indy does wemen no favors;Groundbreaking trio unhappy with results - 5/28/07 Double the racing pleasure at Dreyer & Reinbold Fisher to run partial IRL slate in 2007 Sarah Signs with Dreyer & Reinbold for 2007 Fisher relieved to be on grid - 5/14/07 Fisher makes it back to Indy 500 field - 5/13/07 Teams Get Ready for Saturday's Indy 500 Qualifications Fisher left wondering how to get big sponsor 4/6/07 Sarah Fisher Transcript - 2007 Indianapolis 500 Media Tour 4/4/07 Broken Suspension Leaves DRR In 10th With Rice And 15th With Fisher At St. Pete 4/2/07 Sarah Fisher comments on Kansas Speedway 2006 Sarah Fisher wins 100 Mile Go-Kart Endurance Race Go-Cart Race: Pre-race notes and quotes for race with Katherine Legge on October 15 Sarah! She turns 26 today - 10/4/06 Sarah's ESPN Diary Offseason brings new challenges - 9/14 Fisher's 50th Career Start yields 16th Place Start and Finish at ChicagoLand - 9/9/06 Sarah make her 50th Career IndyCar Series Start - 9/9/06 Fisher Back to Future: Much has changed for Sarah Fisher - 9/8/06 IndyCar Magazine: Pick up next month's IndyCar Mag for a feature story on Sarah Fisher Racing, bowling, shopping; it's good to be back - 9/6/06 Fisher on ChicagoLand Speedway Fisher’s future is looking up - 8/21/06 5 Quick Questions: Sarah Fisher - 8/18/06 Fisher restarts career with solid Kentucky race - 8/16/06 Fisher keeps ride for IndyCar season finale - 8/14/06 Patrick, Fisher find success - 8/14/06 Sarah starts and finishes 12th at Kentucky; Fisher will Return at Chicago - 8/13/06 Patrick and Fisher to start side by side in race today - 8/13/06 Fisher: I'm Still Here - 8/13/06 Fisher ready to see where dream takes her - 8/12/06 Sarah starts and finishes 12th at Kentucky; Fisher will Return at Chicago - 8/13/06 Patrick and Fisher to start side by side in race today - 8/13/06 IRL's a two-woman show: Fisher joins Patrick today at Ky. Speedway - 8/13/06 Fans flock to leave impression on Fisher's helmet - 8/12/06 Sarah Fisher will Start 12th in Return at Kentucky - 8/12/06 Women's movement: Patrick, Fisher share the spotlight's glare for Sunday's IRL race at Kentucky Speedway - 8/12/06 Just a week after it came unplugged, the Speedway gets ready to light it up - 8/12/06 Fisher returns to her Indy roots - 8/12/06 Fisher Fans: Show Fastenal Some Love - 8/11/06 Fastenal joins Sarah Fisher's No. 5 car as Primary Sponsor - 8/11/06 Fisher ready to see where dream takes her - 8/10/06 Private Test for Sarah Fisher - Quotes - 8/10/06 Even as Danica flirts with NASCAR, Sarah Fisher, racing's first leading lady, sticks to her open-wheel roots - 8/9/06 Crocker, Fisher could be NASCAR's Danica See the January, 2006 issue of Car and Driver, page 120. Related Issue: Women Racers Directory, Women in Racing, Women Racers, More Women in Racing, Race Schedules, Notable Women Contact: www.sarahfisher.com , E-Mail Snippets 2012 Ed Carpenter Brings Sarah Fisher her first Indy Car Series victory. 2011 Sarah to step out of the race car in 2011 to focus on ownership and on a family. 2010  In the final race of the 2010 IndyCar series, Sarah started 17th and ended 22nd. She ecumulated enough points in her 7 races to finish 26th of 41 racers for the season. *     *     * Sarah started 25th at Chicagoland. She lead 10 laps of the race and finished 15th. *     *     *  Sarah Fisher's Dollar General program will expand to nine races in 2010 and add 2006 Firestone Indy Lights Champion Jay Howard for four events in 2010 with backing from Tire Kingdom. 2009  Sarah was gridded 16th for the final race of the season at Homestead and finished 17th giving her 25th overal in a partial season. Sarah's previous years in Indy Car racing gardered her the title of Friendliest Driver three years in a row. When she got the last-minute ride for the Kentucky Speedway 300 August 12-13, 2006, she didn't have time to have her helmet painted. Being one who likes to mingle with fans rather than hide-out before a race, it was second nature for Sarah to offer her fans the opportunity to sign her helmet that she would be using in the race, taking her fans, literally, for a ride. Pick up the October IndyCar Magazine for a feature story on Sarah Fisher Sarah started 22nd of 23 cars at Kentucky (grid was by season standing) and finsihed in 12th on the lead lap. *     *     * Sarah was gridded 14th at Texas Motor Speedway and finished 17th out of 24 cars.   *     *     * In her first race of the year (2009), Sarah gridded 11th and finished 13th of 22 cars at Kansas Speedway. 2008 In her first race since her crash at the Indy 500, Sarah started 16th on the grid at Kentucky Speedway . She finished in 15th. *     *     * Sarah is back . She will return on Aug. 9 at Kentucky Speedway and also compete Sept. 7 at Chicagoland Speedway. She will test at Kentucky Speedway on July 31 and plans to race there August 9th and Chicagoland Sep. 7th. *     *     * Sarah Fisher Turns Just 14 Laps at Indy. No new news from her web site since 5/25/08 about future race opportunities. *     *     * All three women were knocked out of the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. Tony Kanaan took out Sarah Fisher, Buddy Lazier took out Milka Duno, and, Ryan Briscoe knocked out Danica Patrick. Sarah started 22nd and finished 30th. *     *     * Sarah ran a 227.827 during Practice 4 for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 9th. *     *     * Sarah is forming her own one-car part-time effort for the 2008 IRL season. Called Sarah Fisher Racing, she brought over her crew chief from Dreyer & Reinhold Racing, Andy O'Gara (now her husband) and his father, John O'Gara, a longtime team manager at D&R. They will fulfill the same roles as previously with the exception that Andy will have some extra household chores. She hopes they will be ready for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. *     *     * Sarah started 18th at The Raceway at Belle Isle and ws involved in an accident on the 29th lap/ She finished the race in 16th and currently stands 17th of 34 drivers. The last race for this year is September 9 at Chicagoland Speedway *     *     * Sarah started 18th at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma and finished 17th leaving the race on lap 28 of 80 with mechanical problems. She currently stands 17th of 34 drivers. The next race is The Raceway at Belle Isle, Streets of Detroit, MI *     *     * Sarah is gridded 18th for tomorrow's race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. *     *     * Sarah, gridded 14th at Kentucky Speedway finished in 14th. Standing to date is still17th overall. Infineon Raceway in Sonoma is next *      *      * Sarah, gridded 16th at Michigan International and crashed ending in 16th, her first DNF of the season. Standing to date is 17th overall. Kentucky Speedway is next. *      *      * Sarah, gridded 17th at Mid-Ohio, finished 15th. SHe's still 16th of 34 in over standings. *      *      * Sarah was gridded 17th at Nashville and finished 15. She's currently 16th in the standings. *      *      * Sarah started 18th at Watkins Glen and finished in 16th. She's currently 16th in overall standings. Nashville at night is next. *      *      * Sarah started 16th at Richmond and finished in 16th and is 16th in the standings for the year. *      *      * Sarah got her second top 10 finish in as many races at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 finishing 7th. After 8 races, she has finished every one. In those races she has 1-18th, 1-15th, 2-14ths, 1-12th, 1-11th, 1-10th and 1-7th place finish. *      *      * Sarah started 18th and finished in the top 10 at 10th at the Texas Motor Speedway. *     *     * Sarah started 16th at the Milwaukee Mile and finished 14th. Her equipment just isn't competitive. *     *     * Sarah finished 18th in this year's Indy 500. *     *     * Sarah will be gridded 21st of the 33rd cars scheduled to race the 2007 Indianapolis 500. *     *     * Sarah gridded 18 at the Streets of St. Petersburg Indy Car race April 1, 2007 and finished 15th. Next stop Motegi, Japan 4/21. *     *     * Sarah gridded 8th at Homestead, 6 places in front of Danica Patrick. She finished in 11th, 3 places in front of Danica, though Danica did hit the wall entering pit lane on lap 155. *     *     * Fisher, 26, will run all but the five street/road races on the IRL's 2007 17-race schedule. *     *     * ESPN reports that Sarah Fisher will turn 3 years old on May 15th, 2007. sports.espn.go.com/rpm/driver?seriesId=1&driverId=46 *    *    *   Fisher appears in 18 month Women in the Winner's Circle 2007 calendar along with 17 other women throughout the motorsports field. *     *     * The RoboPong.com 200 Endurance Go-Kart race saw the Conlin sisters and teammate Lynsey Tilton finish 16th, one spot behind Tomas Scheckter (15th) and ahead of Heather Bloyd (26th), Sarah Fisher (31st), Katherine Legge (31), Dan Weldom (34), and Scott Dixon (35). *      *     * Sarah starter 16th, next to Danica Patrick, with a qualifying time of 210.940 and finished 16th in the final race of the season at Chicagoland Raceway to keep her 25th place overall standing (out of 40 drivers) for 2006. Maybe next year. *      *     * Nineteen cars started the Kentucky Speedward race. Not having driven an IndyCar since 2004, Sarah qualified 12th, sitting on the outside of row six next to Danica Patrick. She qualified with a 215.061, or .395 mph behind Danica. She ran a very steady race and finished in 12th. Of 39 drivers who have competed in the IndyCar series this year, Sarah stands 25th with only one race. You'll be able to see her next in the final race September 10 at Chicagoland Speedway . *     *     * Sarah Fisher, the first womean to win the pole in a major auto racing series, will make her first IndyCar start since 2004 in the August 13 Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. It's a one-race deal which she hopes will lead to a full-time ride in the IRL. Fisher, 25, won the pole at Kentucky in 2002 and still holds the track record in qualifying at 221.390 mph. Rahal Letterman's Danica Patrick became the second woman to win a pole, earning three last season, but Fisher's second place at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2000 and third at Kentucky Speedway in 2001 are still the two best finishes by a woman in Indy-car racing. See a comparison here. Sarah Fisher comments on Kansas Speedway It all comes down to getting ready for Indianapolis. "The date change is exciting to me. It grants us another weekend to focus on our on-track product before the month of May. Besides that, it allows another weekend besides the Japan race for pre-May testing for drivers who are only going to be at Indy." Crocker, Fisher could be NASCAR's Danica Chris from Latham, N.Y.: Who will be NASCAR's Danica Patrick and become the best female stock-car driver in the future? Larry McReynolds: It doesn't matter if you're a woman or a man, you're only as good as the equipment that you're in. Uunfortunately a lot of the women who have been in NASCAR have not had top-notch equipment. But two names to watch closely are Erin Crocker and Sarah Fisher. Crocker is a developmental driver for Ray Evernham who will put her in some Busch races this season. She's running some ARCA races right now. She sat on the pole at Nashville and ran right up front. And she's in top-notch equipment. An open-wheel driver like Patrick, Fisher was signed by Richard Childress, and she's running races on the West Coast for Bill McAnally. I'm sure Childress has plans of moving her to the East Coast and running her in some ARCA and Busch races. But whether you're a man or a woman, and whether you weigh 150 pounds or 250 pounds, you're only going to be as good as the equipment you're in. FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com. Source: msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/3654284 Background Sarah, 25, started racing in midgets just a couple of years ago in the USA and was an. established IRL front runner. She once started an IRL IndyCar race from pole position. In 2005, she seemingly fell out with the Indy Racing League and has pledged her long-term racing future to NASCAR. She signed an 11-race deal to drive for Bill McAnally Racing in the West Series in 2005. Sarah Fisher — Voted "Most Popular Driver" in each of her three years as an Indy Racing League regular (see "Open-Wheel Racing, below), Fisher (24) is making the switch to NASCAR. 10/24 - Sarah 24 Sarah Fisher was born to win and is determined to compete against the very best in auto racing. At just 25 years old, she has already competed in five consecutive seasons in the IRL IndyCar Series and now is a new member of the Drive for Diversity program, driving the No. 20 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for the Bill McAnally Racing/Richard Childress Racing Development Program in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series in 2005. Her commitment to excellence has made her one of racing's most admired figures among fans and drivers alike. Sarah was voted the IRL IndyCar Series Most Popular Driver for three straight years from 2001-2003 and was also voted the most popular driver in the NASCAR Grand National Divison, West Series in 2005. In 1999, after a successful season competing in three different midget car series, where she picked up two track records and five feature wins, Sarah set her sights on the Indy Racing League. At the time, she was the youngest person ever to pass the Indy Racing League Rookie Test and went on to race in her first IRL IndyCar Series event later that year at Texas Motor Speedway starting 17th and finishing 25th due to a timing chain failure that ended her day at lap 66. The following season, Sarah drove for open-wheel veteran Derrick Walker's IRL IndyCar Series team and also ran eight races in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series. In May 2000, she became just the third woman and one of the youngest drivers ever to compete in the world's greatest race – the Indianapolis 500. Later in the season, Sarah made history yet again at Kentucky Speedway, becoming the youngest person to lead laps during an IRL IndyCar event and the youngest woman to ever stand on a podium with her third-place finish in that event. In 2001, Sarah claimed a second-place finish at the IRL's inaugural race at Homestead Miami Speedway the best result ever by a woman in Indy-style racing. Sarah was hired by Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in early 2002 to drive the #24 Purex/Aventis car in place of injured driver Robbie Buhl for the IndyCar Series contest at Nazareth Speedway, finishing fourth. Based on this finish, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing formed a second team around Sarah for the 2002 season. That May, she became the fastest woman qualifier ever for the Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average speed of 229-plus miles per hour. A few months later, Sarah became the first woman to ever qualify fastest for a major North American open-wheel event capturing the pole and setting a new track record at Kentucky Speedway. She led the first 26 laps of the race and finished eighth. Despite competing in 10 of 15 races, Sarah tied her career best finish in the IndyCar Series Championship finishing 18th in the point standings. After her IRL IndyCar career ended with a 21st finish at the 2004 Indianapolis 500 driving for Kelley Racing, Fisher set her sights on a future in Stock Car Racing. She attended a Chevrolet function in Washington, D.C., in 2004 and chatted with Childress about racing in cars with fenders. What started as a casual conversation wound up turning into a three-year contract. Fisher began driving for team owner Bill McAnally in late 2004 under Childress' guidance. Sarah made her NASCAR debut in October of 2004 with Bill McAnally Racing in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. Fisher qualified 14th but, during the race, was forced to give up her position in the 28-car field to fix an inoperative radio. Even though she started last, she worked her way into ninth place before car problems beset her, and the crew pushed it into the garage on Lap 120. She finished 21st. Sarah captured four top-ten finishes in her first full season in the NASCAR West Series. She finished the season running in 12th in the chase for the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series title which made her eligible to compete in the 3rd Annual NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway. She finished 11th in that race. Sarah Fisher was born in Columbus, Ohio on October 4, 1980. She was exposed to life at the track at an early age. Her parents would take young Sarah to the track to watch her father drive sprint cars. Sarah's first racing experience came as a 5 year-old when her parents fitted her for her first race car – a quarter-midget. She raced quarter-midgets and go-karts until she was a teenager, winning the 1991, 93 & 94 World Karting Association Grand National Championships, the 1993 Circleville Points Championship and the 1994 WKA Grand National Championship. By the time she was 15, Sarah was racing Winged Outlaw Sprint cars winning the 1995 Dirt Track Racing Round-Up Rookie of the Year. She had a very successful career racing Outlaw Sprint cars. In 1997, she was named to the 62-race All-Stars Circuit of Champions series, earning a second place finish at Eldora Speedway. In 1998, Sarah and her father and then-crew chief Dave sought out new challenges in the world of asphalt midget racing. Sarah raced in ARCA, NAMARS and USAC sanctioned events, a competitive schedule that helped prepare her for life in the IRL. Sarah's achievement on the track is only eclipsed by her performance in the classroom. Education has always played an important role in her life. Her parents Dave and Reba both hold bachelors degrees from Ohio State University. Reba is a middle-school teacher and Dave puts his Mechanical Engineering degree to work in the family business, Fisher Fabrication. Sarah graduated seventh in her class with honors and a 4.178 grade point average from Teays High School in 1999. She attends college on a part-time basis Pursuing business undergraduate degree in marketing. Sarah has been a guest or profiled on a variety of television programs including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live with Regis and Kelly, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Good Morning America, and CBS This Morning. She has also appeared in the pages of People, Teen People, Cosmo Girl, Seventeen, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Sports Illustrated and many other magazines. Sarah has also been the subject of features stories in USA Today, The Washington Post, New York Post, and other major U.S. newspapers. Her father, Dave, was her crew during her formative racing years. One of the things she loves is spending time with fans. *     *     * In 2000, Fisher became the third woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500. She went on to become the first female to earn a pole position and is the fastest woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average of 229.439 mph. *     *     * At just 25 years old, she has already competed in five Indianapolis 500’s and been voted the Most Popular Driver four times in two separate series. In 2005, she was part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, piloting the No. 20 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for the Bill McAnally Racing/Richard Childress Racing Development Program in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series, and capturing four top-ten finishes. Fisher made her first appearance in the IndyCar Series back in 1999 for Derrick Walker, making her the youngest person ever to pass the IndyCar Series Rookie test. In 2000, she became just the third woman and one of the youngest drivers ever to compete in the world's greatest race – the Indianapolis 500. Sarah continued to make history that year at Kentucky Speedway, becoming the youngest person to lead laps during an IndyCar Series event and the youngest woman to ever stand on a podium with her third-place finish in that event. In 2001, Sarah claimed a second-place finish at the IndyCar Series inaugural race at Homestead Miami Speedway, the best result ever by a woman in Indy-style racing. In 2002, Sarah became the first woman to ever qualify fastest for a major North American open-wheel event capturing the pole and setting a new track record at Kentucky Speedway. Fisher raced quarter-midgets and go-karts until she was a teenager, winning the 1991, 1993 & 1994 World Karting Association Grand National Championships, the 1993 Circleville Points Championship and the 1994 WKA Grand National Championship. By age 15, Sarah was racing Winged Outlaw Sprint cars winning the 1995 Dirt Track Racing Round-Up Rookie of the Year. Sarah has been a guest or profiled on a variety of television programs including, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live with Regis and Kelly, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Good Morning America, and CBS This Morning. She has also appeared in the pages of People, Teen People, Cosmo Girl, Seventeen, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Sports Illustrated and many other magazines. Sarah currently resides in Indianapolis with her fiancé, Andy, and their chocolate lab, Wrigley. Bio Name: Sarah Marie Fisher Nationality: American Birth Date: 10/4/80, Columbus, OH Marital Status: Engaged Hometown: Commercial Point, OH Residence: Indianapolis, IN Weight: 120lbs. Height: 5'2" Racing Series: 2006: IRL IndyCar Series | 2005: NASCAR West | 1999-2004: IRL IndyCar Series. Raced the Indy 500 in 2000 and 2002.Voted IRL's most popular driver in 2001. Pursuing business undergraduate degree in marketing through Ellis College Enjoys 125cc shifter karting Spends her spare time renovating her house and tubing with friends One Dog, Wrigley Favorite country: Italy Favorite book: Still Wide Open by Brad Doty and Dave Argabright Favorite track is Texas Motor Speedway Racing hero is Dave Blaney Her father, Dave, was her crew during her formative racing years Loves to shop, favorite store is Prada, favorite food is mac and cheese, likes rap and rhythm-and-blues music Eats pasta and protein the night before a race and strawberries just before a race. Superstitious about making sure there are 9 living goldfish in her fish tank Sarah's Official Website first launched in 1996 Sarah's favorite word is "Kinko!" Sarah has won the "Most Popular Driver Award" four times Loves spending time with fans Fast Facts Sarah Fisher is making her second appearance in IndyCar racing for the 2006 season; 50th career start Sarah Fisher's best start at Chicagoland Speedway is 12th and came in 2002. Her best finish is 18th and came in 2003 This will be Sarah Fisher's fourth (4th) start at ChicagoLand Speedway Sarah Fisher has a career best finish of 2nd at Homestead-Miami Speedway and came in 2001; This is the highest finishing position of any female driver prior to 2008. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is 15th in the point's standings going into the Meijer Indy 300 with 232 points. Dreyer & Reinbold's best start at ChicagoLand Speedway is fourth (4th) with Robbie Buhl in 2001 Dreyer & Reinbold's best finish at ChicagoLand Speedway is eighth (8th) with Felipe Gaffone in 2004 Did you know: Sarah has been mentoring her fiancé's little brother, Kyle, to race go-carts. Did you know: Sarah had a private test at ChicagoLand Speedway on Thursday, August 31, 2006 Did you know: Sarah is providing an athletic diary for ESPN.com each week. Check her website for the latest entry Did you know: Sarah turns 26 on October 4, 2006. She started racing IndyCars when she was just 19 years old Sarah Fisher will visit the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago on Friday, September 8, 2006 at 10 a.m. She will appear on behalf of Racing for Kids at the Chicago, Illinois location. Fisher will pose for pictures with the kids and the IndyCar show car, sign autographs and hand out Racing for Kids baseball caps Sarah has a new sponsor for the ChicagoLand Race. Zion High Resolution Lenses, a San Diego, Ca-based company will be the primary sponsor of her No. 5 car. www.izonlenses.com A Real Page Turner Sarah Fisher wasn't running in circles solely on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May. As owner of Sarah Fisher Racing, she was plenty busy addressing the myriad of daily details and attempting to attract additional sponsorship for the program. As the No. 67 car was rolled to the grid for the 92nd Indianapolis 500, everything was looking bright. Fisher was starting 22nd and the car had received sponsorship from individuals, a Hollywood couple, a local college and a start-up Internet company. Her day ended in Turn 3 just past the halfway mark of the 200-lap race. The first-year team's lone chassis was in a heap in the garage area and the team owner/driver/marketer unleashed a flood of emotions caught on TV. "We collected everything, went back to the shop and did a survey of what all the damages were," said Fisher, who recently sent "thank you" notes and a small piece of the car to individuals who made monetary contributions to the program. "The car is out being fixed right now. It's a rebuilding process, but we didn't like some things about it so this way we get to rebuild it a little different so that's the positive of it. Certainly we're looking forward to the future. We want to build this thing to be even bigger than it was at the Indy 500. We think we did a great job. We had an escalating month and that's a very difficult thing to do as a first-year team. "Hopefully we can make it to Kentucky. That's the goal." Source: www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=11841 Decade of change Sarah Fisher humbly acknowledged the extended applause of tens of thousands of spectators during driver introductions on a seasonably warm October afternoon in 1999. Pretty heady stuff for someone all of 19 years, 13 days old. "What a birthday present," said Fisher, who made her IndyCar Series debut at the track in a Team Pelfrey car as a teammate to Robby Unser. "We were pretty competitive (qualifying 17th) and were running really well. That was back when they had timing chains. The timing chain broke and that's what put us out (finishing 25th). It was neat; we were so well-received and (track president) Eddie Gossage was wonderful to us. It was a just a great track to come to." Click it: Sarah Fisher bio, stats and more It still is. A decade later, Fisher returned to the 1.5-mile, high-banked oval to compete in the Bombardier Learjet 550k in the No. 67 Dollar General entry for her namesake team, Sarah Fisher Racing. Pretty heady stuff. "I never dreamed, when I made my first IndyCar Series start at TMS 10 years ago that I would return one day as a team owner," said Fisher, whose best finish in nine races at the track is 10th in 2007. "I'm looking to put a good finish on the books at TMS and I'm confident that I'll be going there in one of the better race cars I've ever been in." That wouldn't refer to the No. 48 Mead/Team Pelfrey Oldsmobile Aurora-powered Dallara, though Fisher is too diplomatic to say it. "Dale Pelfrey at the time was following in the footsteps of Tony George's mission statement of having short track drivers having the opportunity to race these cars," Fisher said. "At the time, he was based in Dayton, Ohio, and was close to Winchester (Speedway). It just so happened that I set the new track record at Winchester. I was doing really well in midgets and he caught wind of that. He called me and said, 'Would you want to take a (IndyCar Series) rookie test?' I was so excited. "We went to Colorado with the midgets to race and then went straight to Vegas to take my rookie test (in August). We did really well. My dad said if we're going to go racing we need to go testing because we just can't go to the IndyCar Series from the midget world. So we came (to Texas Motor Speedway) and tested and did reasonably well. Everything seemed to pull together and Mead paper followed me from sprint cars to midgets to IndyCars. "From there, Derek Walker saw what was going on and I met with him before the Texas race. He said, 'We're going to keep an eye on you.' They were thinking about going to the IndyCar Series (from CART). He was impressed and said, 'We're going to press the trigger' and try to sell sponsorship. It was kind of a whirlwind from there. To have that break was pretty big." Fisher kicked off the 2000 season with Walker Racing with a 13th place at Phoenix International Raceway, advancing eight positions. In the interim, Fisher has made 69 starts. In 2008, she formed Sarah Fisher Racing (with husband Andy O'Gara and extended family of hands-on and moral support). A modest program in the first season has expanded to six races this year. Pretty heady stuff. "For me to come back here in our second year is great," said Fisher, who participated in part of the media advance for the race weekend by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at A Triple-A baseball game in Oklahoma City and greeting fans (among other stops). "I wanted to come back last year, but we were struggling so much that there was no way. "Dollar General helping us get to Texas has really been a testament to how much this small team has grown in just our second year of existence. We doubled the number of races we competed in last year. For a small company like ours to see one hundred percent growth in this kind of economy is truly humbling, and we have an amazing family of partners backing us up all the way." On a warm June evening at Texas Motor Speedway, Fisher will humbly accept the applause of tens of thousands of spectators before climbing into the No. 67 Dollar General car that she'll contest in the Bombardier Learjet 550k. Some things don't change Source: www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=14250  *     *     * WomenInRacing.org | Contact Us ©1996-2023 by Gordon Clay