Jump to content

Sarah Fisher: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
Rescuing 1 sources, flagging 0 as dead, and archiving 6 sources. #IABot
Line 108: Line 108:


===2008 IndyCar Series===
===2008 IndyCar Series===
On January 27, 2008, Fisher announced the introduction of her own team, [[Sarah Fisher Racing]]. The team, run in tandem with her husband Andy O'Gara and father-in-law John O'Gara, made its IndyCar Series debut in May at the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. The squad was supported by the Indy 500's first two female participants, Janet Guthrie and Lyn St. James. The car featured the number 67, a number Fisher used during her career in midgets and non-wing sprint cars.<ref>[http://www.autoracingdaily.com/article/sarah-fisher-plans-own-indycar-team/ Sarah Fisher Plans Own Indycar Team], ''Auto Racing Daily'', February 28, 2008</ref> After having trouble with the first announced sponsor [[Gravity Entertainment]] failing to fulfill contractual obligations, while apparently misusing the trademark [[RESQ]], Sarah Fisher racing announced that they had inked a last minute deal with tex4cars.com to serve as the primary sponsor along with downtown Indianapolis college [[IUPUI]].<ref>[http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=11343/ Indycar.com Press Release]{{dead link|date=April 2014}}</ref><ref>[http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805140494/ Indianapolis Star article]{{dead link|date=April 2014}}</ref> The Indianapolis Star revealed that Sarah Fisher and her husband had mortgaged their home to compete in the 2008 Indy 500. Additionally, [[Catalyst PDG, Inc.]], an Indianapolis-based product development company, joined SFR as an associate sponsor.
On January 27, 2008, Fisher announced the introduction of her own team, [[Sarah Fisher Racing]]. The team, run in tandem with her husband Andy O'Gara and father-in-law John O'Gara, made its IndyCar Series debut in May at the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. The squad was supported by the Indy 500's first two female participants, Janet Guthrie and Lyn St. James. The car featured the number 67, a number Fisher used during her career in midgets and non-wing sprint cars.<ref>[http://www.autoracingdaily.com/article/sarah-fisher-plans-own-indycar-team/ Sarah Fisher Plans Own Indycar Team], ''Auto Racing Daily'', February 28, 2008</ref> After having trouble with the first announced sponsor [[Gravity Entertainment]] failing to fulfill contractual obligations, while apparently misusing the trademark [[RESQ]], Sarah Fisher racing announced that they had inked a last minute deal with tex4cars.com to serve as the primary sponsor along with downtown Indianapolis college [[IUPUI]].<ref>[http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=11343/ Indycar.com Press Release] {{wayback|url=http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=11343/ |date=20110605143644 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805140494/ Indianapolis Star article]{{dead link|date=April 2014}}</ref> The Indianapolis Star revealed that Sarah Fisher and her husband had mortgaged their home to compete in the 2008 Indy 500. Additionally, [[Catalyst PDG, Inc.]], an Indianapolis-based product development company, joined SFR as an associate sponsor.


In the 92nd running of the [[Indianapolis 500]], Fisher was taken out of the race when [[Tony Kanaan]] spun in front of her on Lap 106, ending her seventh attempt at the checkered flag. She became just the second female owner/driver, the first being [[Janet Guthrie]], to compete in the race and tied [[Lyn St. James]] for the most number of starts for a woman at seven apiece. After she was knocked from the field, a highly emotional Fisher told [[ESPN]]'s [[Jamie Little]] that she was unsure if they would have the money to compete at the two additional races they had planned to compete at, Kentucky and Chicagoland Speedway's, due to [[Gravity Entertainment]] failing to make payment on sponsorship dollars.
In the 92nd running of the [[Indianapolis 500]], Fisher was taken out of the race when [[Tony Kanaan]] spun in front of her on Lap 106, ending her seventh attempt at the checkered flag. She became just the second female owner/driver, the first being [[Janet Guthrie]], to compete in the race and tied [[Lyn St. James]] for the most number of starts for a woman at seven apiece. After she was knocked from the field, a highly emotional Fisher told [[ESPN]]'s [[Jamie Little]] that she was unsure if they would have the money to compete at the two additional races they had planned to compete at, Kentucky and Chicagoland Speedway's, due to [[Gravity Entertainment]] failing to make payment on sponsorship dollars.

Revision as of 10:37, 10 January 2016

Sarah Fisher
NationalityAmerican
Born (1980-10-04) October 4, 1980 (age 44)
Columbus, Ohio, United States
IRL IndyCar Series career
Debut season1999
Former teamsSarah Fisher Racing
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Kelley Racing
Walker Racing
Team Pelfrey
Starts81
Wins0
Poles1
Best finish17th in 2007
Previous series
2004 - 2005NASCAR West Series
Championship titles
1990WKA Grand National Championship
Awards
1991
1992
1993
1993
1994
1995
2001
2002
2003
2005
2009
2009
WKA Grand Nat'l Championship
WKA Grand Nat'l Championship
WKA Grand Nat'l Championship
Circleville Points Championship
WKA Grand Nat'l Championship
Dirt Track Rookie of the Year
IndyCar Most Popular Driver
IndyCar Most Popular Driver
IndyCar Most Popular Driver
NASCAR West Most Popular Driver
Scott Brayton Driver's trophy for the Indy 500
Firestone Tireiffic Award

Sarah Marie Fisher (born October 4, 1980) is a retired American professional racecar driver who competed in the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500. Born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in Commercial Point, Ohio, Fisher runs Sarah Fisher Racing, which she started in 2008, becoming the first and only female team owner and the youngest owner in the IndyCar Series, as well as the first female team owner to win an IndyCar Series race. In 2010, she competed in her ninth and final Indy 500, marking the most number of starts for a woman in the 94-year history of the event. Her first book, 99 Things Women Wish They knew Before Getting Behind The Wheel of Their Dream Job, was released in May 2010.

Records

Sarah became the youngest woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500 at age 19 in 2000. She was also the third woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500 behind Janet Guthrie and Lyn St. James. That same year, she became the first woman to stand on the podium (1st, 2nd, or 3rd-place finish) with her third-place finish at Kentucky Speedway. In 2001, she became the first woman to run a full IndyCar Series schedule. During that season, she became the first woman to finish runner-up in a major-league open-wheel race when she placed second at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

In 2002, she not only became the first woman in North American motorsports history to win the pole position for a major-league open-wheel race, doing so at Kentucky Speedway, but set the track qualifying record there when she won the pole position with a qualifying speed of 221.390 mph (lap time of 24.0661 seconds), a record that still holds.

Fisher made history by becoming the first female driver in the 21st century to drive a Formula One car when testing in 2002 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; a test arranged by her personal sponsor, TAG Heuer. In 2003, she set the record as the fastest woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average of 229.439 mph (369.246 km/h).

She has won the Most Popular Driver (MPD) award three consecutive times (2001–2003) in the IndyCar Series, an award she also won later while competing in the NASCAR West Series (2005).

She holds the record for the most number of starts by a female in the history of the Indy 500 (with nine), the most starts of any female in IndyCar Series history (69 as of August 9, 2008) and has the most career earnings for a female in IndyCar Series history ($3,413,600 as of August 9, 2008).

Sarah Fisher became the first female owner/driver in IndyCar Series history in 2008 and is the second female owner/driver in the Indy 500 after Janet Guthrie.

Racing career

Sarah Fisher's quarter midget race car, displayed at the 2007 Indianapolis 500

As a child, she raced quarter midgets and 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. From 1995–99, she raced in the sprint car and midget ranks, winning the 1995 Dirt Track Racing Round-Up Rookie of the Year award. She had a very successful career racing in the World of Outlaws. In 1997, she was named to the 62-race All-Stars Circuit of Champions series, earning a second-place finish at Eldora Speedway. She held the track record at historic Winchester Speedway until it was broken by current NASCAR driver, Ryan Newman.

In 2000, Fisher and her father and then-crew chief, Dave Fisher, sought new challenges in the world of asphalt racing. She raced in ARCA, NAMARS and USAC sanctioned events, a competitive schedule that helped prepare her for life in the IRL IndyCar Series.

1999 IndyCar Series

In 1999, after a successful season competing in three different midget car series, where she picked up two track records and five feature wins, Fisher set her sights on the IndyCar Series. At the time, she was the youngest person ever to pass the IndyCar Series Rookie Test in August at Las Vegas and went on to race in her first 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.

2000 IndyCar Series

The following season, Fisher drove for open-wheel veteran Derrick Walker's IndyCar Series team, Walker Racing, running eight races in the IndyCar Series. In May 2000, she became just the third woman, following Janet Guthrie and Lyn St. James, and one of the youngest drivers ever to compete in the Indianapolis 500, starting 19th and finishing 31st after an accident with Lyn St. James. Later in the season, she made history again 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 after starting fourth.

With sponsorship from Kroger and associates, Gain, Olay, Always, Pantene, Mead, Lexmark, Iams, Bounty, Folgers and Crest, Walker Racing earned an Advertising Age Marketing 100 award for its Sarah Fisher Kroger sponsorship campaign which generated over $44 Million in off-track media surrounding the Indy 500 and produced over 195 million off-track impressions in 45 days according to Joyce Julius and Associates.

2001 IndyCar Series

In 2001, Fisher 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 until Danica Patrick claimed victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300. She earned two top-10 finishes in her second year with Walker Racing. In her second Indianapolis 500, she started 15th and finished 31st, because of an accident on Lap 7 with Canadian Scott Goodyear. She was voted the IRL Crew Most Popular Driver in crew and fan balloting throughout the season.

2002 IndyCar Series

Fisher began the season without a ride after requesting to be released from her three-year contract with Walker Racing, as Derrick Walker's IndyCar Series team was heading back to the Champ Car World Series. She substituted for the injured Robbie Buhl at Nazareth Speedway which was her first race of the2002 season. She started in the #24 Purex/Aventis car in the 19th position and finished fourth for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, her best finish that season.

Fisher teamed with Buhl at the Indianapolis 500 in a second Dreyer & Reinbold Racing entry. She qualified ninth, posting the fastest four-lap average speed of 229-plus miles per hour by a woman in Indianapolis 500 history. She finished 24th in her third start at Indy.

From her solid runs at Nazareth and Indy, Fisher was hired for the remainder of the 2002 season with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing as a teammate to Buhl for the final eight races of the season, starting with SunTrust Indy Challenge in June at Richmond International Raceway. Later that year, she became the first woman in North American motorsports history to win the pole position for a major-league open-wheel race, earning the MBNA Pole for the Belterra Casino Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway. She led the first 26 laps and finished eighth. As the season went on, she continued to run up front and lead Laps 185 and 187–189 at Michigan before falling to eighth place at finish, the first woman driver to take the contested lead in any Indy car race. Despite competing in 10 of 15 races, she tied her career best finish in the IndyCar Series Championship finishing 18th in the point standings. At the end of the season, she was voted the IndyCar Series Most Popular Driver for the second consecutive year.

She was given the chance to drive a McLaren Formula One car that year, around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-course, in between Friday practice sessions for the 2002 United States Grand Prix on September 29.

2003 IndyCar Series

The 2003 season started with uncertainty as Dreyer & Reinbold Racing struggled to fund a second entry for Sarah Fisher, after Robbie Buhl was funded by Purex for the 2003 season. A last minute deal was inked to run Fisher at Homestead-Miami Speedway after WeGotGear signed on board for the one-race deal. GM Upromise and Raybestos Brand Brakes stepped up to fund Fisher's Phoenix International Raceway entry, where she finished eighth.

For the 87th Indianapolis 500, Fisher was funded by AOL, Checkers/Rally's, Raybestos, ATA and TAG Heuer. Fisher started 24th and finished 31st, completing only 14 laps before making contact with the Turn 3 wall after engine problems plagued her day. She was without radio communication from her crew during the race. She ended the season 18th in the standings in her second season with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Despite her struggle on the track, her fans stuck by her side and voted her the IndyCar Series Most Popular Driver for the third consecutive year.

2004 IndyCar Series

On February 24, 2004, it was announced that Sarah Fisher would drive for Kelley Racing in the 88th Indianapolis 500. Fisher started 19th and finished 21st for Kelley Racing. She completed 177 laps, of 180 laps run, in the rain-shortened race won by Buddy Rice.

2004 NASCAR West Series

After Fisher was unable to convince sponsors to fund her IndyCar Series efforts, and unable to get out of her contract with uncompetitive Kelly Racing, sponsors stood in line to fund a NASCAR effort. Bill McAnally Racing signed Fisher to the a three-year contract the first of which she would compete under the radar in the NASCAR West Series. McAnally, a veteran car owner in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series with three consecutive series championships (1999, 2000 and 2001) to his credit. She made her stock car debut in the race at Phoenix International Raceway on October 3. she drove the No. 20 NASCAR Select by NAPA Filters Chevrolet in the Subway 150. Fisher will join BMR at Phoenix as a teammate to Austin Cameron, who was second in the championship standings at that time. The event was the 10th in a 13-race schedule for the series that year. 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.

2005 NASCAR West Series

In 2005, Fisher captured four top-ten finishes in her first full season in the NASCAR West Series in 2005, capturing the stock car racing series' Rookie of the Year title. She finished the season running in 12th in the chase for the NASCAR Camping World 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 the race. She was voted the Most Popular Driver in that series, making her a four-time Most Popular Driver Award winner.

2006 IndyCar Series

After Fisher was unable to put together a full NASCAR program, Fisher decided to move back to Indianapolis and refresh her name in the IndyCar Series and prepare for a full-time 2007 program. Though her desire to run the 2006 Indianapolis 500 went unfulfilled, she participated in a match race at Stafford Speedway in Connecticut on July 11, 2006. This marked Fisher's first race in 9 months.

On August 3, 2006 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing gave Fisher a new opportunity when she landed a two race deal to drive in the August 13 race at Kentucky Speedway and in the September 10 race at Chicagoland Speedway. With the entry of Danica Patrick for the race, it marked only the second time two women have competed in the same IRL race. The first time was the 2000 Indianapolis 500 where both Fisher and Lyn St. James competed. Fisher finished in 12th place, out of 19 cars, at Kentucky and 16th at Chicago for the low-budget Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team.

2007 IndyCar Series

Sarah Fisher after qualifying for the 2007 Indianapolis 500
Practicing for the 2007 Indy 500

On January 30, 2007, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing announced that they had signed Fisher to drive for the full season along with new teammate 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner, Buddy Rice.

Fisher qualified eighth and finished 11th for the season-opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 24, 2007. She placed 15th in her first ever road-course race of her racing career at the Streets of St. Petersburg race the following weekend.

Fisher qualified for her sixth Indianapolis 500 on May 13, 2007. After starting on the outside of Row 7, she finished in 18th place after struggling for much of the race, seven positions ahead of her teammate Buddy Rice. Along with Danica Patrick and Milka Duno, Fisher made "500" history by being part of the first trio of women drivers to start at Indy. On May 12, 2007, the first photograph featuring Fisher, Patrick and Duno surfaced out of Gasoline Alley which also included former racer Lyn St. James and tennis legend Billie Jean King on the yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

During the 2007 season, Fisher's best qualifying effort was eighth at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 23, 2007, and her best finish was seventh at Iowa Speedway on June 24, 2007. After the final race of the season, Fisher said, “You know, it was a tough year for us. We never quite got it together to be competitive, week in and week out. We never quite established a means of communication between my engineer and I, and that's critical for success. I would really like to thank the crew for their dedication and hard work they offered throughout this tough year. Despite the ups and downs, I’m looking forward to my wedding this next weekend. I have really enjoyed returning to IndyCar racing this year. And with that, I’m looking forward to 2008.”

According to an article posted in the New York Times, Fisher looked at 2007 as an opportunity to resurrect her career, and the IndyCar Series buzzed about a potential rivalry with Danica Patrick. Instead, Fisher's team, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing struggled to find a package that put her and her teammate Buddy Rice near the front of the pack. Fisher went on, “We’re not getting the most of what we can out of a two-car team at the end of the day, and I wish we could. I don’t know what to change to fix that and I wouldn’t even say if I did know. It’s just not working as healthfully as I thought it would, and that disappoints me. I can only help to a certain extent to what the car is doing and what I would rather it do, and then they’ve got to take it from there,” she said. Fellow IndyCar Series competitor, Helio Castroneves, noted, “She’s got a lot of attention, a lot of fans. She is a talent, she’s fast. Right now I just feel her car is not very competitive."[1]

After a season-long slide co-piloted by her teammate, Buddy Rice, Fisher's 2007 racing struggles have not hurt her relationship with her crew Chief, Andy O'Gara, whom she married on September 15, 2007. Fisher called the wedding, “the bright light at the end of the tunnel” in an otherwise disappointing season. Her husband, Andy O'Gara, along with the Team Manager for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (her father-in-law/Andy O'Gara's father) and her-then agent/manager Klint Briney all resigned from Dreyer & Reinbold Racing at the end of the 2007 season.

Published reports began to surface at the end of September 2007, stating that Fisher might start her own race team. Along with her teammate Buddy Rice, both were signed to a one-year contract at the struggling Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the 2007 racing season. Fisher told the Indianapolis Star it wasn't likely she would return to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and that she would consider starting her own team if it could be done right. "We said we'd talk about an opportunity if there was one, but there's none right now," she said of her attempts to find the funds to remain at D&R. "There are people interested in selling [the Sarah Fisher Racing] story but, again, it depends on sponsorships."[2]

Sports Illustrated named Fisher in their Top 10 Female Race Car Drivers in the World in 2007.

2008 IndyCar Series

On January 27, 2008, Fisher announced the introduction of her own team, Sarah Fisher Racing. The team, run in tandem with her husband Andy O'Gara and father-in-law John O'Gara, made its IndyCar Series debut in May at the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. The squad was supported by the Indy 500's first two female participants, Janet Guthrie and Lyn St. James. The car featured the number 67, a number Fisher used during her career in midgets and non-wing sprint cars.[3] After having trouble with the first announced sponsor Gravity Entertainment failing to fulfill contractual obligations, while apparently misusing the trademark RESQ, Sarah Fisher racing announced that they had inked a last minute deal with tex4cars.com to serve as the primary sponsor along with downtown Indianapolis college IUPUI.[4][5] The Indianapolis Star revealed that Sarah Fisher and her husband had mortgaged their home to compete in the 2008 Indy 500. Additionally, Catalyst PDG, Inc., an Indianapolis-based product development company, joined SFR as an associate sponsor.

In the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500, Fisher was taken out of the race when Tony Kanaan spun in front of her on Lap 106, ending her seventh attempt at the checkered flag. She became just the second female owner/driver, the first being Janet Guthrie, to compete in the race and tied Lyn St. James for the most number of starts for a woman at seven apiece. After she was knocked from the field, a highly emotional Fisher told ESPN's Jamie Little that she was unsure if they would have the money to compete at the two additional races they had planned to compete at, Kentucky and Chicagoland Speedway's, due to Gravity Entertainment failing to make payment on sponsorship dollars.

On Wednesday, July 16, 2008, it was announced that the Dollar General Corporation would serve as Fisher's primary sponsor at Kentucky Speedway on August 9, 2008 and Chicagoland Speedway on September 7, 2008. The effort was also funded by associate sponsors, Arm & Hammer, Lysol, Slim Jim, Clorox, Reese's, Band-Aid, Craft and Colgate. This handful of sponsors joined AAA Hoosier Insurance, TAG Heuer, Direct Supply and Hartman Oil in sponsoring Fisher.[6]

Fisher tested at Kentucky Speedway on July 31 and August 1, 2008, her first appearance back on the race track since the 2008 Indy 500 on May 25, 2008. She turned 300 flawless miles around the track where she owns the track record in preparation for the race on August 9. She qualified 16th for the race at Kentucky Speedway on August 8, 2008, ran as high as 10th in the race and was running 11th when on the final lap of the race, while running side-by-side with Danica Patrick, her right rear suspension broke, sending her coasting to the finish line and losing four positions to finish 15th.

Fisher returned to the track at Chicagoland Speedway on September 7, 2008, when she qualified 19th for the PEAK Indy 300. She ran as high as 13th in the race before a right-rear shock broke on her car on Lap 118 sending her into the Turn 4 wall making heavy contact with the SAFER Barrier. She bruised her ankle but was quickly released from the infield medical center. She finished 24th.

2009 IndyCar Series

Fisher retained Dollar General to fund her 2009 efforts in the IndyCar Series for 6 races: the RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Bombardier Learjet 550 at Texas Motor Speedway, the Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway, the Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, and the GAINSCO Auto Insurance Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.[7]

Sarah qualified 21st for the 2009 Indianapolis 500[8] and finished 17th on the lead lap.

2010 IndyCar Series

Fisher's 2010 season began with the news that her longtime agent was resigning his position with her team to start a talent agency.[9] While she was scheduled to compete in nine events in 2010, Fisher replaced herself for her only scheduled road course events; St. Pete and Barber with fellow American racer Graham Rahal.

For the first time in her career, Fisher served as just a "Team Owner" for the races at St. Pete and Barber and put her driving gloves on to compete in her first race of the 2010 season at Kansas Speedway where she finished 17th. Fisher qualified 29th on Bump Day and finished 26th. Her best finish results of the season was 15th at both Texas and Chicago, where she led her first laps since 2002, but later went two-laps down. Fisher closed the 2010 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the 22nd position, three laps down, and what is believed to be her last event before retiring from a career as a professional race car driver.

Fisher announced her retirement on Monday, November 29, 2010 after 25 years of racing.[10]

Fisher's book

Fisher began writing 99 Things Women Wish They knew Before Getting Behind The Wheel of Their Dream Job in mid-2009 with her then-Agent/Manager Klint Briney and author Lindsey Gobel and was released on May 10, 2010. The book was released by Beaufort Books, named the fastest growing independent publisher of 2007 by Publishers Weekly. Her book, part of the 99 Series’ revolutionary and pioneering series of self-help books, is peppered with quotes from other female pioneers, including Ashley Judd (actress), Bea Perez (Coca-Cola), Angela Braly (WellPoint) Ashley Force (NHRA Funny Car driver), Jill McGill (LPGA golfer), Candy Coburn (National Performing Artist and Susan G. Komen for the Cure Ambassador) and Lyn St. James (retired race car driver). The book offers success stories and tips aimed at creating opportunities for a new generation of women leaders as a guide to harness the horsepower of their own potential. The foreword was written by Janet Guthrie.

Media work

Fisher has been a guest or profiled on a variety of television programs including, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Live with Regis and Kelly, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Good Morning America, The Today Show and CBS This Morning.

She has appeared in the pages of People, Teen People, Cosmo Girl, Seventeen, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, YM and ESPN The Magazine.

Endorsements

AAA – Fisher signed a three-year deal with AAA on March 7, 2007. Fisher will represent AAA Hoosier Insurance through television ads, billboards and other promotional materials while touting the AAA tagline, "Insure with someone you Trust." Additionally, Fisher will make a limited number of personal appearances on behalf of AAA Hoosier Motor Club.

Dollar General – Dollar General signed on to sponsor Fisher on July 17, 2008, for two races during the 2008 IndyCar Series season. They served as Fisher's primary sponsor during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Personal life

Fisher, an only child, was born in Columbus, Ohio on October 4, 1980. She grew up in Commercial Point, Ohio and was exposed to life at the track at an early age. Her parents took their young daughter to the track to watch her father drive sprint cars. Her first racing experience came as a five-year-old when her parents fitted her for her first race car – a quarter-midget. Fisher graduated from Teays Valley High School in 1999, seventh in her class with honors and a 4.178 grade point average. She enrolled at Ohio State University in order to pursue an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering but before the school year began, Fisher received a call to race in the IndyCar Series. She later attended Butler University on a part-time basis pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, but due to the demands of her schedule, left the university. She also attended Ellis College of New York Institute of Technology for a short time.

Fisher's mother Reba (née Grindell) was profiled along with Fisher in the made-for-television film, Apple Pie.[11] Reba was born minutes after her twin sister, Robin. The girls' mother was one of the first female aviators in Ohio. As a child, Reba raced go-karts in a backyard race pit built by her father. She met her husband-to-be at a Commercial Point, Ohio go-kart race, in which she beat him. Reba holds a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and is a middle-school teacher.

Fisher's father Dave holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University and works in the family business, Fisher Fabrication.

Fisher met her future husband, Andy O'Gara, in 2002 at Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, where O'Gara was Fisher's left tire changer. During an interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on May 18, 2009, Fisher claimed to have run over O'Gara. The two began dating in 2004 and became engaged on October 4, 2005––Fisher's 25th birthday. O'Gara was Fisher's Crew Chief at Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in 2007. The couple married at St. Roch Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Saturday, September 15, 2007. Among those in attendance were Lyn St. James, Ed Carpenter and Tony George.[12] Fisher and O'Gara have a daughter named Zoe O'Gara (born on September 13, 2011) and a son named Daniel James O'Gara (born on June 12, 2014).[13][14][15][16]

Motorsports career results

American open wheel results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

IRL IndyCar Series

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Rank Points
1999 Team Pelfrey Dallara IR9 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 WDW PHX INDY TXS PPIR ATL DOV PPI2 LVS TX2
25
46th 5
2000 Walker Racing Riley & Scott Mk V Oldsmobile Aurora V8 WDW PHX
13
LVS
13
18th 124
Dallara IR-00 INDY
31
TXS
12
PPIR
25
ATL
14
KTY
3
TX2
11
2001 Walker Racing Dallara IR-01 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 PHX
17
HMS
2
ATL
11
INDY
31
TXS
18
PPIR
10
RIR
17
KAN
12
NSH
19
KTY
19
STL
11
CHI
24
TX2
25
19th 188
2002 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing G-Force GF05C Infiniti VRH35ADE V8 HMS PHX FON NZR
4
INDY
24
TXS PPIR RIR
16
KAN
14
NSH
22
MIS
8
KTY
8
STL
20
CHI
22
TX2
9
18th 161
2003 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara IR-03 Chevrolet Indy V8 HMS
15
PHX
8
MOT
23
INDY
31
TXS
15
PPIR
20
RIR
19
KAN
11
NSH
20
MIS
15
STL
13
KTY
14
NZR
DNS
CHI
18
FON
19
TX2
12
18th 211
2004 Kelley Racing Dallara IR-04 Toyota Indy V8 HMS PHX MOT INDY
21
TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MIS KTY PPIR NZR CHI FON TX2 31st 12
2006 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara IR-05 Honda HI6R V8 HMS STP MOT INDY WGL TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MIS KTY
12
SNM CHI
16
25th 32
2007 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 HMS
11
STP
15
MOT
14
KAN
12
INDY
18
MIL
14
TXS
10
IOW
7
RIR
16
WGL
16
NSH
15
MDO
15
MIS
16
KTY
14
SNM
17
DET
16
CHI
12
17th 275
2008 Sarah Fisher Racing Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 HMS STP MOT1 LBH1 KAN INDY
30
MIL TXS IOW RIR WGL NSH MDO EDM KTY
15
SNM DET CHI
24
SRF2 34th 37
2009 Sarah Fisher Racing Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 STP LBH KAN
13
INDY
17
MIL TXS
17
IOW RIR WGL TOR EDM KTY
12
MDO SNM CHI
14
MOT HMS
18
25th 89
2010 Sarah Fisher Racing Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 SAO STP ALA LBH KAN
17
INDY
26
TXS
15
IOW
22
WGL TOR EDM MDO SNM CHI
15
KTY
22
MOT HMS
22
26th 92
1 Run on same day.
2 Non-points-paying, exhibition race.
Years Teams Races Poles Wins Podiums
(Non-win)
Top 10s
(Non-podium)
Indianapolis 500
Wins
Championships
11 5 83 1 0 2 8 0 0

Indianapolis 500

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
2000 Dallara IR-00 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 19 31 Walker Racing
2001 Dallara IR-01 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 15 31 Walker Racing
2002 G-Force GF05C Infiniti VRH35ADE V8 9 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
2003 Dallara IR-03 Chevrolet Indy V8 24 31 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
2004 Dallara IR-04 Toyota Indy V8 19 21 Kelley Racing
2007 Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 21 18 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
2008 Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 22 30 Sarah Fisher Racing
2009 Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 21 17 Sarah Fisher Racing
2010 Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 29 26 Sarah Fisher Racing

References

  1. ^ IndyCar Still Waits for Fisher to Emerge, Associated Press, August 11, 2007
  2. ^ Fisher to go it alone?, Crash.net, September 29, 2007
  3. ^ Sarah Fisher Plans Own Indycar Team, Auto Racing Daily, February 28, 2008
  4. ^ Indycar.com Press Release Archived 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Indianapolis Star article[dead link]
  6. ^ Ryan, Nate (July 15, 2008). "Fan favorite Fisher reels in fan donations, two-race sponsor". USA Today. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  7. ^ http://www.sarahfisher.com/
  8. ^ http://www.indy500.com/grid[dead link]
  9. ^ Zahren, Bill. Klint Briney Forms His Own (PR) Team, Pressdog, January 29, 2010, Retrieved 2010-08-15
  10. ^ Associated Press. Sarah Fisher Retiring From Racing, WTHR, November 29, 2010, Retrieved 2010-11-29
  11. ^ Lieber, Jill (May 24, 2001). "A career on fast track Coed Sarah Fisher, just 20, is driving 'em crazy in male world of Indy-car racing". USA Today. p. C.01. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  12. ^ Fisher, Sarah. Race to the altar better than any podium finish, ESPN.com, September 26, 2007
  13. ^ http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/06/12/indycar-team-owner-sarah-fisher-delivers-2nd-child-during-weekend-off-from/
  14. ^ http://www.indystar.com/story/life/2014/06/13/baby-what-born-to-team-owner-and-former-race-car-driver-sarah-fisher/10441819/
  15. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/indycar-team-owner-sarah-fisher-2nd-child-24118241
  16. ^ http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/12/indycar-team-owner-sarah-fisher-gives-birth-to-second-child/
Awards
Preceded by Scott Brayton Award
2009
Succeeded by
Incumbent

Template:Persondata