Fisher Still Attracts. What next?

[garyshell]

And may I add, had not intended to be. It wasn't on her released schedule for the team pre-Indy.

And that is why when asked about her plans she said she didn't know what this meant for Kentucky, with no mention of Milwaukee.

Gary

[!!WALDO!!]

I believe that it was because Sarah's background was in midgets and modified dirt cars mostly. Derek wanted her to get some rear engine experience and the only real series for that, at the time, was Atlantics.

She was All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Rookie of the Year in 1997, which was Winged Sprints. She came to Midgets in 1999 to attempt to follow Jeff Gordon.
She won my race in 1999 at Kalamazoo and also at Winchester, IN.

Modified Dirt Cars? Nope, only open wheel.

(NO REFERENCE, IMPLIED OR REAL TO ANY POSTER, LIVING, DEAD, or NOT YET BORN.)

[weeflyonthewall]

I keep hearing about the "problems" between Sarah and Derrick Walker, and other posters on this and other forums saying that Sarah had chances early in her career and chose not to take the offers, and that's why she's where she is now. Well, one of those posters finally came through with an explanation of sorts. Sarah in her early career wanted to race ovals. The IRL at that time was all ovals. Of couse she would want to race there. Derrick Walker and others wanted to take her to Atlantics. Why would she go race road and street tracks with no ovals??? There was never an issue of "going back to Atlantics". She was never IN Atlantics to begin with.

No one knew in 2000, 2001 that the IRL would change course and do road and street racing in 2005 and onward. So why is the fact that Sarah chose to remain in the all-oval series at that time rather than go roadracing considered to be a bad decision on her part? It seems like armchair hindsight to me.

Hope someone can explain this to me.

Anyway, I am a strong Sarah fan, and I really hope that some good karma (and good sponsors who pay their commitments) starts coming her way. She's one of the good people in racing.

2002? The same year Sarah and Danica were in the Toyota Celebrity race. (Dara Torres outclassed them both IMO). There were rumors around Long Beach that the IRL was already exploring non-oval racing. Wasn't Atlantic was still running ovals back then? Sarah would have been much better off taking a step back to the minors for a while. MLB players do it all the time. Walker has a great eye for developing drivers. With a season of Atlantics on her CV many believe she'd have quicker response, better race read and crash avoidance. Most important, be on the same page as the engineers when trying to figure out what direction to take the set-up.

[tbyars]

2002? The same year Sarah and Danica were in the Toyota Celebrity race.... There were rumors around Long Beach that the IRL was already exploring non-oval racing.

Exatly right, weefly. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that, by 2002, not too many people involved in the series had any question at all that road courses were coming very soon.

In retrospect, a year of two in Atlantics would have been an excellent move for Sarah.

[Old3Fan]

My memory might be getting a little fuzzy, but I think the Atlantics deal came after she had a couple years in the IRL - running rear engine cars. I do remember that most reports at the time questioned why Walker wanted her to go "backwards" to Atlantics.

So she could learn how to move forward instead of backwards which is mostly what she did when she was in the IRL.

[pits4me]

In retrospect, a year of two in Atlantics would have been an excellent move for Sarah.

To be a consistant front runner a driver must have a good foundation and be able to talk the language. Having roots in sprint and outlaws certainly helps but rounding off their career development in Atlantics has proven very valuable for many many drivers. Something that lacked in the old IndyLights and IPS series.

[Madmonk]

I like Sarah Fisher, but the Indycar Series of today is not the Indycar Series of yesteryear. As a teamowner without a sponsor, starting an underfunded team is a good way to get hurt and/or go bankrupt.

Personally, I think she needs to concentrate on getting her fitness level up to replace Foyt IV at Vision or Duno at Dreyer & Reinbold. But if she persists with her own team, I think she needs some help in the form of a veteran team manager (like Derrick Walker).

[NickFalzone]

Apparently AGR has helped out Fisher a bit:


Tony Kanaan's No. 11 7-Eleven entry had Direct Supply logos on either side of the nose this weekend as a sign of goodwill toward Sarah Fisher.

Direct Supply, a major sponsor of Sarah Fisher Racing's No. 67 car, is based in Milwaukee. Kanaan and Fisher, who competed in her first race as an owner/driver May 25 in the 92nd Indianapolis 500, were involved in an on-track crash just past the halfway point of the 200-lap race.
Direct Supply CEO Bob Hillis watched the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225 at The Mile. Fisher also was in attendance.


Andretti Green Racing gave Fisher an underwing to help the team repair the damaged car.