Sarah Fisher

Sarah Marie Fisher (born October 4, 1980) is a retired American professional racecar driver who competed in the IZOD 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 IZOD IndyCar Series. In 2010, she competed in her 9th 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, becoming the third female 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 would also win later while competing in the NASCAR West Series (2005).

She also 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

As a child, she 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. 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 1998, 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.

Personal life

Sarah 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 would take 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 for a short time.

Fisher's mother Reba (née Grindell) was profiled along with Fisher in the made-for-television film, Apple Pie. 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 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 16, 2007. Among those in attendance were Lyn St James, Ed Carpenter and Tony George.

Sarah Fisher

Sarah Fisher

Sarah Fisher

Sarah Fisher

Sarah Fisher

Sarah Fisher

Sarah Fisher

Sarah Fisher

Sarah Fisher