SARAH FISHER TO RACE AT ANDERSON WEDNESDAY
INDIANAPOLIS Jul 16, 2009 Just an hour outside of Indianapolis lies
Anderson Speedway, which houses a unique category of the racing world,
called midget racing. Many current IndyCar and NASCAR drivers used
midget car racing as a launching pad for their professional careers,
including Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and
IndyCar's own, Sarah Fisher.
Fisher will return to the sport when she races in the USAC Kenyon Midget
Series on Wed., July 22, 2009 at 8 p.m. EDT. She will be racing on the
same night as her brother-in-law, Kyle O'Gara, 14, who has been racing
for SFR in the Ford Focus Midget Series.
The owner of Anderson Speedway, Rick Dawson, rarely lends the track to
other promoters, but says that Don Kenyon and DK Promotions, who are
hosting the event, are the exception to the rule.
"Don's integrity and dedication to midget racing is unsurpassed in
the industry," said Dawson. "His program is dedicated to the 'grass
roots' racers, which is the heart of our industry. It's a great venue
to develop new drivers and a playground for the seasoned veterans to
have fun. Sarah Fisher is someone who has raced here and achieved great
success in her career. We admire her professionalism and commitment to
the sport."
Fresh out of high school, people really began to take notice of Fisher
as a viable force in driving, through midget racing. She won five midget
features, beating some of the best midget drivers in the country. She
gained wins at smaller tracks, such as Flat Rock near Detroit, and on
the treacherous, fast, high-banked half- mile at Winchester Speedway,
where she became the first woman to win a feature event and stole the
track record.
"Helping to bring awareness to local racers and the invaluable
experience drivers attain on these short tracks is something I'm glad
to be a part of," said Fisher. "This is the foundation of my career as
a professional racecar driver and this is where you can really get a
glimpse at the future of the sport. I hope to help Kyle [O'Gara] in his
goals towards a racing career and to share with him my experiences in
the sport."
To return to the sport as such an established driver gives Fisher the
chance to reflect on the days when owning her own race team was just a
glimmer in her eye.
"I have great memories of midget racing with my dad," said Fisher. "This
is where I really fell in love with racing and had some of my first big
wins."
It was the Winchester win that gained the attention of the IndyCar
Series, as it went seamlessly with their mission of seeking short-track
drivers to add to their roster. Shortly after, Fisher ran her first
IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway and became the youngest driver to
compete in an Indy Racing League event. Although young, Fisher's driving
skills proved beyond her years and were described as "nothing short of
spectacular".
Now at age 28, Fisher owns her own race team, Sarah Fisher Racing,
just competed in her eighth Indianapolis 500, marking the most number
of starts for a woman in the 93-year history of the race, gaining her
national recognition and appearances on such platforms as, The Daily
Show with Jon Stewart, LIVE! with Regis & Kelly and The Today Show. She
credits her success to the experience she gained racing in midget and
sprint cars: the foundations of professional racing.
Fisher's return to the sport on Wed. marks a nostalgic nod to the first
time she raced the No. 67. Whoever said you can't go back home?
-credit: sfr
