An Interview with Sarah Fisher - Indianapolis - April 22, 2009

IndyCar Series driver Sarah Fisher participated in a Q&A session this week, discussing the upcoming races at Kansas, Indianapolis and more. Below are select quotes from her interview followed by “Five Questions with Sarah Fisher.” The complete transcript and audio MP3 file are posted at www.indycar.com/media. A video of “Five Questions with Sarah Fisher” also is posted online.

Sarah Fisher

· 28-year-old who has competed in parts of nine seasons in the IndyCar Series

· Driver and co-owner of Sarah Fisher Racing, which debuted with three races in 2008

· Team will return to action April 26 at Kansas Speedway

· In 2000, became the third woman to start the Indianapolis 500

· In 2002, became the first woman to win the pole for a major open-wheel race in North America, winning the pole at Kentucky Speedway

· Earned a career-best finish of second at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2001

· Has made 67 career starts, recording three top-five finishes and nine top-10s

· Has started eight Indianapolis 500s

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Q. You've got a very unique role as a driver and a team owner. Tell us a little bit about how excited you are to get back in the car this weekend at Kansas.

SARAH FISHER: I'm very excited. It's like you stare at a car all winter long and come in here every day and just make things happen, and there's so much more to running a business than I ever knew existed. So looking forward to this weekend, and knowing that I'll be in that race car. That's probably my most relaxing time as an athlete. I just really enjoy that.

I really enjoy working with Tom Brown, our engineer, and of course my husband, Andy (O’Gara), who runs our team. It's just the most rewarding time, and I can't wait.

Q. Going to the ownership side of things a little bit, you're a year plus into the ownership side. What are some of the biggest things that you've learned over the past year?

SARAH FISHER: Time management. I think a lot of people think I just sit around all day and do nothing, but my schedule is completely full. And it's just a balance of what is the most important thing that you have to get done that day and then taking that hour, hour and a half to work out and keep yourself in shape because that will mentally prepare you for all the rest of the stuff. Whether it's business stuff that you have to handle or a personal appearance that a driver would normally do, I do all those things. Yesterday it was helping get the bus ready and making sure that everybody in the shop has something to eat that day. We're short‑staffed, so everybody has to be all hands on deck right now, and that includes me.

Q. Last year was very emotional for you and your team at Indy, a lot of ups and downs throughout the month. What are your expectations for the month of May this year?

SARAH FISHER: We're as prepared as we ever have been today. As we said, and as I look down from the balcony at my car, it looks in one piece, if you know what I mean. It's just a very nicely prepared car. Everything on it we know 100 percent about and are just completely prepared for. We've done our homework in the offseason, I believe, as much as we can, and we’re looking forward to Indy. I think we're going to have a good result, and I would be pretty upset if we were outside of the top 10. I fully expect us to do that well even as a small team that doesn't compete full‑time.

Five Questions with Sarah Fisher:

1. What’s the last thing that you bought at Dollar General?

“Aluminum foil.”

2. Wedding ring on or off while you’re racing?

“Off. It’s too big to have on.”

3. If you could race against any driver from any era, who would you race against and where?

“I’d race against Janet Guthrie at Indianapolis.”

4. iPhone or Blackberry?

“iPhone.”

5. Favorite book?

“The Devil Wears Prada. I love cheering for the underdog.”