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NorthernLight IRL: Sarah Fisher ends Kentucky Speedway open test atop speed charts

3 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

SPARTA, Ky.- Sarah Fisher ended Sundays final day of open testing at the Kentucky Speedway where she started Saturday - at the top of the speed chart.

In the first session of practice Saturday, Fisher ran the fastest lap of the two-day test, but she also finished every session for the rest of the test on top of the speed chart.

On Sunday, Fisher drove the #15 Walker Racing Cummins Special Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone to a days best of 217.832 mph. Her Saturday lap of 218.517 was the best of the 1,560 laps run by the Indy Racing Northern Light Series drivers on the new, 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway..

It was a pretty good day for us, said Fisher. Its neat to see that we were quickest again today. It gives the team a little boost in morale, so it s good to see that we were on top.

The #4 Pennzoil Panther Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone car again was second to Fisher, but on Sunday it was driven by Alex Barron. Panther Racing auditioned Sam Hornish Jr. and Barron this weekend for the seat that Scott Goodyear will vacate after the season-ending Mall.com 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Barron produced a lap of 216.164 in the Sunday-morning session, while Hornish ran the second-fastest lap of the weekend at 216.881 on Saturday.

Eddie Cheever Jr. put 155 laps on the #51 Excite@Home Indy Race Car Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone with a fast lap of 216.113 for the third-best lap on Sunday. Cheevers team traveled Saturday from Atlanta Motor Speedway where it conducted a private test in preparation for the Midas 500 Classic on July 15.

This weekends Open Test was the first aggressive run on Kentucky Speedway by Indy Racing Northern Light Series cars. Eight drivers ran a total of 1,560 laps during the two-day test. The teams and drivers shared the facility with the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde stock car series.

This is a first-class facility, said Brian Barnhart, director of racing operations for the Indy Racing League. After all the laps we ran the past two days, we have no issues or concerns. The track is very wide and will produce two- and three-car-wide racing.

Firestone has a good handle on its tire compound here. Many teams put 70 to 80 laps on a set of tires. In fact, Sarah ran a 216 on tires with 65 laps under them.

Many Indy Racing teams are expected to test privately at Kentucky Speedway in preparation for The Belterra Resort Indy 300 on Aug. 27 after their return from Atlanta in two weeks.

The next Indy Racing Northern Light Series event is the Midas 500 Classic at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a night race on July 15.

Sundays Speed Chart & Total Laps

Driver MPH Laps

1. Sarah Fisher 217.832 203
2. Alex Barron 216.164 179
3. Eddie Cheever Jr. 216.113 155
4. Buzz Calkins 216.007 73
5. Tyce Carlson 214.517 177
6. J.J. Yeley 208.184 53

Kentucky Open Test Speed Chart & Total Laps, July 1-2

Driver MPH Day Laps

1. Sarah Fisher 218.517 7/1 353
2. Sam Hornish Jr. 216.881 7/1 165
3. Tyce Carlson 216.167 7/1 315
4. Alex Barron 216.164 7/2 179
5. Eddie Cheever Jr. 216.113 7/2 155
6. Buzz Calkins 216.007 7/2 82
7. Robbie Buhl 215.922 7/1 165
8. J.J. Yeley 210.660 7/1 146

Text provided by Paul Kelly

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.