---

NorthernLight IRL: Learning curve to take new twist for fast rookie Fisher

17 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

SPARTA, Ky -- Sarah Fisher starts college this fall, but she is not your typical 19-year-old female freshman.

In fact, at the moment there is not another one like her in the world. Five days after she begins classes at Butler University in Indianapolis, she will drive an Indy Racing car at 215 mph in the inaugural The Belterra Resort Indy 300 on Aug. 27 at the new Kentucky Speedway, located 30 miles southwest of Cincinnati.

Racing is her profession, and college education is simply "Plan B."

Fisher races in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series and is the only female driving full time in a major-league racing circuit. This Kentucky event will be her final race as a teen-ager since she turns 20 on Oct. 4, 11 days before the season finale at Texas Motor Speedway. She made her Indy Racing debut last October at Texas and has driven in seven races, including the Indianapolis 500.

"Finding a typical (college freshman) lifestyle will never be that way for me," said Fisher, who has been racing since she was 5. "Im not trying to find that lifestyle, I just want to get a college degree."

For years, her "professor" was her dad, Dave, who guided her from quarter-midgets to go-karts to sprint cars to midgets and to, finally at age 18, a test in an Indy Racing car last August. Now her primary classrooms are some of the toughest paved oval tracks in America, and her instructors are two of the most respected participants in the sport -- car owner Derrick Walker and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser.

Walker spotted and appreciated Fishers talent last year and introduced her as the driver of his new Indy Racing team at the 2000 season opener at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla. She drove her first race for him in the Walker Racing Cummins Special entry at Phoenix and ranks fourth in the rookie point standings behind 30-year-old Jeret Schroeder.

"Hes always on the road, always in the shop, working with sponsors trying to help the team," she said of Walker. "Hes caring about the team and caring about me, which is rare. He treats me like one of his kids."

Unser is 61 and works as driving coach for the Northern Light Series. He has seemingly taken this young woman from Commercial Point, Ohio, under his wing.

Sarah doesnt hesitate when asked who among the Indy Racing veterans has helped her most.

"The one in particular," she said, "would be Al Unser Sr. He has spent a lot of time coaching me, especially at Indianapolis, making the best of my talents. Hes my No. 1 mentor."

And in what areas has he helped her?

"Everything," she said. "Line, patience, traffic. Whatever the case, I appreciate all of his advice."

Fisher said it has been "pretty phenomenal" what she has learned in her rookie season. And she is working on being less aggressive and patient on the advice of Unser.

"Thats what Im trying learn, and I proved Im doing better at Atlanta," she said.

Last month at the 1 1/2-mile oval south of the Georgia capital she qualified fifth fastest and ran 191 laps before spinning into the wall 17 laps from the finish.

Fisher enjoys the longer tracks like the new Kentucky Speedway,where she was the fastest driver during an Open Test session at 218.517 mph last month.

"Theyre just the right size for me," she said.

Fisher did not enroll in college after high school graduation in June 1999, although she had intended to matriculate at Ohio State University. She decided to sit out a year to see how well she could work college into her racing schedule. She took a number of college credit courses in high school and enters Butler with 30 credits.

"I do want to get my college degree," she said. "In racing youve always go to have a Plan B in case something happens. But Plan A is most important."

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.