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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, October 5, 2009 Fisher eyeing IndyCar finale with memories of 2001 By Tim Reynolds Associated Press HOMESTEAD, Fla. — More than eight years later, Sarah Fisher still hasn't found those 1.87 seconds. That's all that separated her from victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2001, on a day she remembers for so many reasons. There was the second-place finish, the $82,050 check that's still one of the biggest of her decade racing IndyCars, and the real start of what became a long run as IRL's most recognizable face. Oh, and one sentence that A.J. Foyt shrieked into a radio — and into IRL lore. "You just got passed by a girl," Foyt said to Eliseo Salazar when Fisher sped past him late in the race. Fisher hasn't done enough passing since. That second-place finish behind Sam Hornish Jr. remains the best of her career, which has been derailed at times by runs of bad luck with sponsors and backing, so she started her own team two years ago and became her own boss. When the IRL season ends Saturday at Homestead, Fisher will be there, looking for something to use as a springboard into 2010, while basking in those good memories of 2001. "That was when the track was flat and it was a lot of fun," Fisher said. "We had done really well that year and I just wanted 10 more laps and I didn't get it. Coming away second there was really fun and it's great to be back here. Track's a lot different and there's a lot that we need to do to prepare to run here." She's only 29 — turned 29 Sunday — but it seems so long ago when Fisher was IRL's most marketable name. Fisher was the youngest starter in IRL history when she raced at Texas in 1999; she's been passed since by A.J. Foyt IV and Marco Andretti, members of two of racing's most acclaimed families. She was voted IRL's most popular driver in 2001, 2002 and 2003, and her breakthrough win was always assumed to be a turn or two away. It just never happened. And when Danica Patrick came along, Fisher became an IRL afterthought. Able to race only part-time because of the sponsor issues, Fisher only entered the Indianapolis 500 in 2004, didn't compete on the IRL circuit in 2005, and got into just two events in 2006. Somehow, her commitment to racing never wavered. "She loves racing," IRL legend Al Unser Jr. said. "She's a racer's racer. Sarah comes from the dirt tracks of America and she's just a racer's racer. She loves IRL, loves the Indy 500 and she's a very talented driver, very capable of winning races. It's coming. The equipment she's in today is so much better than she started with. And she still has that sparkle in her eye." Foyt's famous sentence to Salazar not withstanding, Fisher never doubted that she — women in general, really — could compete in racing. Seeing Patrick's historic win at Japan last season only reaffirmed Fisher's belief. If anything else, it may have made Fisher want that still-elusive victory even more. "When I see both of them with a helmet, I can't make a difference between men and women," driver Tony Kanaan said. "There's always people trying to make funny jokes, saying we're getting beat by them. It happens plenty of times and it's going to keep happening, because they're very competitive and they're very good at it." Fisher ran a six-race schedule this year. She's hopeful of more in 2010, seems to be working about 12 hours each day, and knows her success as an owner is still directly tied to having success as a driver. To her it's still worth the effort. "Being here, being an owner, being an entrepreneur, there's a lot more to it than just being a driver on my end," Fisher said. "But obviously, there's so many talented drivers and so many seats, so you have to be able to do your job. Otherwise, there's going to be someone else that can do it for you." READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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