|
|
|
|
Wednesday, September 5, 2001
Indy a bit more stressful this year
By Sarah Fisher
Special to ABC Sports Online
Last Saturday, Sarah Fisher qualified for her second Indianapolis 500 with a speed of 222.548 mph. She will be positioned on the outside of Row 5 with IRL points leader Sam Hornish on the inside and Robby McGehee in the center. At the Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami, Fisher finished third, the highest finish by a woman ever in an auto race. The Indy 500 takes place May 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (ABC, 11 a.m. ET).
Compared to last year at Indy when I was a rookie, this year's qualifying was a bit more stressful. There is more competition here this year with the Penske and Target boys: Tony Stewart, Jimmy Vasser and Michael Andretti, as well as two-time winner Arie Luyendyk coming out of retirement.
|  | | Sarah Fisher's Indy 500 dreams ended in disappointment. |
There are a lot of great drivers out there who came back this year, so it's tougher to have the speed to qualify. Besides that, we'd been struggling with speed all week and finally got up to 222 mph on Saturday morning right before qualifications began.
During my actual qualifying run, there wasn't as much pressure out on the racetrack, because I have more experience in the racecar and I felt more comfortable in the No. 15 Walker Racing-Kroger Special-Dallara-Oldsmobile-Firestone car. I also know my capabilities better than I did in my rookie year.
The fact that our initial qualifying attempt was waved off because a portion of my headrest came loose and blocked the air intake of my racecar was actually a blessing in disguise. My engineers -- Rob Edwards and Mike Wright -- were able to work with owner Derrick Walker to get a better setup on my car when we went back out based on the wind and temperature of the air and track. As a result, I had faster times the second time out, even though it was later in the day and much hotter. So, it actually worked to our advantage to wave off the first run.
My team has been there for me every step of the way -- from the way that they worked countless hours on the racecar without ever complaining, to making even the slightest changes to make the car perform better. My team wasn't discouraged when the headrest padding fell out. They just taped it back in and we got back in line and did it again. They are the best, and the most supportive team I could ever ask for.
The media and fan attention this year is a lot more intense than last year, but we are handling it well. It seems like I've done a zillion interviews, appearances and autograph signings, but that is a good thing. That's where my team has done a wonderful job of supporting me and backing me -- in monitoring the amount of exposure we're getting so I can do my primary job, which is driving the racecar.
I've even had ladies follow me into the bathroom this year trying to stick autograph cards under the stall, and have had to start having people escort me to the bathroom. That's a little bizarre, and I hope people understand that I'm grateful for all the fan support, but sometimes I need a few private moments.
This week we're going to focus on working on our race setup. We need a car that is really stable and pretty consistent throughout long runs. We'll probably run two to three days maximum this week and do some long runs in the car so we know if it gets loose or tight, that way we can be prepared for the most important 500 miles on May 27.
IRL driver Sarah Fisher drives the No. 15 Walker Racing/Kroger Special. She pens a diary for ABC Sports Online throughout the season.
|
|
|
|
ESPN.com:
HELP |
ADVERTISER INFO |
CONTACT US |
TOOLS |
SITE MAP
Copyright ©2001 ESPN Internet Group. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Employment opportunities at ESPN.com.
|
|
