Fisher

St. Louis was a good weekend for us mainly because we were able to enjoy ourselves at the Cardinals game and because this was the last race before we get our new Gen IV engine.

I drove into town on Thursday after a nice short vacation in Texas. St. Louis is such a happening place that my team had to spread out between a few hotels. I got checked into the hotel and got ready for an autograph signing session at the IRL Fan Experience at the Casino Queen. We wrapped up the evening with a couple of calls into radio stations to talk about Sunday's race.

On Friday, the team got the trucks unloaded and prepared for the weekend. I had a chance to get a little extra sleep before a media luncheon at Mike Shannon's Steak & Seafood Restaurant. After a few meetings to round out the afternoon, I headed back to my hotel to get ready for that night's Braves-Cardinals game.

To celebrate the big IRL weekend, a few drivers were invited to the game and I was asked to lead the stadium in the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." As the seventh inning approached, I began to get really nervous, having never sung in front of such a large audience before. I was terrified that I might forget the words. To alleviate the butterflies, I practiced with my parents and teammates. When the seventh inning stretch came, it was time to perform.

Thankfully, I had a great group of kids from the St. Louis area who sang along and we remembered all the words. What an incredible experience. After the game, some of the other drivers and I were interviewed out on the field.

On Saturday our focus returned to racing. We were able to test the car at Gateway a few weeks prior to the weekend's race which helped us get a better feel for the track. Qualifying went a little better than expected and I posted some of my fastest speeds of the weekend.

Later that night, I attended another autograph signing session. I really want to thank all of the loyal fans that made it out for both sessions.

We had some extra time to practice some pit stops during the final practice session on Sunday which helped us out tremendously during the race. The action on the track during the race was pretty intense. Despite some minor problems, we were able to finish the race and bring the car home in the 13th place. After the race, we shot a webcast for AOL Broadband. Be sure to check that out at AOL Keyword: Motorsports.

This week, it is finally our turn to have the new Gen IV Chevy engine. The guys on the team put in long hours on Monday and Tuesday getting it installed and ready to go.

On Tuesday I was able to go to the Indiana Fever game for an appearance for the Girl Scouts. It was a great opportunity for me to get more in touch with the local WNBA team which I have followed from a distance. Wednesday I will participate in the Celebrity Tractor Parade at the Indiana State Fair. I wonder how fast a tractor can go.

We will be testing the new engine in Indianapolis on Thursday. Testing is a way to try new things and work out the kinks of the new engine before we try to qualify and run in a race. My teammate Robbie Buhl and I have high expectations for Kentucky.

I consider Kentucky Speedway my home track mainly because it is so close to where I grew up. We've posted good finishes here in the past and last year I was able to capture my first ever IRL pole.

Besides the new engine, I am really excited about this race especially because I will get to see my grandma Grindell and my grandma Fisher -- my busy schedule always keeps me away from them. Many of my close friends from school will also be coming to watch the race and cheer me on.

If you are in Northern Kentucky, I hope you can make it out to the Belterra Casino on Saturday for the driver autograph session from 7-8 p.m. and to the track for the race on Sunday. If not, be sure to watch us on ABC... and see if they can catch me!

IRL IndyCar Series driver Sarah Fisher drives the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing No. 23 Dallara/Chevy. She is providing a diary to ESPN.com. For more on Sarah, go to www.sarahfisher.com.