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Boy,I wish it was

Sarah Fisher and the AAMCO No. 5 Dallara/Honda took a hard hit at Michigan.

I ran up front at Michigan back in 2002 and it was a lot of fun -- leading a few laps at the end before

finishing eighth. This time would be different. My teammate Buddy Rice and I both ran midpack and never

seemed to get the speed we were looking for.

I came to Michigan last year in the hopes of putting the deal together to run Kentucky and Chicago in 2006;

so that was the first thing I thought of when I arrived at the track. After we did a Racing for Kids visit at the

children's hospital in Ann Arbor, we grabbed some lunch and it was on to the track for engineering time

with Chris.

It was a pretty short weekend, which was a nice way to get back in the swing of things after our off

weekend. The AAMCO crew worked really hard on the off weekend on a number of changes that we really

thought would give us the speed we were looking for.

We beat four people in qualifying, but nothing to write home about; I was still disappointed. It was really

amazing that we qualified better than what we turned in practice because the speed we had in practice

was from a toe. We've all been working so hard at it and the engineers are doing a great job trying to

match the tires wherever we go. It's just hard work.

For the race, just before the start my radio was not working -- I think I freaked out a bit (who wouldn't?). I

didn't have a radio I think in 2003 at the Indy 500, and it was not a lot of fun.

Buddy and I traded positions left and right but I think I had the faster car. We still couldn't seem to beat the

No. 15 Roll Coater car out of the pits. We were so close, but we'll get them in Kentucky!

I was fighting a lot of push and then after a few turns of front wing we were way too loose. Back and forth

fighting the same problem. On Lap 83 something broke on my back right and it sent me sailing into the

wall in Turn 2. Buddy said he saw something break back there; we will probably never know from all the

damage from the crash. When something like that happens, you let go of the steering wheel and you are

just a passenger.

I strained my neck, but ice and aspirin from the care center made it all better. Boy was I sore on Monday!

That was a heck of a hit ? but thankfully, I didn't taste copper.

On Lap 83 something broke on my back right and it sent me sailing into the wall in Turn 2. Buddy said he

saw something break back there; we will probably never know from all the damage from the crash. 
Sarah Fisher

So Kentucky is where it all began last year on my return to the IndyCar Series. It was a dream come true

that I could return to the sport I had grown to miss.

I'm headed to Louisville on Wednesday for my final PR advance for the season to help promote the race

on Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway.

Kentucky should be a good race for us. With only two more ovals to go, we need to have a good showing

there. Being one of my favorite places, I just hope we can still have side-by-side racing there that has

made the IndyCar Series the best open-wheel entertainment for fans. I'm also relieved to be returning to

another track that I have had many laps at. There have been several new places this year and I will be

happy to go back to one I know by heart.

The pole, the podium, the fans ? let's hope Kentucky is good to me this year. Check us out on Saturday

night on ESPN2 at 6:30 ET.

-- S

IndyCar Series driver Sarah Fisher drives the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing No. 5 Dallara/Honda. She is providing a diary to ESPN.com. For more on Sarah, go to www.sarahfisher.com.


Having a tough way to go 

Fisher returns to Kentucky still trying to revive open-wheel career

By WILL GRAVES, AP Sports Writer

August 10, 2007

SPARTA, Ky. (AP) -- Sarah Fisher envisioned a better comeback than this.

When she returned to the IndyCar Series circuit at the Kentucky 300 last summer, she viewed it as a job interview, and her 12th-place finish for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing earned her a full-time gig with the team this season.

After spending the better part of two years away from open-wheel racing, Fisher looked at 2007 as an opportunity to resurrect her career, and the series buzzed about a potential rivalry with Danica Patrick.

A year later, neither has happened.

Though Patrick has yet to win, she's been competitive and entered Saturday's race seventh in the season points race with nine Top 10 finishes. Only a flat tire late in last week's Michigan 400 seemed to get in the way of her first trip to victory lane. Winning for Patrick doesn't seem to be a question of if, but when.

For Fisher, the questions are much harder to answer. Her team has struggled to find a package that can put her near the front. She returned to Kentucky Speedway -- where she set the track record of 221.39 mph while winning the pole in 2002 -- 17th in points.

``We're not getting the most of what we can out of a two-car team at the end of the day and I wish we could,'' she said. ``I don't know what to change to fix that and I wouldn't even say if I did know. It's just not working as healthfully as I thought it would and that disappoints me.''

While teammate Buddy Rice has rallied recently -- posting five top 10s in his last six starts -- Fisher has continued a season-long slide. She has just two top 10s and has finished either 15th or 16th in the last five races.

Her struggles have her again auditioning for a job. Fisher said team owner Dennis Reinbold will return to a one-car team next year, leaving her future as murky now as it was a year ago.

``We've got to have something exciting because otherwise you can't sell what we did this year,'' she said. ``I'm working on creating that and working towards that. We'll just have to see what happens.''

Fisher is polite when talking about her team's problems, though she allows there's just so much she can do if the car isn't set up properly.

``I can only help (the engineers) to a certain extent to what the car is doing and what I would rather it do and then they've got to take it from there,'' she said.

Whatever they've tried, it hasn't worked. She qualified 14th on Friday, just the second time this season she's cracked the top 15. She has, however, managed to avoid trouble. She's failed to finish just one race all year, a testament to her maturity as a driver.

Fisher claims she isn't frustrated even as the weeks pass and she continues to run in the back half of the field. But she's no longer the wide-eyed 19-year-old who made a splash after qualifying for the 2000 Indy 500 and has learned some hard lessons while bouncing between circuits the last few years.

``It's tough to show your capabilities when you're not in good equipment,'' she said. ``It just depends on having different opportunities and weighing them.''

If given a choice, she'd prefer to stay in IndyCar, but knows it goes beyond simply being able to drive fast. She spent time in the NASCAR's Grand National West Series in 2005 and hasn't ruled out running go karts just for the fun of it.

``I've got six Indy 500 rings and they can't take them from me but I want to grow on that,'' she said. ``I never thought there'd be a halt in it. I never thought there would be a change in direction.''

There's little doubt the series could benefit from Fisher sticking around. She remains one of IndyCar's most popular drivers, and her girl-next-door demeanor makes her the natural yin to Patrick's more glamorous yang.

``She's got a lot of attention, a lot of fans,'' said Helio Castroneves. ``She is a talent, she's fast. Right now I just feel her car is not very competitive and that's why she is having a hard time.''

The strain of the season, however, hasn't hurt her relationship with crew chief Andy O'Gara. The two are getting married in Indianapolis next month, something she called ``the bright light at the end of the tunnel'' in an otherwise disappointing season. She came to Kentucky Speedway armed with invitations and laughs about a guest list that is nearing 600.

There's no telling, however, if Fisher and O'Gara will get a chance to work together again next season.

``I love open-wheel racing and I want to see the series grow itself and if I can stay here and help that then I would love to do that,'' she said. ``But I love racing in general and I'll go where the best chance to win is.''

Kanaan claims Meijer Indy 300 for second straight win

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