Has the IRL Snagged NASCAR’s Female Star?
I’ll bet you think this song post is about you;” Danica? (To steal a phrase) And it is in a way, but not specificlly on the recent team jumping performed by Danica within the IndyCar Series.
Thursday IRL Team Dreyer and Reinbold Racing announced that Sarah Fisher will drive for the team in the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway August 13. The Dreyer & Reinbold team is trying to put together a sponsorship deal to put her in a car for three of the last four races of the season but for now it’s a one shot deal.
Some have said this announcement has sets off a “Pants-Wetting Epidemic,” I won’t go that far but it does raise some interesting points.
Firstly, and within the IRL ranks, this sets up a battle of the “most popular.” We all know Danica has had that title cornered since the Indy 500 of 2005, but Fisher is a past winner of it having been voted as such by the fans three straight years.
On track it sets up a battle also as both Fisher and Patrick have qualified on the pole at Kentucky, and Fisher still holds the IndyCar qualifying record at the track. (Can I insert the obligatory, “Cat Fight” here?)
But, as my title suggests, this has larger implications that extend to NASCAR. Fisher although off the radar so to speak hasn’t been idle during her two year hiatus from the open wheel wars.
After competing in the 2004 Indy 500 she was signed by Richard Childress to a development contract and has run the NASCAR Grand National West Series for car owner Bill McAnally. Fisher captured four top 10 qualifying starts and four top 10 finishes in her first full season and finished 12th in the 2005 chase for the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series title.
The girl has talent, and a long racing resume that goes back to her teenage years at the wheel of quarter-midgets, as a three-time winner of the World Karting Association Grand National Championship and the wild and wooly Winged Outlaw Sprint cars. At 15 years of age.
She also shares something else with Danica, a love of open wheel racing. And SHE’s BACK!
But is it NASCAR’s loss?
IndyCar, IRL, NASCAR, Sarah Fisher, Danica Partick, NEXTEL Cup, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle
Imagine if the two series were to merge (wishful thinking) and you inserted Katherine Legge into the mix, she is not without talent also.
I think Erin Crocker has been annointed as NASCAR’s Danica. Don’t look now, but she is actually starting to do better.
Peter when the Danica dustup first started I was thinking CCWS might be in the mix just because it would have been a huge coup to have both her and Legge in the same series.
Legge did a fine job when Stoddart gave her the “last ride” (no pun intended) in the Minardi.
I agree Matt, Crocker has shown some talent in ARCA but… that so far hasn’t translated to her NCTS efforts. Given time she should be ok.