Way To Go Ms. Fisher!

[weeflyonthewall]

The time with Bill MacNally is paying dividends. She has more confidence this year. Sponsor are taking notice, AAMCO has stepped up and put this young lady on the air with their latest Indy campaign. Way to go Sarah Fisher. And you didn't have to take off any clothes to get there!

[ChicagocrewIRL]

And you didn't have to take off any clothes to get there!

THANK GOD FOR THAT !!! You keep those clothes on you Sarah.

[BobbyC]

She's much smarter and her fiancé is another dirt-tracker himself, who works at DRR.

When you're a college student and is studying the business of motorsports in college, that's a good thing to have in racing. She can sell herself better to sponsors when she has the degree.

[DRC]

Always liked and respected her. She has a terrific spirit for being the "most popular driver" and then being left out in the cold for a few years. Imagine where she'd be if a decent team had supported her this whole time?

[Easy Drifter]

She doesn't have the pressure on her that she did and does seem to be regaining her confidence. Always been a fan.

[pits4me]

She's much smarter and her fiancé is another dirt-tracker himself, who works at DRR.

When you're a college student and is studying the business of motorsports in college, that's a good thing to have in racing. She can sell herself better to sponsors when she has the degree.

She's really matured business-wise. She's due for a good Indy performance.

[Mark in Oshawa]

She has worked hard for what she has, and she never once tried to play off her female genes for publicity. I suspect the culture of the IRL actually has a lot more respect for Fisher off the record than some of the crap Patrick has brought to the series.

[weeflyonthewall]

She also knows how to communicate with her engineer. Word out of the AGR camp is not so encouraging.

[CCFan]

She also knows how to communicate with her engineer. Word out of the AGR camp is not so encouraging.

Seems surprising doesn't it, since others have written about how Danica got a more "formal" education in racing?

[Mark in Oshawa]

I heard Fisher didn't work well with engineers, and Danica did, but as we have seen, things may be changing. Danica is finding out maybe she isn't as smart as she thinks is. Danicamania's main victim is Danica herself. I think she started to believe that success was going to come to her, and it was self fulfilling. What we are seeing is she is out of her depth on setup issues, and as I have pointed out before, I think in these cars on road/street circuits, she isn't up to the job physically.

Fisher grew up on sprint car racing, so her inner ear and reflexes were more intune with that sort of race car, and I think she has always struggled in the modern OW car that runs in the IRL. She is fighting the same issues any other sprint/midget driver contends with in that she didn't grow up and have her synapses tuned to this type of car. Her problems were compounded by racing for poor teams that didnt' have good engineers to help teach her what she needed to learn, but I think at DRR, she has a fighting chance.

Danica will do better if she shuts up and absorbs what she needs to know to reach that next level, Sarah just needs to be taught.

Milka? Well the jury is out on her, one race at Kansas doesn't mean much....

[eliostar]

What would you consider a poor year , getting lapped six times instead of three. I especially love the part about her learning the road courses, it's a little late at her age to start learning road racing.

[indycool]

Elio, so what? There are some drivers who are going to be better on ovals and some on road courses regardless.

[uncre8tv]

I don't wish Sarah any ill will, but so far this year Danica is looking to be quite a bit faster. I suppose there's a huge money factor in there helping Danica, but faster is faster, and Danica is faster.

Even so, I'd love to see both of them run up front. I think the attention is good for the sport.

[eliostar]

Elio, so what? There are some drivers who are going to be better on ovals and some on road courses regardless.

Problem is , she is good at neither. I have no problem with woman drivers, as long as they can be competitive. She has never shown me that she deserves a ride, at least not based on talent.

[MarcoCheever]

imho

Sarah has been in 5 more 500s than I have. By all reports she's a great person.

[CCFan]

I don't wish Sarah any ill will, but so far this year Danica is looking to be quite a bit faster. I suppose there's a huge money factor in there helping Danica, but faster is faster, and Danica is faster.

Even so, I'd love to see both of them run up front. I think the attention is good for the sport.


Danica's greater speed is likely due to her running with AGR. It would be interesting to see how they matched up on the same team.

[weeflyonthewall]

Danica will do better if she shuts up and absorbs what she needs to know to reach that next level, Sarah just needs to be taught.

Milka? Well the jury is out on her, one race at Kansas doesn't mean much....

Maybe Kanaan can help set her car up too.

[uncre8tv]

All this anger towards the second fastest driver in the month of May! (as of Thursday the 10th)

I don't know why so many people think Danica is unwilling to learn, her support at Rahal Letterman wasn't THAT much better than Sarah has had, and she was faster then too. I have never heard a direct quote from another driver or team member saying that Danica wasn't focused on winning races, and her consistant qualifying speeds attest to her ability to drive the car. (yes, in qualifying her 50lb advantage doesn't hurt either, i know) It's not like someone decided when she was 19 that she was hot and should get in a race car, she paid dues and came up through the sport just like any other racer with some MARKETABLE assets out of the car (like, say, Dale Jr.)

So why all the haters?

[uncre8tv]

Maybe Kanaan can help set her car up too.

We'll see on Pole day, but for now maybe Danica can show Kanaan where she picked up that 2mph on him today.

[weeflyonthewall]

What does TK weigh compared to DP?

[Wilf]

What does TK weigh compared to DP?

TK is 147 DP is 100

[beachbum]

All this anger towards the second fastest driver in the month of May! (as of Thursday the 10th)

I don't know why so many people think Danica is unwilling to learn, her support at Rahal Letterman wasn't THAT much better than Sarah has had, and she was faster then too.
Even Honda publicly admitted that she got the very best engines when she was at Rahal. They wanted her to succeed. So she didn't exactly have the same equipment as everyone else. Add in her 100 lb weight, and she had a distinct advantage.

Danica seems to galvanize fans for a couple reasons. Some think she is fantastic and others detest her. There seems to be little middle ground. Some facts do stand out. She does have a lot of natural talent, her car control skills are impressive to watch, and I don't think any thinking person doubts her determination. She wants to win and likely has the talent to do so. She is very fast - at times. But she may never reach that win as she makes far too many dumb mistakes and is too erratic.

What turns some fans off is her attitude. She is the one who decided some nearly pornographic poses in a fringe men's magazine were a good idea. Her temper tantrums are almost legendary. She is quick to blame others for her own mistakes. Some of her statements she makes at the track and in her car just make you shake your head in wonder. She frequently seems mainly interested in using racing as a means to celebrity and not actually developing as a driver. She certainly doesn't play well with others. She has become a marketing phenomenon, not a driving legend. In many ways, she has become a victim of her own hype. People expect her to win, when there is no reason to think she has reached that skill level.

Patrick is likely to forever find herself as a mid pack contender who could win if the circumstances are right, but usually finishes somewhere toward the back of the top 10. In any other driver, that would be a successful career and something to be proud of. Many, many drivers would be very happy to have such a career in a competitive series. But it doesn't fit her version of reality, so she will remain a pain in the a** and fire off more excuses. Much of that natural talent seems to be going to waste.

I have a lot more respect for any driver who works hard, does their very best, and supports and works with their team. Racing is full of journeyman (and women) drivers who have made nice careers out of getting the best from themselves and their teams and still never getting a shot at the elusive win. She would do well to learn that.

[indycool]

beachbum, you're right in the sense that people are polarized toward her, but, by and large, Danicamania is still around, whether she weighs 100 pounds for her detractors or 400 pounds for her supporters. So it goes....

[beachbum]

beachbum, you're right in the sense that people are polarized toward her, but, by and large, Danicamania is still around, whether she weighs 100 pounds for her detractors or 400 pounds for her supporters. So it goes....
I don't disagree. But trying to make a career out of Danicamania isn't a great recipe for long term success. If you live off the hype, what happens when the hype goes away or you don't meet the expectations? If she is lucky, the hype tones down (like it has for Sarah) and she can develop her skills over time like most other racers. Otherwise, it might be a short career and the bright light around her may be a shooting star and burn out.

[uncre8tv]

beachbum - I don't know of a non-tempermental driver, really. Did you see TK blow off on his little scooter a couple of weeks ago after the KS race? The faults people list for Danica are ridiculous since they're charachteristic of ANY top flight athelete and driver - a drive to succeed, a reliance upon their natural talent. Where is the solid example of her NOT trying to improve? Where is the quote from Rahal or Andretti saying that Danica wasn't willing to listen to coaching from those who have won in Indy cars before? I don't buy this BS being shoveled about how Danica is so wound up in marketing that she's forgot to drive the car too, that she thinks she knows all there is to know. That's ridiculous, there have been many quotes out ALL the AGR guys about how every one of them, including Danica, trade notes and learn from each other.

(I did the math, it's about a 2.5% weight advantage for Danica over the average 150lb driver once you strap them into a fueled car - not insignificant. the advantage is less on the heavier road course cars.)

[indycool]

Weight, schmate. Never heard about bigger guys like Jerry Grant or Chris Kneifel or Johnny Rutherford complain about Howdy Holmes or Gordon Johncock being smaller.

Danica was second quick in one practice this week. On the board right now in the morning practice, she's second quick to Kanaan. Detractors can blame it all on weight if they want, I guess, but excuses are just excuses. They come cheap and aren't worth much.

Funny thing Howdy Holmes used to say: "I have an advantage being short because it takes less time for the impulses and decisions to go from my brain to my foot."

[Peter Olivola]

Howdy Holmes has never delivered a public "straight" line in his life.


Funny thing Howdy Holmes used to say: "I have an advantage being short because it takes less time for the impulses and decisions to go from my brain to my foot."

[indycool]

Nor was this one -- note "Funny thing...."

[CARTDM15]

I got nothing against Danica but I just don't like an average driver being the face of open wheel racing when there is so many talents drivers in the field that can't get a sniff.

[indycool]

Well, she had enough talent to get around there faster than all but six of 'em.

[beachgirl]

Thanks for hijacking this thread, guys. It DID start out about Sarah. As usual, it all got sidetracked to the Princess. Disgusting.

[CARTDM15]

Well, she had enough talent to get around there faster than all but six of 'em.

But she will finish between 7 & 14 like she always does in any race.That is what makes her average.Why Kanaan, Hornish,Weldon and others win races and get no pub.

[Sandfly]

Wonder if they will get Sarah to skip a fuel stop so they can set her up to "almost win" the I500

[indycool]

I don't think Sarah has the car and team behind her that Danica does, and I think she'll drive a decent race but anything can happen in 500 miles. Incidentally, Danica finished fourth two years ago at Indy. Not between 7 and 14.

[DRC]

Thanks for hijacking this thread, guys. It DID start out about Sarah. As usual, it all got sidetracked to the Princess. Disgusting.

+1. Unsubscribing...

[Easy Drifter]

It would take a miracale but I would love to see Sarah win it.

[indycool]

Me too.

[CARTDM15]

I don't think Sarah has the car and team behind her that Danica does, and I think she'll drive a decent race but anything can happen in 500 miles. Incidentally, Danica finished fourth two years ago at Indy. Not between 7 and 14.
So!! Thats one race.She's still a average driver.

[Chaparral66]

The time with Bill MacNally is paying dividends. She has more confidence this year. Sponsor are taking notice, AAMCO has stepped up and put this young lady on the air with their latest Indy campaign. Way to go Sarah Fisher. And you didn't have to take off any clothes to get there!

Damn skippy! Danica didn't look comfortable trying to look seductive spread over a car's hood anyway. She sometimes looked liked she was about to burst out laughing. I'm sure Fisher would have had she been conned into it...

[Blazers20]

That would be a fourth-place finish in spite of herself. Took out two other drivers if I recall, correctly.

[indycool]

Folks, Danica Patrick led the "500" with seven laps to go and couldn't race at the finish because she had to conserve fuel. She finished fourth. Dan Wheldon finished his first race at Indy upside down but never heard the dissing about him. There's a long list of those who haven't won it. There's a long list of those who haven't led it.

Same with Sarah Fisher, who won a pole, qualified for another front row and led races during her IRL career and almost won Kentucky once.

IMO, the two women are race drivers, and they're better race drivers than some of the drivers in both series.

The sniveling about Patrick's popularity today -- or Fisher's when she was running the circuit regularly -- is BS.

[weeflyonthewall]

Folks, Danica Patrick led the "500" with seven laps to go and couldn't race at the finish because she had to conserve fuel. She finished fourth. Dan Wheldon finished his first race at Indy upside down but never heard the dissing about him. There's a long list of those who haven't won it. There's a long list of those who haven't led it.

Same with Sarah Fisher, who won a pole, qualified for another front row and led races during her IRL career and almost won Kentucky once.

IMO, the two women are race drivers, and they're better race drivers than some of the drivers in both series.

The sniveling about Patrick's popularity today -- or Fisher's when she was running the circuit regularly -- is BS.

Did Fisher ever get special treatment? Special engine? She will benefit with the rule change. A racer who likes to keep the pedal down. DP plays the fuel conservation card too much.

[indycool]

I didn't see either of them receive "special treatment" or engine. I don't know what argument you're trying to create, but fuel conservation isn't played only by Danica Patrick, nor Travis Gommendy, nor all of NASCAR. Both Fisher and Patrick are racers, period.