Sarah Fisher should change her name to Danica Patrick

Sarah Fisher should change her name to Danica Patrick. If she did, her latest problem might be solved in a jiffy.

Fisher used to be a racing driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series (they called it the IRL back then) and, in fact, was the first woman to win a pole in that series. She was always voted most popular driver. Although she came close a few times, she didn’t win a race and eventually retired to raise a family and become a team owner.

Last season, her driver, Ed Carpenter, won the race at Kentucky, making her the first woman owner in Indy car racing history to make it to Victory Lane. During the off-season, she acquired a moneyed partner, Willis Hartman, built a team headquarters near the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, got one of the new Dallara chassis for 2012 and contracted to have young American Josef Newgarden, the 2011 Indy Lights champion, drive for her.

Everything looked rosy until the last week or so. Then she found out her application for inclusion in the league’s Leader Circle subsidy program had been rejected and now she’s found out that she can’t get an engine in time for the start of the season, which is scheduled for late March in St. Petersburg, Fla.

IndyCar, after years of being a one-make series, opened up competition in the engine area for 2012. Chevrolet and Lotus were selected to join long-time partner Honda in providing power for series entrants. Fisher tried for a Chevy engine but was turned down. Honda has offered to supply one for Indianapolis. There are suggestions that she could have had one from Lotus but opted not to apply.

It’s easy to point the finger of scorn at times like these. It’s IndyCar’s fault, or it’s Chevrolet’s fault, or it’s Lotus’s fault, or it’s somebody else’s fault. I would venture to suggest it might be Sarah Fisher’s fault, in that her team has never been able to run a car for a full season and everybody in the Leader Circle and supplied-engine programs has a track record in that area. Promises of future participation only go so far when there is no history.

But be that as it may, I guarantee the situation would be resolved lickety-split if her name was Danica Patrick and not Sarah Fisher.

Patrick’s name turns heads and opens doors. She’s everybody’s favourite. There are big reasons why NASCAR laid out the red carpet for her and they go far beyond the bikini pictures (which are ancient history anyway).

She is forceful, cooperative, cheerful, optimistic, happy, pretty, jovial, ambitious, intense and focused. She never takes her eye off the ball, regardless of the situation or circumstance. She is all business, all the time.

I’m sure Fisher has many of these attributes. But something’s missing or she wouldn’t be in the fix she’s in.

I suggest she take a serious look at what Patrick has done to build on her abilities to drive a racing car really fast and then at herself to determine her future course.

I’m only kidding when I say Fisher should change her name. On the other hand, it might be a good start to adopting some of Patrick’s persona.

Comments

[Web Johnson]

The world could not stand 2 Danica's. The media would have insufficient room to gush about 2 of them. The hyperbole and BS count would rise to proportions so high that a mass suicide of innocent people who have been inundated with the Danica-hype would surely result. No, keep your name Sarah. Yes, media, stop hyping the simply average Danica.

[Crash]

"She is forceful, cooperative, cheerful, optimistic, happy, pretty, jovial, ambitious, intense and focused. She never takes her eye off the ball, regardless of the situation or circumstance. She is all business, all the time."

I think that describes Sarah Fischer too. And I am as perplexed as you are.I'd say she must have ticked of somebody. But in any case, shes better off to take the Honda and just run Indy. Win the damn thing, and then go home for the rest of the season, since Team Gannassi is going to win most of the other races, and most people don't really care about the rest of the season anyway.

[Larry]

This is really unfortunate. I always felt Sarah was a much better driver than Danica, but didn't have the sex appeal (Sarah is an attractive woman, but didn't use her looks as a marketing tool). If Sarah had driven some of the cars Danica has, I believe there would have been more than a single gas mileage victory.

[indyfan]

Sarah never even made a pitch for Leaders Circle money this year. SFHR did not choose to pony up the $60k fee that IndyCar charged each team that wanted to make a presentation to compete for the remaining two available slots.

Bryan Herta Autosports has an engine and never participated full-time, and neither Dragon nor Rahal Letterman Lanigan ran full-time last year...and both of those teams have two engine leases in place.

It's "Dallara", not "Dalarra".

And Danica certainly was not always happy, cheerful, and jovial. Ask Milka Duno about that...or anybody who's spent a weekend in the IndyCar paddock.

[Peter]

Had Sarah Fisher ever been given a shot at a drive with one of the big 3 Indy teams I'm sure she could have won a race, Had she ever done a swimsuit spread for SI,she probably would have gotten one of those drives.

Sarah however is a driver with integrity who doesn't go around blaming everyone but herself for any on track incident. I'd say Danica could still learn much from Sarah.

[Jolandi Kerstetter]

Well, both girls have their own identity and careers in and out of the track, and I think Sarah wouldn't try to be like Danica just so her subsidy application would be accepted. Also, she and her team are ready to perform this season so there's nothing to bother about. All there is left to do is lower the visor, grip the steering wheel, and get ready for the green light!