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Notebook Questions different for Fisher this time around
INDIANAPOLIS (CNNSI.com) -- It's still tough for Sarah Fisher to field interview requests. It's the questions that are different. "I've been a media darling for a long time," Fisher said Wednesday after another practice session for the Indianapolis 500. "But I think it's a lot more on my merit now, rather than my appearance or my gender. I think that's the case, or at least I hope it is." There's good reason for interest in Fisher. At age 20, she is the youngest driver in the Indy 500 starting grid. In her last five races, Fisher has finished in the top five twice, including second at Homestead, Fla., in early April. She's also finished 11th twice in that span. She's pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at Butler University in Indianapolis, and Saturday she qualified 15th in the 33-car field, going 222.548 mph. But she discourages talk about her place among women race-car drivers. "I'm not into that women's sports thing," she said. "I never have been, and I never will be. It's always about being the best you can be. If I have the talent to beat Eddie Cheever once in a while, then I'll drive. If I can't, then I won't." Chasing RobertoThe speed to beat is Roberto Guerrero's 220.054 mph, and it's that speed non-qualifiers have targeted this week in practice. Finding that kind of speed, however, was difficult in Wednesday's muggy conditions. Of the 23 cars on the track, only four -- two of Greg Ray's cars, Shigeaki Hattori and Airton Dare -- were faster than Guerrero. All three drivers already are in the field. The fastest non-qualifier Wednesday was Billy Boat's 219.203. "We know we need to find a couple more miles per hour to feel good about our position in the race," said Boat, a one-time pole-sitter at Indianapolis. "What we're really trying to do is work on our consistency." Killing timeWhat's a driver with no fear of getting bumped to do this week? Not much if you listen to rookie Jon Herb. "Racing is like that," he said. "Friends come down and what they don't understand is that when it comes to drivers, there isn't a lot to do until we get in the car. We just sit around till we're ready to go." The truth can be found on the track. Since winning the pole Saturday, Scott Sharp has not even practiced. In fact, Mark Dismore, Jeff Ward, Greg Ray and Robbie Buhl were the only drivers in the first rour rows to practice Wednesday.
Boesel's backRaul Boesel has made 12 Indy 500 starts, and now Boesel may get another chance to make the field. The Treadway-Hubbard team announced Wednesday it has asked Boesel, a Brazilian native, to practice in its backup car. Boesel, 43, drove for Treadway last year and started 24th at the Indy 500. He finished 16th. Treadway-Hubbard vice president Scott Cronk said in a statement there would be no decision until Sunday about whether Boesel will try to qualify.
Pit stopsNinety-four cars made up the Indy 500 entry list. But 27 of those cars still have not been at the track. ... Fisher's practice Wednesday was cut short by an oil pressure problem in her backup car. ... Eliseo Salazar, who crashed twice last week and sustained a blown engine Sunday, did not practice Wednesday. Two other drivers who had first-week crashes, Stan Wattles and Casey Mears, did practice. Wattles' best lap was 196.488, while Mears' best was 107.043.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
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