Wheels without much fortune
Posted on Saturday, July 19, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE — At the IndyCar level, the richest racing teams have as many as 100 employees in various roles on their payroll.
Consider the work force driver Sarah Fisher’s family-owned, self-supported team possesses. Multitasking abilities are at the forefront of job qualifications.
“We only employ about four or five [full time ] people,” Fisher said. “But our four or five folks we have on payroll are good at what they do. They’re well-rounded people who can do more than one thing, which is important at a small company.” Fisher though remains a popular figure in IndyCar racing as one of a handful of female drivers who’ve competed in open wheel racing. She spent the past two days making promotional appearances in Northwest Arkansas. Fisher spoke at the Fayetteville Boys and Girls Club on Thursday night, then appeared at a local tire dealer whose brand fits the Indy cars and attended a charity golf tournament at Stonebridge Meadows Country Club in Fayetteville that raised $ 20, 000 in scholarships for the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business.
Fisher is working on a shoestring budget as she and her husband / crew chief, Andy O’Gara, and his father, John, chose to form Sarah Fisher Racing Team this season after she bounced around with several racing teams since beginning her IndyCar career at age 19 in 2000.
Some of the less heralded racing teams have struggled securing sponsorship deals as open wheel racing’s mainstream appeal dipped when NASCAR’s popularity boomed in recent decades and IndyCar drivers made a controversial split into the Indy Racing League and CART circuits.
A unification of the two for this season hopes to funnel more money into the series, but Fisher’s modest team still must depend on sponsorship money to survive.
Planning to run three races this season, starting with the Super Bowl of open wheel cars, last May’s Indianapolis 500, Fisher’s team thought it struck a deal with a Floridabased energy drink company, the ironically named RESQ. But the company’s failure to meet its financial obligation left the team almost penniless and scrambling to qualify for the Indy 500.
“I don’t like to dwell on the negative things that have happened. I’m trying to be a positive person about where you’re going; it’s important,” Fisher said. “I think it’s also important to be able to learn from the things that have happened.” Danica Patrick is the IndyCar Series’ glam girl, but Fisher, 27, is proud of her girl-next-door, approachable persona. She’s never won a race in 68 career IndyCar starts, but fans nonetheless voted her the Indy Racing League’s most popular driver for three consecutive seasons from 2001-2003.
Her fans showered her with checks when her sponsor woes became public during the days leading up to the Indy 500. Roughly $ 30, 000 was raised and Fisher said she was humbled by the gestures.
Still, without a big budget, the team helped fund the costs out of its own pocket, spending a reported $ 100, 000.
“It’s a start-up year and hey, every company that goes in their first year invests everything they have and takes the risk and this is no different,” Fisher said.
The Indy 500 wasn’t therapeutic either. Starting 22 nd, her car spun just 13 laps into the race. She didn’t hit the wall and was able to get back on the track, but her day ended on lap 106 when then race leader Tony Kanaan spun right in front of Fisher, whose car swerved into the wall in front of pit row.
“She worked so hard this month, her husband and her family, to put this deal together,” Kanaan told the Chicago Tribune. “She deserved a lot better than that.” It’s been a tough couple of years at times not having a ride for an entire season. She drove full time for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing in 2007 but only managed two top 10 ’s in races, though she finished a careerbest 17 th in overall points.
Only when Dollar General stores agreed earlier this week to sponsor the No. 67 Honda car for her two other scheduled races later this summer in Kentucky and Chicago could Team Fisher ensure making the events. She’s hopeful Dollar General remains on board for 2009, but nothing is guaranteed considering hers is a race team in its infant stages.
“I would describe it as challenging. It is stressful. And it’s my first year of marriage and to work with my husband, we’ve argued a lot but we’ve also enjoyed it,” Fisher said. “Most couples get married and have kids. But this is our baby. It’s midnight and your changing diapers, but at midnight we’re thinking about the race team.” IRL driver standings 1. Scott Dixon........................................ 420 2. Helio Castroneves.............................. 357 3. Dan Wheldon..................................... 351 4. Tony Kanaan...................................... 339 5. Danica Patrick.................................... 266 6. Hideki Mutoh..................................... 254 7. Marco Andretti................................... 253 8. Ryan Briscoe...................................... 243 9. Ryan Hunter-Reay............................. 232 10. Ed Carpenter.................................... 222 11. Oriol Servia...................................... 220 12. Buddy Rice....................................... 214 13. Will Power........................................ 213 14. Darren Manning............................... 211 15. Vitor Meira....................................... 203 16. Graham Rahal.................................. 201 17. E. J. Viso........................................... 190 18. A. J. Foyt IV...................................... 189 19. Justin Wilson................................... 183 20. Enrique Bernoldi.............................. 172 35. Sarah Fisher....................................... 10
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
