Fast Lap: Sarah Fisher

Written by
Matt Anderson
Published3/4/2021
Sarah Fisher raced quarter midgets and go-karts before age 10, and became only the third woman — and the youngest — to compete in the Indy 500 in 2000. Get a quick look at her career and accomplishments on our blog.

Fast Lap: Sarah Fisher

Written by
Matt Anderson
Published3/4/2021
Two women wearing lanyards pose with arms around each other, with a grandstand full of people in the background

Sarah Fisher with Lyn St. James. Photo courtesy Lyn St. James.

Born October 4, 1980, in Columbus, Ohio, Sarah Fisher raced quarter midgets and go-karts before age 10, and earned multiple karting championships in her teens. When she competed in her first Indianapolis 500 in 2000, she was only the third woman to do so (after Janet Guthrie and Lyn St. James) and—at age 19—the youngest. With her third-place finish at Kentucky Speedway later that season, Fisher became the first woman to earn a place on the podium in an IndyCar Series event.

Red jumpsuit with black trim containing text and corporate logos on bodice
Racing suit worn by Sarah Fisher in 2009, which will be on exhibit in Driven to Win: Racing in America in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.  / THF176380

Fisher retired from driving after 2010 (and after nine starts in the Indy 500), but continued as a team owner. In 2011, Fisher became the first female owner to earn an IndyCar victory, with driver Ed Carpenter at the wheel.


Matt Anderson is Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford.

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