HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Sarah Fisher will be an owner/driver in the IndyCar Series this year after she announced the formation of Sarah Fisher Racing. Fisher will drive the No. 67 car in honor of her successful USAC midget car and will begin competing in 2008 at the Indianapolis 500.
Fisher was joined at a press conference at Homestead-Miami Speedway by female racing pioneers Janet Guthrie and Lyn St. James. Guthrie was the first woman to start the Indianapolis 500 in 1978 while St. James earned Indianapolis 500 Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 1992. The two combined for 10 Indianapolis 500 starts.
“We’re trying to build outwards from (Indy),” said the 27-year-old Fisher. “We have things in place. We’re in final negotiations contract-wise with our primary sponsor. Things are looking really good. We would love to run Texas, Chicago and Kentucky. We would love to have some more opportunities, and we’re working on those constructively.
“Going into the off-season this year, I kind of looked at all my options and evaluated sort of where I wanted to go and what my plans were big picture-wise. The best option for me was to start my own team because I think in the long run that’s a better plan for us and for me going forward.”
One of Fisher’s strongest supporters is Guthrie, the first female driver ever to compete in the Indianapolis 500 in 1977.
“She’s the one who in the 21st century broke the records that I set before she was born, qualifying on the pole at Kentucky, finishing second here at Homestead,” Guthrie said. “It’s hard to believe that 30 years have passed since I was in Sarah’s shoes, doing what she is doing, grappling with the mind-boggling complexities and details of forming and managing my own team for the Indianapolis 500.”

• Panther Racing announced that the Army National Guard will be a co-primary sponsor of the No. 4 IndyCar Series car driven by Vitor Meira. Delphi will continue as the other co-primary sponsor.
“It’s fantastic,” Meira said. “We’ve been working on this for the whole off-season. It really paid off. It’s really, really good to have National Guard on board with us. It’s unbelievable how much not only the know-how but respect and everything that comes with what they have. To be representing that, it’s going to be awesome. We have a lot to learn with each other. It’s a new season for us. It’s a new adventure for the National Guard.”

• Milka Duno has joined Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. She will drive the No. 23 CITGO-sponsored car in select IndyCar Series races this season and will team with Buddy Rice, who returns for his second season with the team in the No. 15 car.
Duno made seven starts with SAMAX Motorsport in the IndyCar Series in 2007, with a best finish of 11th at Texas Motor Speedway.
“I’m very pleased to get an opportunity with Dreyer & Reinbold to take the next step in my career,” Duno said. “I felt comfortable with them right away in the first few meetings. I think that working together with them will make me move forward.”

• Vision Racing has re-signed drivers Ed Carpenter and A.J. Foyt IV to the team for the 2008 IndyCar Series season. Carpenter will be participating in his fourth-consecutive season with Vision Racing in the No. 20 entry, while Foyt is returning for his second season with the team. Foyt will drive the No. 2 machine this year.
Carpenter recorded six top-10 finishes for the team in 2007, while Foyt recorded his first career top-five finish.

• Meijer announced a newly-expanded sponsorship program with Andretti Green Racing’s No. 26 entry and driver Marco Andretti, which will allow Meijer the opportunity to rise to the level of major sponsor in two of its key markets during the 2008 IndyCar Series season.