As I look forward to attending my fourth Indianapolis 500 race I can’t help but feel a little differently this year. While some of you may read this and think four is a small number for attending the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, I’ll confess, I am a new fan of the sport, but a PROUD one. 

Whether new or old, something should be said for the group of women in the racing pack this year. As I watched a clip of the 1979 running of the Indianapolis 500, the announcer was interviewing Janet Guthrie.  In 1995, Girls Inc. honored Lyn St. James, the first women to be named the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, with our coveted Touchstone Award.  Women have always had a small presence in the race, but with four leading women this year they are bound for a win!

I have always admired Sarah Fisher, not just because I shook her hand and talked to her two years ago at the Kentucky Speedway, but because I look up to her strength. Sarah is a phenomenal role model for any female, no matter what age. As a driver she was always battling for sponsorships, and despite challenges, she always pulled through and ran alongside her dominant male pack of peers.

Sarah now owns her own Indy Car team, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing. As I see it, she is slowly building an empire of local flavor. As she juggles being a wife, mother, and team owner, I will be cheering her team on this Indianapolis 500 season. With a win, she would put women at the forefront of the Greatest Spectacle of the city of Indianapolis and racing!

Good Luck Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing!