INDYCAR’s Sarah Fisher On The Transition From Winning Race Car Driver To Winning Team Owner

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INDYCAR’s Sarah Fisher On The Transition From Winning Race Car Driver To Winning Team Owner

12:30 pm, November 23rd | by Sarah Devlin

Imagine going to work every day at a race track. If you’re Sarah Fisher, that’s just another day at the office. Fisher has made racing her career, first as a driver and then as a team owner. To succeed in a male dominated field like race car driving is a feat on its own; to do it as an owner too is a rare feat. She, however, wasn’t particularly fazed by the challenge of transitioning from racer to owner. “Well, I think at first, when I was an athlete prior to [being an owner] I felt that I could be a business owner too,” she said in a phone interview in October. “I could be more than just an athlete. I feel like I’ve even done better than when I was an athlete.”

Her confidence can also be attributed to growing up around racing. “My mom and dad raced, so it was very much the family sport,” she said. “And you know, my family did it mostly as a hobby and so I took it to the next level, but I had a lot of support as well.” She’s continued that racing tradition in her own family as well after becoming an owner. After her success as a driver, she has found it gratifying to win races as an owner, especially since the transition coincided with her decision to start a family. “Having my 3-year-old daughter in the victory circle with [me]” was one of Fisher’s most memorable moments as a team owner. She’s not sure that she would urge her daughter to follow her exact career path, however. “I don’t think I’ll encourage or deter her either way,” she said. “[Racing] takes a lot of mental strength — you have to choose it yourself.”

As far as the differences between owning and racing go, Fisher hasn’t found the transition to be much of a challenge. “I don’t know that I enjoy [owning] any more [than racing]. I enjoy them same the same amount, though there are different repsonsibilities that go with the two different job titles. I do love being able to assemble a great team of people and get great performances out of them.” Whether one is behind the wheel or overseeing the whole operation, trust is paramount. “As an athlete going 200 to 300 miles per hour, it’s important to trust the people you are working with.”

She is modest about her racing success and its impact on her as a team owner. “A lot of owners come in with a racing background, so there’s not a huge advantage. However, having been in cars recently has been huge advantage, since it was only two years ago [that I was racing].” As for young women looking to get into racing, or just hoping to succeed in a heavily male-dominated field, her advice is simple enough: “Make sure people around you are not only kind to you but also to the other people around you. It’s important in racing to surround yourself with good people — just as in any business, it’s so important to work with genuine people who are genuine to others as well.”