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After Danica Patrick signed a long-term deal to stay in the Indy Racing League, the series landed a second woman driver here Thursday when Sarah Fisher announced she will race next week.
The veteran of 48 Indy-car starts returns to the series after a two-year absence at the Indy 300 on August 13 at Kentucky Speedway with Dreyer and Reinbold, who used Buddy Lazier and Australian Ryan Briscoe in earlier races.
"It has been some time and there is a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully, it will be like riding a bike, but I am sure that there will be challenges we will have to figure out how to hurdle," Fisher said.
"This weekend is all about getting back on the bike. It's a personal goal of mine to at least run in the top 10. I want to be there at the end and racing as hard as I did before, and that in itself will achieve results."
Fisher, whose most recent IRL race was the 2004 Indianapolis 500, became the first woman to win an Indy-car pole, in 2002 at Kentucky.
Patrick made a landmark rookie run at Indy last year, becoming the first woman to lead the famed oval race. But she has yet to reach the podium in an Indy-car race.
Fisher has the best finishes for any woman in series history, taking second at Miami in 2001 and third at Kentucky in 2000, and said she will not be targeting Patrick in a race within the race.
"I'm here to race against everyone," said Fisher. "I'm here to do the best I can and ultimately get back to the level of IndyCars that put me up front.
"Danica and I are two individuals competing in a man's world.I don't look at her any differently than all the other drivers. We are different people who want to achieve the same result."
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AFP 032025 GMT 08 06
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