Fisher teamed with Buhl at the Indianapolis 500 in a second Dreyer & Reinbold Racing entry. She qualified ninth, posting the fastest four-lap average speed of 229-plus miles per hour by a woman in Indianapolis 500 history. She finished 24th in her third start at Indy.
Fisher, an only child, was born in Columbus, Ohio on October 4, 1980. She grew up in Commercial Point, Ohio and was exposed to life at the track at an early age. Her parents took their young daughter to the track to watch her father drive sprint cars. Her first racing experience came as a five-year-old when her parents fitted her for her first race car – a quarter-midget. Fisher graduated from Teays Valley High School in 1999, seventh in her class with honors and a 4.178 grade point average. She enrolled at Ohio State University in order to pursue an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering but before the school year began, Fisher received a call to race in the IndyCar Series. She later attended Butler University on a part-time basis pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, but due to the demands of her schedule, left the university. She also attended Ellis College of New York Institute of Technology for a short time.
For the 87th Indianapolis 500, Fisher was funded by AOL, Checkers/Rally's, Raybestos, ATA and TAG Heuer. Fisher started 24th and finished 31st, completing only 14 laps before making contact with the Turn 3 wall after engine problems plagued her day. She was without radio communication from her crew during the race. She ended the season 18th in the standings in her second season with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Despite her struggle on the track, her fans stuck by her side and voted her the IndyCar Series Most Popular Driver for the third consecutive year.
As a child, she raced quarter midgets and karts until she was a teenager, winning the 1991, 1993 & 1994 World Karting Association Grand National Championships, the 1993 Circleville Points Championship and the 1994 WKA Grand National Championship. From 1995–99, she raced in the sprint car and midget ranks, winning the 1995 Dirt Track Racing Round-Up Rookie of the Year award. She had a very successful career racing in the World of Outlaws. In 1997, she was named to the 62-race All-Stars Circuit of Champions series, earning a second-place finish at Eldora Speedway. She held the track record at historic Winchester Speedway until it was broken by current NASCAR driver, Ryan Newman.
In the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500, Fisher was taken out of the race when Tony Kanaan spun in front of her on Lap 106, ending her seventh attempt at the checkered flag. She became just the second female owner/driver, the first being Janet Guthrie, to compete in the race and tied Lyn St. James for the most number of starts for a woman at seven apiece. After she was knocked from the field, a highly emotional Fisher told ESPN's Jamie Little that she was unsure if they would have the money to compete at the two additional races they had planned to compete at, Kentucky and Chicagoland Speedway's, due to Gravity Entertainment failing to make payment on sponsorship dollars.
After Fisher was unable to convince sponsors to fund her IndyCar Series efforts, and unable to get out of her contract with uncompetitive Kelly Racing, sponsors stood in line to fund a NASCAR effort. Bill McAnally Racing signed Fisher to the a three-year contract the first of which she would compete under the radar in the NASCAR West Series. McAnally, a veteran car owner in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series with three consecutive series championships (1999, 2000 and 2001) to his credit. She made her stock car debut in the race at Phoenix International Raceway on October 3. she drove the No. 20 NASCAR Select by NAPA Filters Chevrolet in the Subway 150. Fisher will join BMR at Phoenix as a teammate to Austin Cameron, who was second in the championship standings at that time. The event was the 10th in a 13-race schedule for the series that year. Fisher qualified 14th but, during the race, was forced to give up her position in the 28-car field to fix an inoperative radio. Even though she started last, she worked her way into ninth place before car problems beset her, and the crew pushed it into the garage on Lap 120. She finished 21st.
In 2000, Fisher and her father and then-crew chief, Dave Fisher, sought new challenges in the world of asphalt racing. She raced in ARCA, NAMARS and USAC sanctioned events, a competitive schedule that helped prepare her for life in the IRL IndyCar Series.
In 2001, Fisher claimed a second-place finish at the IRL's inaugural race at Homestead-Miami Speedway the best result ever by a woman in Indy-style racing until Danica Patrick claimed victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300. She earned two top-10 finishes in her second year with Walker Racing. In her second Indianapolis 500, she started 15th and finished 31st, because of an accident on Lap 7 with Canadian Scott Goodyear. She was voted the IRL Crew Most Popular Driver in crew and fan balloting throughout the season.
She was given the chance to drive a McLaren Formula One car that year, around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-course, in between Friday practice sessions for the 2002 United States Grand Prix on September 29.
The 2003 season started with uncertainty as Dreyer & Reinbold Racing struggled to fund a second entry for Sarah Fisher, after Robbie Buhl was funded by Purex for the 2003 season. A last minute deal was inked to run Fisher at Homestead-Miami Speedway after WeGotGear signed on board for the one-race deal. GM Upromise and Raybestos Brand Brakes stepped up to fund Fisher's Phoenix International Raceway entry, where she finished eighth.
On February 24, 2004, it was announced that Sarah Fisher would drive for Kelley Racing in the 88th Indianapolis 500. Fisher started 19th and finished 21st for Kelley Racing. She completed 177 laps, of 180 laps run, in the rain-shortened race won by Buddy Rice.
In 2005, Fisher captured four top-ten finishes in her first full season in the NASCAR West Series in 2005, capturing the stock car racing series' Rookie of the Year title. She finished the season running in 12th in the chase for the NASCAR Camping World West Series title which made her eligible to compete in the 3rd Annual NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway. She finished 11th in the race. She was voted the Most Popular Driver in that series, making her a four-time Most Popular Driver Award winner.
On August 3, 2006 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing gave Fisher a new opportunity when she landed a two race deal to drive in the August 13 race at Kentucky Speedway and in the September 10 race at Chicagoland Speedway. With the entry of Danica Patrick for the race, it marked only the second time two women have competed in the same IRL race. The first time was the 2000 Indianapolis 500 where both Fisher and Lyn St. James competed. Fisher finished in 12th place, out of 19 cars, at Kentucky and 16th at Chicago for the low-budget Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team.
AAA – Fisher signed a three-year deal with AAA on March 7, 2007. Fisher will represent AAA Hoosier Insurance through television ads, billboards and other promotional materials while touting the AAA tagline, "Insure with someone you Trust." Additionally, Fisher will make a limited number of personal appearances on behalf of AAA Hoosier Motor Club.
Dollar General – Dollar General signed on to sponsor Fisher on July 17, 2008, for two races during the 2008 IndyCar Series season. They served as Fisher's primary sponsor during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Fisher met her Future husband, Andy O'Gara, in 2002 at Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, where O'Gara was Fisher's left tire changer. During an interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on May 18, 2009, Fisher claimed to have run over O'Gara. The two began dating in 2004 and became engaged on October 4, 2005––Fisher's 25th birthday. O'Gara was Fisher's Crew Chief at Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in 2007. The couple married at St. Roch Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Saturday, September 15, 2007. Among those in attendance were Lyn St. James, Ed Carpenter and Tony George. Fisher and O'Gara have a daughter named Zoe O'Gara (born on September 13, 2011) and a son named Daniel James O'Gara (born on June 12, 2014).
Fisher began writing 99 Things Women Wish They knew Before Getting Behind The Wheel of Their Dream Job in mid-2009 with her then-Agent/Manager Klint Briney and author Lindsey Gobel and was released on May 10, 2010. The book was released by Beaufort Books, named the fastest growing independent publisher of 2007 by Publishers Weekly. Her book, part of the 99 Series’ revolutionary and pioneering series of self-help books, is peppered with quotes from other female pioneers, including Ashley Judd (actress), Bea Perez (Coca-Cola), Angela Braly (WellPoint) Ashley Force (NHRA Funny Car driver), Jill McGill (LPGA golfer), Candy Coburn (National Performing Artist and Susan G. Komen for the Cure Ambassador) and Lyn St. James (retired race car driver). The book offers success stories and tips aimed at creating opportunities for a new generation of women Leaders as a guide to harness the horsepower of their own potential. The foreword was written by Janet Guthrie.
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
