2009 Indy 500: Previewing The Women in the 2009 Indy Starting Field
(Pictured: Milka Duno, Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick)
Dateline: Indianpolis Motor Speedway
The Women:
Once again there will be three women starting the Indianapolis 500. In this edition of our Indy 500 preview we will take a look at those women as well as their starting positions and my opinions on there chances of winning the Indianapolis 500.
Pos. 30
Milka Duno
Car # 23
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 221.106/2:42.8180
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 221.106/2:42.8180
Milka Duno is back for her third Indianapolis 500. Her best finish was in 2008 where she came in 19th place. This is her second year with Dreyer and Reinbold racing and carries the Venezualan’s familiar CITGO livery. Nationality has it’s privileges. In racing, money is sometimes more important than talent or skill, and though Milka is certainly qualified to be in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, there are certainly better drivers out there who just don’t have the financial backing that Ms. Duno does. Maybe best known for her mini fight with Danica Patrick in 2008 at Mid Ohio, she will be in the back for the majority of the day. Her only chance at finishing higher than 19th this year would be due to a high attrition rate within the rest of the field.
Pos. 21
Sarah Fisher
Car # 67
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 222.082/2:42.1022
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 222.082/2:42.1022
Sarah Fisher is back for her 8th Indianapolis 500, and her second as team owner. She carries a solid sponsorship program this year as Dollar General has signed on for a series of races in the 2009 season. One of my standout memories of Sarah Fisher unfortunately came from the 2000 race when she collided with the other woman racer (Lyn St. James) taking them both out on lap 74. It was probably the worst case scenario for both drivers, as their were jokes all along the front straight after the accident. But this year she is back and ready to compete. Her qualifying speed of 222.082 puts her just 1/2 a second behind the pace for the Pole sitter, Helio Castroneves. If things go right for her, and her pit crew is able to adequately and quickly service her car and get her back out to the speedway, I would look to see Sarah with a solid top 15 finish.
Pos. 10
Danica Patrick
Car # 7
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 222.882/2:41.5205
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 222.882/2:41.5205
Darling Danica gears up for her 6th Indy 500. Her previous best finish was 4th in 2005, where she became the first woman to ever lead the Indianapolis 500. She also became the first woman to win a major
league open wheel racing event in 2008 where she won at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. Back again with the Andretti Green team and with rumors abound of a jump to NASCAR at seasons end, I expect to see Danica finish in the top 5. She has done well here, and when she controls her outcome she has an average finishing position of 6. Last year due to contact and the infamous pit lane stroll down to Ryan Briscoes pit stall after some contact, she finished 22nd. If there were ever to be a woman to win the Indianapolis 500, I think it could be Danica. So if you’re looking for a longshot, look no further than the #7 car sponsored by Boost Mobile.
league open wheel racing event in 2008 where she won at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. Back again with the Andretti Green team and with rumors abound of a jump to NASCAR at seasons end, I expect to see Danica finish in the top 5. She has done well here, and when she controls her outcome she has an average finishing position of 6. Last year due to contact and the infamous pit lane stroll down to Ryan Briscoes pit stall after some contact, she finished 22nd. If there were ever to be a woman to win the Indianapolis 500, I think it could be Danica. So if you’re looking for a longshot, look no further than the #7 car sponsored by Boost Mobile.Indy 500 coverage continues right here as we take a look at the other notables in this years race. Stay tuned to MidwestSportsFans.com for up to date Indy 500 coverage.
Tags: Danica Patrick, indianapolis 500, indy 500, indy 500 preview, IndyCar, milka duno, NASCAR, sarah fisher
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Guess the writer is missing the boat here. Milka has been racing an inferior car than Danica’s. Money has no relevance with Milka qualifying her inferior car at 221+ MPH. If the writer do a little research he will find that Milka has been very successfully in other types of formula driving such as endurance races (24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring, etc.) and other type of road races. Milka is perhaps the highest educated and probably the smartest driver in IRL. FYI, she is an experienced naval engineer with four Master Degrees – (Organizational Development, Naval Architecture, Marine Biology and Maritime Business). I am pretty sure she would have been successful driving a Penske, Andretti Green or Ganassi car.
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Equipment definitely makes a difference, but it’s a catch 22 right? There’s a reason the best drivers end up in the best equipment. Skill.
I also agree that Milka is brilliant. Very smart person, no doubt. I do fail to see how a degree in marine biology is relatable to an IndyCar drivers success.
I will say the writer must have some knowledge. He picked helio to win, Sarah in top 15 (she was 17), danica to be top 5 (she was 3rd) and Milka to be no higher than 19th (she was 20).
Regardless, it was a great race!
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