INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – For the first time in the 93-year history of the Indianapolis 500, five females will hit the bricks when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opens for practice this Saturday.

“To have five women enter to qualify in the Indy 500, I think is pretty cool,” said Sarah Fisher who, at 19-years old, was the youngest female driver to race in the 500. “When I started back in 2000, you know it was just me.”

Fisher will be joined in this year’s qualifying with fellow American driver Danica Patrick, Venezuela’s Milka Duno, Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro and Ana Beatriz of Brazil.

“It’s nice…for fans who really enjoy having female drivers,” said Beatriz who will drive for Indianapolis-based Dreyer and Reinbold Racing. “But for me it’s the same. I want to beat all the drivers – Danica, Tony (Kanaan), Simona or Helio (Castroneves) it doesn’t really matter. Inside the track everybody’s a driver.”

“I think it’s going to be pretty cool (to have five female drivers trying to qualify), but you don’t really think about it,” said de Silvestro. “You want to be out there to beat all the other drivers. But, it is pretty cool that there’s five female drivers out there, for sure.”

Third place is the highest finish for any female driver in the history of the Indy 500 (Danica Patrick in 2009). So the question remains – how many years will it take before we witness a woman finish first at IMS?

“ Hopefully this year!” said Fisher. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“Maybe this year…who knows?” said de Silvestro. “Any driver – if everything goes together one race weekend – sure you can with the Indy 500.”

Maybe it will be this year that a woman wins the most coveted prize in racing. One thing is certain: with five females on the entry list, the odds are better than ever.

[News Source]