While the hype involving Danica Patrick has reached a fever pitch for today’s Indy 500, it’s worth mentioning that there’s another female driver on the other side of the spectrum.

While Patrick is almost drowning in publicity and endorsements, Sarah Fisher, who started 22nd, is running her own team on a shoestring budget, and almost didn’t have a sponsor for the today’s race.

Fisher secured a sponsorship from text 4 cars.com on Thursday, after her earlier sponsor failed to deliver the check after signing an agreement. She also received money from local university IUPUI, and from a few other “grassroots” sources. From THE STAR PRESS:

“Walking through the garages, it’s so cool that fans are handing me a 20 or a 50 or even a 100,” said Fisher, the 27-year-old driver, who has qualified seven times for the Indianapolis 500. “It’s been tremendous.

“I thank them, but I don’t know what to say. I ask them, ‘What can I do for you?’ It’s really cool to have people being so supportive.” [In] qualifying 22nd for today’s 92nd running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, she will earn at least $270,000, which is the minimum amount awarded to each qualified driver.

So it was doubly unfortunate that Fisher crashed into Tony Kanaan on lap 106. Fisher cried during an interview after walking out of the infield hospital. But not everyone has been sympathetic to Sarah, as seen in this ORLANDO SENTINEL post:

My wife mentioned just said, “wow, it’s lap 12 and Sarah Fisher hasn’t crashed yet.”

Wow. That’s just mean.