Sarah Fisher to test McLaren.

With interest in Formula One growing slowly in America - and Red Bull owner Dieter Mateschitz poised to reveal his Team USA academy - American female racer Sarah Fisher is set to complete a demonstration run in a McLaren at Indianapolis next Friday.

Although the McLaren run and Mateschitz's academy are completely unrelated, Fisher's appearance at Indianapolis will create further interest in the sport, and make her the first woman to drive a Formula One car since Italian Giovanna Amati back in 1992.

The 21-year old Kentucky native regularly competes in the Indy Racing League [IRL] for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and has just completed her third season in the championship. Earlier this year she took pole position for the Kentucky race, and has a second and third place race finish to her credit. She is also a TAG Heuer 'ambassador' in the United States, a common link to the McLaren team.

Fisher visited McLaren team headquarters in Woking for a seat fitting yesterday [Wednesday] to ensure that she will be comfortable and safe in the car, and had an opportunity to meet team members and management who will be assisting her on the day. She will be driving the spare West McLaren Mercedes MP4-17 - which the team takes to every race as an additional car for either of their regular drivers - in the demonstration run, which will take place in the build up to the SAP United States Grand Prix.

"I'm obviously very excited about driving a Formula One car in front of my home crowd," said Fisher, who now lives in Indianapolis, "It's extremely rare to get a chance like this and I can't wait. I'm grateful to TAG Heuer, Bernie Ecclestone and West McLaren Mercedes for making this happen, and hopefully it will help to promote Formula One in the USA and will also bring international attention to my series, the Indy Racing League as well."

Fisher only recently became an ambassador for TAG Heuer and will assist the company in launching its new watch - the F1 Micrograph - in America.

"Sarah is TAG Heuer's American driver and ambassador in the prestigious IRL, where she is enjoying a remarkable career and we are proud and honoured that Bernie Ecclestone and West McLaren Mercedes shared our enthusiasm for the initiative," said Jean-Christophe Babin, president and CEO of TAG Heuer, "She shares with TAG Heuer luxury sports watches the same obsession for excellence and perfection, and we are glad she can drive a West McLaren Mercedes Formula One car run
by a team we have been partnering for more than 15 years."

"We are pleased to provide Sarah with this one-off opportunity," added Martin Whitmarsh, MD at McLaren International, "Through our 39 year history we have never had a female drive one of our Formula One cars, so I guess it's about time. Hopefully Sarah's demonstration will assist in promoting Formula One in America further and give her a taste of the category."