INDYCAR: Fisher-Hartman partnership in jeopardy

For the past 17 years, Sarah Fisher has lived for IndyCar racing – as a driver, owner, sponsor finder and series spokesperson that was voted most popular several times by the fans. She's spent all her time and most of her money trying to fight the little team battle and has a couple of hard-fought victories and tons of respect in the IndyCar paddock.

But, as the 2016 Verizon IndyCar season looms, the lone female owner in the series is facing the reality it may all be over. Her partner, Wink Hartman, is feeling the brunt of plummeting oil prices and pulling back his financial commitment. Direct Supply is still on board and she's hoping Century 21 stays with her but the reality is that Josef Newgarden's home for the past four years is dire straits.

The team that merged with Ed Carpenter to form Carpenter/Fisher/Hartman Racing last year is looking more and more like Ed Carpenter Racing.

"Obviously the concern for where the funding will come from for the operation of the equipment Wink and I own together as partners has been on deck for awhile, even this past year," said Fisher. "My motivation, regardless of how it's labeled, is to see that Josef has a quality ride surrounding him capable of winning races, just like the assembly of guys Andy (O'Gara) and I were fortunate enough to put together for the start of 2015."

Hartman (RIGHT, with Fisher), who first joined Fisher as a sponsor in 2008 before becoming a partner in 2011, said last fall at Sonoma he wasn't going to be able to spend the millions he usually does on Newgarden's effort but guaranteed that IndyCar's rising star would be on the grid this year. He owns the race shop and 75 percent of the cars and equipment with Sarah owning the other 25 percent.

The CFH team that led the most laps in 2015 and won twice already has a different look. Eight crew members on Fisher's side were let go a few weeks ago and Andy O'Gara, who served as team manager and strategist for Newgarden, left the team to run the Fisher family's new karting and restaurant enterprise on Main Street in Speedway.

Carpenter, who could not be reached for comment on this story, wants to run all the ovals and find a road racer for the rest of the schedule like he did with Luca Fillipi in 2015. Yet it's not known if his Fuzzy's sponsorship will be needed to help Newgarden and, therefore, Ed's program might have to be scaled back.

But, unless Fisher can round up some sponsors in the next two months, her role in the team seems less likely to be in the same capacity – at the helm.

"Indianapolis is everything to me and I'll be around in May," she vowed. "I'm just not sure what I'll be doing."