FORT WORTH – Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage laughed as he recalled eating lunch eight years ago with teenage IRL driver Sarah Fisher and her father.

"Sarah had her face down in the plate and never said a word," Gossage said. "She was shy and nervous. She's a grown lady now. Today, she's bright and articulate and outgoing."

That quiet first meeting hasn't changed how Gossage feels about Fisher. He believes Fisher is the most talented of the three women scheduled to compete in today's Bombardier Learjet 550 at TMS. That includes Danica Patrick, the most famous of the woman drivers after her fourth-place finish at the Indianapolis 500 two years ago.

It's TMS, not Indy, that Fisher lists as her favorite track on the IndyCar circuit. The reason is simple: Fisher made her series debut at the 1.5-mile oval in 1999, at age 19.

"My dad called a lot of the shots on the car that day," Fisher said. "We built that car together in our race shop in Ohio. For us to take that car and qualify in the top 10 was great. The timing chain popped off it, which didn't make it a great day on the track, but there are a lot of good memories for me there."

Fisher has returned to TMS for the first time since 2003. Her career path has veered in several directions since she started competing against the guys in one of the top levels of open-wheel racing.

She met Richard Childress in 2004, and he talked her into becoming a developmental driver for his NASCAR team. Fisher moved to the West Coast later that season and ran full time in the NASCAR Grand National Division West Series in 2005. She was out on her own for the first time.

"I had to pay my own bills," Fisher said. "When I hit the real world and got a real job, it was like, man, this is how it is. It forces you to grow up."

During Fisher's time away from the IndyCar Series, Patrick stepped into the spotlight. Her Indy finish in 2005 made her a celebrity, and she's now driving for one of the best teams on the circuit, Andretti Green Racing.

Meanwhile, Fisher felt almost forgotten so far from Ohio. She returned there in 2006, and IRL team owner Dennis Reinbold – who had employed Fisher in 2002-03 – brought her aboard for 2007.

"She's much more mature since the beginning of her career," Reinbold said. "Her confidence level is up. She has a hunger now to run well and win, and she's doing everything she can to get there. She has the potential to win races – no question. She's very professional about her job."

Reinbold said Fisher returned to open-wheel racing as a better driver because of her experience with stock cars. Fisher is glad to be back, but said if the right opportunity came along, she'd try to race in NASCAR again.

For now, she has too many other things on her mind. She makes sponsor appearances and proudly answers questions about her role as one of three full-time female drivers in the IndyCar Series. And she's going to be a bride. Fisher and Andy O'Gara, her crew chief, are getting married in September.

O'Gara sees in his future wife a woman who is happy off the track and motivated on it.

"I got to know her in 2002, and I think she's grown up some now since then, for sure," he said. "She was frustrated after 2003, and it was good for her to do something different. Now she's back with a fresh approach. She wants this badly."

And she'll be happy to talk about that. Lunches with Fisher are certainly no longer quiet.

Team: Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

Age: 26

Starts: 56

First start: Oct. 17, 1999 at Texas Motor Speedway

Wins: 0

Poles: 1

Notable: Posted the best finish by a woman in IndyCar Series history when she was second at Homestead-Miami Speedway in April 2001. ... Became the first woman to earn a pole, at Kentucky Speedway in 2002. ... Started her racing career at age 5 in a quarter-midget car. She competed in three midget car series before making her IndyCar Series debut in 1999.