Team owner Derrick Walker sought a young driver who could appeal to both fans and his sponsors; he felt Fisher was the ideal person. Prior to the race in Texas, Walker talked to Fisher about driving for his newly formed IRL team that would be built around an American rookie driver after one of his employees asked whether he considered her. After an attorney helped Fisher terminate her contact with Pelfrey in February 2000, she signed a three-year contract to drive for Walker Racing and moved to Indianapolis to be close to the team. She worked with four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and driver coach Al Unser. Fisher missed the season's first race at Walt Disney World Speedway but finished 13th at Phoenix International Raceway. After two races with the team, Walker moved Fisher from an outdated Riley &amp; Scott car to an Oldsmobile-powered Dallara. Two races later, she became the third—and youngest—woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500; she started 19th but retired on the 74th lap after a collision with Lyn St. James and Jaques Lazier, finishing 31st. Over the season, Fisher occasionally raced at the front of the field, becoming the youngest woman to achieve a podium position by finishing third, and the youngest female to lead a lap in the IRL in the Belterra Resort Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Her inexperience sometimes dropped her to the back of the running order in a race, and some drivers felt she was a risk in traffic. Fisher ended the year 18th in the drivers' standings and fans voted her "Open Wheel Magazine" Driver of the Year in the IRL category.