Tomas Scheckter to drive for Sarah Fisher Racing at Las Vegas

Tomas Scheckter says though an IZOD IndyCar Series team offered him the opportunity to compete in more races there was a comfort level with Sarah Fisher Racing that was difficult to dismiss.

So that potential deal became a one-race partnership with the Indianapolis-based team — the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships Presented by Honda on Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — in the green and white No. 57 Angie's List Special.

Scheckter will be teamed with Ed Carpenter — former teammates at Vision Racing — who also is competing in the No. 67 Dollar General car this weekend in the Kentucky Indy 300. Carpenter, the 2010 pole sitter at Kentucky Speedway, has been the race runner-up the past two seasons. He tested at the 1.5-mile oval Sept. 23.

"If you see the ways these cars have been running on the ovals, especially Indianapolis with Ed, it was hard to pass up," said Scheckter, who has two victories in 118 IZOD IndyCar Series starts. "I think we have a very good chance at Vegas.

"Sarah and (husband, team manager) Andy (O'Gara) are one — they want to win races and they spend the money in the right places. They have a good group of people here and it's a family organization that's about winning races. As a driver, you want to be a part of that."

Scheckter, who drove on the 1.5-mile, high-banked Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a rental car earlier this summer, said he expects two- and three-wide racing for the entire 200 laps.

"If I would have went out there (in an IZOD IndyCar Series car), I would have done the first lap wide open," said Scheckter, who turned 31 on Sept. 21. "That's the flow of the track, and I think you'll see some of the best racing of the season there."

In three starts this season, he has a best finish of eighth (advancing 13 positions at Indianapolis).

"I used to race a lot with Tomas when I was in the car years ago and I know he has a huge desire to do extremely well and has a real knack at oval racing. In fact, I think he won the Michigan race that I led," said Fisher, whose team is running two cars for the first time this season. "He's a great talent and has been a great teammate to Ed Carpenter, so I think he brings a lot from that aspect. We look for some really great things at Vegas."

Angie's List — a service in which members receive unbiased consumer reports and reviews about service companies in their area — has been a commercial partner since the inception of Sarah Fisher Racing in 2008, but this is the first time to be the primary sponsor of a car.

"We're big racing fans and have enjoyed the partnership we've had with Sarah Fisher Racing," Angie's List founder Angie Hicks said. "We were looking for an event that we could put together, not only a racing opportunity but also an event for our customers. So we're making this a dual project.

"A lot of people don't realize that we're national so we'll be able to meet some of these customers face to face that we've only talked before on the phone."

Fisher, who gave birth to daughter Zoey on Sept. 13, will be at the Kentucky Indy 300 this weekend. So will Zoey.

"We're looking forward to taking her to Kentucky for her first race."