LATEST SNIPPETS Kat started the 97th running of the Indy 500 in the 33rd spot, clipped the wall and went on to finished 26th, 7 laps down.
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LATEST SNIPPETS Kat started the 97th running of the Indy 500 in the 33rd spot, clipped the wall and went on to finished 26th, 7 laps down.
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51:03
8:41
Katherine Legge Huge Road America Crash
News - 2012
5:11 
IndyCar’s Katherine Legge Joins
The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Team SCF 
 New Look at Road America - The Warriors in Pink BIO For the first time since 2011, four women have qualified for the 2013 Indy 500. Late entry Katherine Legge will start in the 33 and last spot on the grid. Katherine Legge to Drive Third Indianapolis 500 Entry for
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. "I am extremely disappointed that Dragon Racing and
sponsor TrueCar have announced a replacement IndyCar driver
for the No. 6 car."
Series Season-Best Ninth Lacked Luster for Katherine
Legge Legge Ready for Second 500-Mile Race of the Season
Kat qualified 19th at Sonoma and finished in 24th with
mechanical problems. Kat qualified 19th and started16th at Iowa and finished
in 15th place, crashing near the end of the race, 7 laps
behind the winner. On lap 248 of 250, the yellow flag flew
when Kats car made contact with the SAFER Barrier exiting
Turn 2. Kat qualified 15th on the grid at Milwaukee and finished in 18th place, the last car running 5 laps behind. Kat gridded 22nd at Texas Motor Speedway and finished in 15th. Kat finishes the Indy 500 in 22nd with only one other car still running behind her. She didn't race at Detroit. Katherine Legge Indy 500 Qualifying Preview NO MORE DRAMA
Katherine qualified 30th for the 96th running of the Indy 500. Katherine Legge started 24 at San Paulo and lasted 20
laps finishing 26th. Katherine Legge returns to Long Beach. Legge started 24th at Barber and finished 5 laps down,
matching her finish at St. Pete in 23rd. Legge started 25th and went out, finishing 23rd at St
Pete. Legge starts her rookie year at St Pete in the IndyCar
series on the back row, Legge to drive for Dragon Racing in the 2012
IZOD IndyCar Series Katherine Legge’s Quest For An IndyCar Ride
Katherine Legge discusses F1, DTM and IndyCar in 2012.
Katherine Joins Lyn St. James on the Autosportradio.com
Show . April, 2010 issue of Racer reports that Katherine "...continues to ply her trade in DTM for 2010." No mention on her web site. With the end of ChampCar, it doesn't look like Katherine will be joining the other three women on the 2008 IRL roster. She has taken her racing efforts into the Audi DTM program. The Briton has joined members of Audi's touring and sportscar teams for a comprehensive winter programme, designed to encourage team 'bonding' over a series of sporting activities, fitness and health regimes. Katherine currently stands 16th of 22 drivers overall.
Next race is November 11 in
Autódromo
Hermanos Rodríguez Katherine gridded 14th of 17 cars at
The Netherlands and finished
11th on the lead lap. She currently stands 15th of 20
drivers overall. Next race is
October 21in Australia at Gold
Coast - Surfers Paradise Katherine gridded 14th of 17 cars at Circuit
Zolder
Katherine is gridded 17th of 17 at Road
America Katherine started 16th at the Streets
of San Jose Katherine started 15th at City Centre Airport - Edmonton but went out early with mechnical problems and ended up 16th of 17. Currently 15th in the standings. The next race is the Streets of San Jose, July 29th. We'll be there to cover this one. In our opinion, this race weekend is the best the West Coast has to offer, with five different types of racing over the three day weekend. Champ Car, Atlantic Car, Formula BMW, Historics and Formula Drift. Katherine started 16th of 17 cars and finished 16th in a
first lap accident at Exhibition
Place Katherine started 16th of 17 cars and finished 16th at
Exhibition
Place Katherine started 17th of 17 cars and finished 11th at Mont Tremblant. Kathrine started and ended today's race in Cleveland in 15th position going out after 32 laps with mechanical problems. She did finished before her teammate Bruno Junqueira, who went out on lap 6 via contact. Katherine started 16th of 17 cars and finished 17th at Portland International with mechanical problems. Katherine started 17th of 19 cars and finished 10th at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Starting from 13th, Katherine Legge got her new relationship with Dale Coyne Racing off to a strong start by finishing in sixth place in the inaugural Vegas Grand Prix, matching her career-best finish and setting a new Champ Car record for the best finish by a female on a road or street course. While she hasn't signed with a Champ Car team for 2007, she jumped at the chance to run in the Rolex 24 hour at Daytona. Katherine fininshed 25th, 72 laps down, with teammates George Robinson, and Wally and Paul Dallenbach. She had the honor of turning the one millionth lap in series history at 11:11am Sunday.
Legge appears in 18 month Women in the Winner's Circle
2007 calendar along with 17 other women throughout the
motorsports field.
Katherine qualified 16th at Mexico City and finished 13th. For the season, she ended up 16th in the standings and 5th of the Rookies. She hasn't been signed by PKV for the 2007 season yet but the first race will be April 8, 2007 in Las Vegas. Katherine Legge's torrid weekend at Surfers Paradise came
to an early end in Sunday's Lexmark Indy 300 when lap 42
contact with the concrete wall in turn one finished her
race. She hasn't been able to finish on the leaders lap
since the first race of the season on the streets of Long
Beach. The final race of the season happens November 12 at
the Autódromo
Hermanos Rodríguez The RoboPong.com 200 Endurance
Go-Kart race saw the Conlin sisters and teammate Lynsey
Tilton finish 16th, one spot behind Tomas
Scheckter (15th) and ahead of Heather
Bloyd (26th), Sarah Fisher (31st), Katherine Legge (31), Dan
Weldom (34), and Scott Dixon (35). Road America - Katherine qualified 8th of 19 drivers at Road American in a new look, going from red to pink to bring awareness to Breast Cancer. She ran as high as fifth in the first lap and 2nd on lap 43 during pit stops, and her race ended on a major crash on lap 46 (of 51) going through a corner at 180mph when her back wing dislodged and she crashed. This was the most intense open-wheel crash I have witnesed since Gordon Smiley crashed at Indianpolis in 1982. While they took here to the on-track hospital in an ambulance, she walked out a short time later, smiled and soon gave an interview to Speed Channel. What for information about the actioning of car parts and her race gear to raise money for Breast Cancer research. She is 16th out of 21 in the over-all standings and 5th out of 9 Rookies. At the first qualifying session at Road America, Katherine sits in the 8th of 17 spots on this 4+ ,ile course. There's a second qualifying session on Saturday, September 23. Currently overall standing in the series is 14th of 20 overall and 3rd in rookie points. The Montreal race made it through 6 laps before being red-flagged and then postpooned because of heavy rains. Katherine, who was the victim of a rain induced spin that had her on the sidelines after two laps, will be allowed to restart the race which is scheduled to begin at 10 am Monday, August 28, 20006. Karherine started 15th on the Grid at Denver with a fastest time of 61.777 seconds (97.088 mpg).and finished the race in 9th. She is 14th for the year and 3rd in Rookie of the Year points. Katherine Legge came through a tiring afternoon in San
Jose with a 12th place finish following a race that saw her
collect a pair of punctures and get involved in a pair of
incidents. British Champ Car World Series rookie starlet Katherine Legge failed to finish a race for the first time in her Champ Car career on Sunday in Toronto after a brush with the last corner wall resulted in a broken gearbox. Kathrine gridded 14th in Cleveland, got to 7th, spun and dropped back to 13th. She worked her way back towards the front to finsih 8th. A record of nine caution flags went up and only 11 cars from a field of 18 finished. Katherine Legge was left ‘disappointed' at the end
of qualifying for the Cleveland Grand Prix, despite securing
her best starting position on a road course so far this
year. British Champ Car rookie Katherine Legge finished
Sunday's G.I. Joe's Grand Prix of Portland in 13th position
Katherine Legge is the first woman to win an open-wheel
race in America, Legge (25) won her debut race in the 2005
Toyota Atlantic Championship series (a feeder series for
Champ Car), and followed that up with two more victories to
conclude the season in third place in drivers' points. Legge
pilots the red-and-white PKV Racing-sponsored car. Legge
aims to move up to Champ Car within the next two years. But
her ultimate dream? To race in Formula One. See the January,
2004 issue of Car
and Driver
Despite making her oval racing debut at the city's famous
The
Milwaukee Mile
"I am extremely disappointed that Dragon Racing and sponsor TrueCar have announced a replacement IndyCar driver for the No. 6 car. I received a letter from Dragon Racing, terminating my services on January the 18th. My legal team had asked for details regarding the reasoning for this termination but none have been provided. I signed a two year deal for 2012/2013 with TrueCar as a sponsor, and then I took that sponsorship to Dragon Racing shortly thereafter. Jay Penske told Scott Painter (TrueCar CEO) that he would bring the Penske Dealerships onboard with TrueCar if I signed with Dragon Racing, so it seemed like it would be a good fit for all. I firmly believe that Dragon Racing and TrueCar cannot proceed without me and I will be taking legal action to protect my rights. It was a very difficult season last year, we did very little testing and I was made to sit out of some of the races. Jay Penske's actions in Nantucket really hurt my ability to find additional and personal sponsors, and it was highly embarrassing, especially with the message that we were trying to portray regarding the empowerment of women in motorsport. I was very much looking forward to 2013, using the experience I gained last year as a spring board for greater success. I am in a very fortunate position to have the FIA (of which I am a Female Driver Ambassador) and Girl Scouts (STEM Ambassador) onboard with my career and I am working feverishly to put something together. However, having this happen so late in the game has made it virtually impossible. I am not sure where TrueCar and Virgin stand on the 'Women Empowered Initiative' moving forward. I can tell you that I feel like I have been treated very unfairly in all of this and the last thing I feel at the moment is 'Empowered!' Scott Painter told the press on numerous occasions that it was a two-year deal with me and how he believed women could race on an equal footing with the guys. I have spent most of this off-season trying to help TrueCar mitigate their costs and bring sponsors onboard with their Initiative, having invested a great deal of my own time, effort and money, so this has come as a huge shock. I am also not sure whether IndyCar will take a stand on my behalf. I believe that the contracts are between the Teams and IndyCar so I am unsure of whether there is anything they can do apart from lend me their support. I have fought very hard, every step of my career, to get
the opportunities that I have created for myself and I will
continue to do so. I want to thank everybody for their
support during all of this, it has been very tough for me to
watch it unfold." IndyCar driver Katherine Legge said she had a two-year contract that's unfulfilled; team and sponsor say they decided to move on with Saavedra IndyCar driver Katherine Legge insisted Wednesday that Dragon Racing and its owner, Jay Penske, should not have broken a two-year contract for her to drive in the series. Legge said she was alerted Jan. 18 that the Indianapolis-based team would not bring her back in 2013. Dragon signed Colombian driver Sebastian Saavedra for the TrueCar-sponsored No. 6 Chevrolet. Legge said she will pursue legal action against the team. Penske called severing ties with the former Champ Car driver "a non-story." Both sides spoke Wednesday through statements released to the media. “We are thankful for the contributions Katherine Legge has made during her time at Dragon Racing,” said Paul Woolnough, Dragon's executive vice president. “But unfortunately our primary sponsor and Dragon Racing have decided it is best for the team to move in a different direction for the upcoming season. We wish Katherine her the best in her future racing endeavors.” TrueCar CEO Scott Painter said the association ended after a year's worth "of collaboration, hardwork, and TrueCar's sincere efforts to resurrect Katherine's open-wheel career." He said TrueCar "decided to pursue a different driver for 2013." Dragon's statement said the team and sponsor "have ample confidence that they will undoubtedly prevail." Legge's statement said she was informed of the team's decision Jan. 18. "My legal team had asked for details regarding the
reasoning for this termination but none have been provided,"
she said. "I signed a two year deal for 2012/2013 with
TrueCar as a sponsor, and then I took that sponsorship to
Dragon Racing shortly thereafter. Jay Penske told Scott
Painter that he would bring the Penske Dealerships onboard
with TrueCar if I signed with Dragon Racing, so it seemed
like it would be a good fit for all. I firmly believe that
Dragon Racing and TrueCar cannot proceed without me and I
will be taking legal action to protect my rights." Rookie Qualifies 14th, Will Start
7th at Auto Club Speedway Katherine Legge was greeted by track temperatures at Auto Club Speedway that were far in excess of those from her test here just over a week ago. However, she was also greeted by a No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing Chevrolet that was more pleasant -- and faster -- than what the UK-native experienced when she was last on-track here at the two-mile circuit. The newly-found speed showed in the first practice of the day, where Legge was inside the top-eight positions for most of the session, finally settling at 11th-fastest in the 26-car field. "I think we have a really good car," said Legge. "The team have done a fantastic job. We were here testing last week and it was pretty sketchy. They’ve gone away and given me this brilliant car to drive today. So, I am very much looking forward to the race tomorrow." Legge's qualifying run for the MAV TV American Real 500 was much anticipated as the rookie pulled away 23rd in line to make her two-lap attempt. Her morning practice speed carried over into qualifying, but a slight oversteer on her second qualifying lap left the rookie in 14th position overall with a two-lap average of 213.308 miles per hour. "We could have done a bit better job today," noted Legge. "I think we had a 214 [mph] going on the first lap, so that was looking good and would have placed us inside the top 10. But then I had a bit of a ‘catch it’ moment going through Turn 2 on the second lap and we lost a bit of speed. In all, my Chevy was feeling fast and racy today, so I feel like we have a shot at a good finish tomorrow." Legge's starting position for tomorrow's race improves to
7th after more than half the 26-car field for tomorrow's
race at Auto Club Speedway received 10-position starting
penalties for violating IZOD IndyCar Series rules relative
to engine changes. Legge Ready for Second 500-Mile
Race of the Season TrueCar Racing driver Katherine Legge didn't flinch or wince when INDYCAR announced in June that the season finale at Auto Club Speedway would be lengthened to a 500-mile event. After all, the IZOD IndyCar Series rookie had just finished her first Indianapolis 500 only a few weeks before the news came out about the Fontana, Calif. event. "I really didn't give it much thought," said UK-native Legge. "Indy was my first 500-mile oval race, but when I got out of the car that day, I felt like it had only been an hour. I'm not sure if it was just the adrenaline of racing at Indy, but I am really looking forward to doing it again at Fontana this weekend." In a year when testing has been crucial as the IndyCar teams and drivers developed the new Dallara DW-12 chassis and new engines, Legge unfortunately has had minimal seat time due to an inconsistent supply of engines for her TrueCar Dragon Racing machine. She was, however, fortunate to participate in testing last week at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway oval. "Our test last week didn't go quite as we had planned, but we are working hard towards preparing a comfortable race car," remarked Legge. "500 miles is a long race, especially at such a unique place like Fontana that has a lot of challenging bumps." To stay focused on the race, Legge decided to remain in the Fontana area until this weekend's race to visit with her team and her sponsor, who are both located in the Los Angeles area. Her No. 6 car’s primary sponsor, TrueCar, is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., less than 70 miles from Auto Club Speedway. The online car dealership is proudly promoting a Women Empowered initiative through six female racing drivers, including Legge, spanning six different series across the United States. Dragon Racing made Marina del Rey their new headquarters at the start of this year. "I have enjoyed the SoCal area immensely this week," said
Legge of her time in the area. "It has been nice to visit so
many places near the hometowns of both my team and sponsor.
It has also been such lovely weather to train in." Unfortunate 'Shift' for TrueCar
Racing Rookie Katherine Legge On an important race weekend for her California-based sponsor TrueCar, IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Katherine Legge was looking for some momentum after sitting out of racing for the past two months. And while Legge and her team were showing progress all weekend, it would be a mechanical failure that would create an early exit and a 24th-place finish for her on the 12-turn road course here in Sonoma. “In the second stint we were running a really good pace and felt like we could make up some ground,” said Legge, a UK native. “But, we had a shifting problem early on and it progressively got worse. That’s what ultimately put an end to our race.” Legge started 19th on the grid today, but lost a few positions early as competition heated up immediately on the drop of the green flag. “The first five laps were a real challenge, having not been in a race for quite some time. It was carnage out there early and there were cars all over the place. I just wasn’t aggressive enough early on, and that’s just a result of a lack of time in the car.” Legge has only had a limited amount of testing time in her TrueCar Racing machine since posting a 15th-place finish at Iowa on June 23. Today’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma served as a lesson on just how important time in the racecar is to a rookie, but also provided valuable experience. “I was really using today to focus on minimizing mistakes and it was paying off,” noted Legge. “In all, I feel like we would have done much better if we hadn’t missed so much leading up to this weekend. However, I really want to thank Chevy for getting us an engine for this race, which was really important to my sponsor TrueCar.” The IZOD IndyCar Series heads straight to Maryland for
the Grand Prix of Baltimore Presented by SRT on Sept. 2. Katherine Legge GoPro Indy Grand
Prix of Sonoma The Sonoma Valley is known for adventures involving lavish vineyards, exquisite wineries, and an endless supply of cuisine created to mate with the best vintages of the area. But not every adventure in the Valley is all about grapes. The Valley is also home to Sonoma Raceway, a 12-turn natural terrain road course that has been contributing to the Terroir for the past 43 years. The historic circuit has played host to a number of IndyCar legends dating back to a 1970 win by Dan Gurney, who bested a field that included names like Mario Andretti, Mark Donahue and Al Unser. IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Katherine Legge will take to the track this weekend for her first race at the legendary facility for the GoPro Indy® Grand Prix of Sonoma. However, it is not the first time the TrueCar Racing driver has navigated the famed course. She was fortunate to participate in a test last week with a number of her fellow drivers, who were all there to test out a modified layout created to improve overtaking opportunities. The UK native has been patiently awaiting the opportunity to race again since her last opportunity at Iowa on June 23rd. “I’ve just been training physically and driving on the simulator to get ready for racing again, so getting the chance to test before this race was critically important before returning to the track," said Legge. "I am really looking forward to racing again, especially on a road course like Sonoma. I am very grateful to Chevrolet for making an engine available to us, as this is a big race for my sponsor TrueCar and we have a lot of cool things planned for the weekend. The whole team is very excited.” Her No. 6 car’s primary sponsor, TrueCar, is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., and has an office in San Francisco. The online car dealership is proudly promoting a Women Empowered initiative through six female racing drivers, including Legge, spanning six different series across the United States. Legge and her TrueCar Racing crew will be on track at Sonoma Raceway on Friday, August 24 for IZOD IndyCar Series practice. Qualifications for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma are Saturday, August 25 at 5:30 p.m. ET. The GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, an 85-lap race around the 12-turn, 2.31-mile Sonoma road course, will air live on NBC Sports Network, Sunday, Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. ET. The race will also be live on the IMS Radio Network and on XM 94/Sirius 212. Qualifications will be televised on Saturday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m. ET, on the NBC Sports Network. Racing action will begin at the drop of the green flag at 4:42 p.m. ET. Erin Cafaro, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist on the USRowing Women's 8+ boat, will be the guest of the TrueCar Racing Women Empowered Initiative at this weekend's Indy GoPro Grand Prix at Sonoma. By scoring gold at this year's London games, Erin's team has etched their names in the record book by becoming the first female team in the history of USRowing to score back-to-back Olympic gold. They are also seven-time World Champions and undefeated since 2006. Even though she’s classified as a rookie in IZOD IndyCar Series competition, the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma will be Katherine Legge’s 37th start in INDYCAR. She has eight previous IZOD IndyCar starts and 28 Champ Car races in her career. Katherine participated in INDYCAR testing at Sonoma
Raceway on July 12 on the previous track configuration, and
then again on August 17 on the new track configuration. Katherine Legge to be back in the
#6 Dragon Racing TrueCar Chevrolet at Sonoma Dragon Racing, the IndyCar team owned by Jay Penske announced today that they have secured a second Chevrolet IndyV6 engine for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma and will now be entering two cars at the raceway in Sonoma, Calif. on August 26. “I am extremely grateful to Chevrolet for making this second engine available so we can return to a full team effort in Sonoma,” said Jay Penske, owner of Dragon Racing. “When we began the season in St. Pete it was our plan to run a full season with both the #6 and #7 TrueCar Dragon Racing entries, but due to circumstances beyond our control we had to reduce the effort to one car with the driving duties being shared among Katherine (Legge) and Sebastian (Bourdais). With the team back to full strength we are all really looking forward to competing in Sonoma, the home track for our sponsors and partners, McAfee, Microsoft, and TrueCar.” “Obviously I’m thrilled to get back behind the wheel of my TrueCar Chevrolet in Sonoma and also to get the opportunity to test there prior to the race,” said Katherine, “We’re all racers and anytime you have to sit out a race its tough, but we’ve been doing the best with the situation and hopefully we will be able to get the results we know we’re capable of in Sonoma.” “Sonoma is a very important market to both TrueCar
and our new partner Virgin, so it was important to have
Katherine back behind the wheel as part of our TrueCar
Racing Women Empowered Initiative,” said Scott Painter,
CEO of TrueCar. “Our women’s initiative racing
program is a vital part of the TrueCar fabric and a strong
representation of our brand and beliefs. We couldn’t be
happier to see Katherine back on track in Sonoma and again
in Fontana. Chevy provides an engine for Legge
at Sonoma Katherine Legge stood in a corner of the Dragon Racing garage, watching the crew prepare the No. 7 TrueCar car for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio and waiting for a break in the thunderstorm to keep a breakfast reservation. It was a metaphor for the 31-year-old Brit’s first IZOD IndyCar Series season. After competing in the first five races (the initial four with a Lotus engine before Dragon Racing switched to Chevrolet in mid-May), she has shared the car and its Chevrolet 2.2-liter, twin turbocharged V6 engine with Sebastien Bourdais. He’s driven in the four road/street course races since the Indianapolis 500 on May 27. She’s driven in the three oval races since competing in her first 500 Mile Race. Thanks to Chevrolet providing a second engine to the team for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Aug. 24-26, Legge will compete in her first road course race since Barber in early April. She’ll join 22 others in testing at the recently reconfigured circuit Aug. 17, and with the addition of Legge and Sebastian Saavedra in an AFS/Andretti Autosport entry the field will swell to 27. “We’re hugely grateful to Chevrolet for stepping up at Indy and now giving us two engines for Sonoma,” said Legge, who has a best finish of 15th (Texas, Iowa) in her eight races. “We’d be in a pretty dire situation without their help. “I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from outside the car and support the team. It’s an exercise in patience because I’d much rather be driving. But you have to make the best of the situation and that’s what we’re all trying to do.” Legge did a few laps at Sonoma during testing July 12, though Bourdais “spent the day testing and setting the car up,” she said. The upcoming day on the course (open to the public and free) will be her first full test since Sebring International in early March. “I’ll be able to make some improvements and adjustments on the car myself and learn the track,” said Legge, who's also scheduled to compete in the season finale Sept. 15 at Auto Club Speedway. “I’ve been training hard because (Sonoma) is a physical place. When you’re in the car (regularly), you keep fit by driving in addition to working out. I’m very excited.” Modifications to the course include: • The entrance to Turn 11 will be extended 200 feet before drivers encounter the hairpin. This will give drivers more space to out-brake each other and set up a passing opportunity before the right-hand Turn 12. The geometry of the modified Turn 11 will mirror the shorter turn used for the IZOD IndyCar Series in previous years. • The exit of Turn 9 (aka The Bus Stop) will be widened by 10 feet to 50 feet on drivers’ left. • At Turn 7, instead of the looping right-hander where drivers could maintain speed, they will now encounter a hairpin similar to Turn 11. The modifications will make the IZOD IndyCar Series circuit 2.31 miles (it had been 2.303 miles) and 12 turns. The race distance will increase from 75 to 85 laps. “I am extremely grateful to Chevrolet for making this second engine available so we can return to a full team effort in Sonoma,” Dragon Racing owner Jay Penske said. “When we began the season in St. Pete it was our plan to run a full season with both the Nos. 6 and 7 TrueCar Dragon Racing entries, but due to circumstances beyond our control we had to reduce the effort to one car with the driving duties being shared among Katherine and Sebastien. "With the team back to full strength, we are all really
looking forward to competing in Sonoma, the home track for
our sponsors and partners, McAfee, Microsoft, and
TrueCar.” Katherine Legge Iowa Corn Indy 250
Race Report TrueCar Racing Driver Takes on High-Banked Iowa Speedway Tri-Oval Iowa produces the largest corn crop of any state, but Iowa Speedway produces some of the most exciting racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series. This weekend’s Iowa Corn Indy 250 would prove to be no exception for TrueCar driver Katherine Legge. In a unique ‘heat race’ format, the UK native raced her way into the field in one of three 30-lap sprints qualifying the No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing car in 19th position. She would ultimately start the race 16th on the grid after INDYCAR assessed penalties to some of Legge’s competitors for unapproved engine changes. In somewhat of a repeat of last week’s race in Milwaukee, Legge and her crew would have to endure a 45-minute rain delay before taking the green flag. The brief but heavy rain changed track conditions for the TrueCar pilot and her fellow drivers, washing away grip and dropping track temperatures. “The first stint, with the track being so green and so much cooler, the car was very loose and it was all I could do to hang onto it,” said Legge. “So in the first stop we took out two full turns of front wing, which is a big adjustment. It improved the car a lot so I could use the tools inside the car better.” Legge’s TrueCar Dragon Racing crew would continue to adjust the car to fight the loose condition from early in the race that cost them a lap to the leaders on the 17-second-lap circuit. The hard work paid off and their driver would eventually produce some of the fastest laps of all drivers as the race counted down to the finish, showing the speed necessary to compete with the leaders. Legge’s quickest lap was the fifth fastest lap overall. “We kept adjusting tire pressures and the car got better and better throughout the race.” Legge continued, “In the last stint, it all came together and the car really came alive. We were very competitive in the last stint and we really learned a lot. We keep improving and moving forward in every way. I’m sure it was a really good race for the fans here at Iowa Speedway and I am just so fortunate to be able to compete against some of the best drivers in the world. I can’t wait to get home to watch it on television, because I think this is a great race for INDYCAR fans and I want to see what I missed from inside the cockpit.” Legge spun with two laps remaining, making slight contact with the wall in turn 2 and losing one position on the racetrack. Her 15th place finish would match her IZOD IndyCar Series best finish of 15th at Milwaukee. She and her TrueCar Dragon Racing team now get a
much-needed weekend off before hitting the streets in Canada
at the Honda Indy Toronto, July 6-8. The race will be
broadcast live on ABC Television at 1:00 p.m. ET. Fans can
listen to the broadcast live on SiriusXM and
INDYCAR.com. Katherine Legge Iowa Qualifying
‘Heat Race’ Report TrueCar Racing Experiences New Format for Qualifying in Iowa In a radical departure from its standard single-car qualifying format for ovals, the IZOD IndyCar Series implemented a time trial format for this weekend’s Iowa Corn Indy 250. Tonight’s qualifying consisted of three separate 30-lap ‘Heat Races’ to set the field for Saturday night’s race. Rookie Katherine Legge’s lap times in today’s second practice session landed her in the second heat race to determine her position in the field. While the format is familiar to fans across the Midwest, it is not something the UK native has often experienced. “The heat race format definitely adds a different element for the fans,” said the TrueCar Racing driver. “It also gives you an opportunity to see how your car will develop over a stint. So why not try it? Why not try something different.” Legge and her Dragon Racing crew chased setup issues in practice today, resulting in lap times that put her 23rd in a field of 25 cars entered this weekend. The pilot of the No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing entry would have to start the second heat race in eighth position. “The car was much better in the heat race than it was in practice today,” continued Legge. “We had a really good test here recently, so we thought we would come back with a really good car for this weekend’s race. Seemingly, it wasn’t like that, but my crew are some of the best and worked really hard to correct that. We have a little bit of work left to do, but we made some progress and we look forward to tomorrow night. I am really just happy to have the opportunity that TrueCar and my other sponsors have provided. We hope to give them a great show.” Legge made up two positions during the heat race,
finishing sixth in her group to ultimately start 19th in
tomorrow night’s Iowa Corn Indy 250. The race at Iowa
Speedway will be held under the lights on Saturday night at
9:00 p.m. Central Time, live on NBC Sports Network. Katherine Legge Iowa Corn Indy
250 Preview This weekend’s race at the state-of-the-art 7/8-mile tri-oval at Iowa Speedway will be the fourth oval of the season for IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Katherine Legge. While similar in length to Milwaukee, its high banks yield racing similar to Indianapolis and Texas. Though the TrueCar Racing driver has tested at the Newton, Iowa track, there are lessons yet to be learned. “It will still be an education for me,” said Legge. “Indianapolis and Texas were also very new for me having not done ovals like those before, but my Dragon Racing crew are very good at getting me up to speed quickly. I actually like the Iowa circuit and I'm really happy we got to test there. Every time we get on the racetrack for testing or racing we make significant progress. I am very thankful for the support of TrueCar, Virgin, Chevrolet, and everyone else involved in our program and I hope to make them all proud this weekend.” Since switching to the Chevy INDYCAR V-6 before Indianapolis, Legge’s team has shown significant improvement with only race weekend data to improve her car and learn the new engine. Having now tested at Iowa Speedway, the team is eager to see the results. “I cannot tell you how thrilled I am about the change to Chevrolet,” said Legge. “It was the right decision and once we have enough time on track to get the package right we are going to give everyone a run for the money. We are already closing in.” The UK native and her No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing team hit the track for practice and qualifying on Friday, June 22 for the Iowa Corn Indy 250. Legge’s race will be held under the lights on Saturday night at 9:00 p.m. Central Time, live on NBC Sports Network. NOTES Heat races to set field for Iowa race - The field for the Iowa Corn Indy 250 will be set through three heat races held on June 22 at Iowa Speedway. Qualification groups will be determined by lap times recorded by entries on the .875-mile oval in the second (45-minute) practice session (3:30 p.m. ET). Race 1 will consist of the even-numbered positions, starting with the 10th-quickest practice time, and determine the even-numbered positions in the starting field from 10th down. Race 2 will consist of the odd-numbered positions, starting with the ninth fastest practice time, and determine the odd-numbered positions in the starting field from ninth down. Race 3 will consist of drivers ranked one through eight from the practice. Results of Race 3 will determine the first four rows, with the winner taking the pole position. Based on input from IZOD IndyCar Series drivers and team engineers, INDYCAR has directed a maximum rear flap angle of 37 degrees with no wicker allowed for the Iowa Corn Indy 250. The rule will reduce downforce available by about 8-9 percent. The Iowa Corn Indy 225 will be the sixth IZOD IndyCar Series event at Iowa Speedway and the first race for Katherine Legge at the venue. Katherine and her TrueCar-Dragon Racing team participated
in INDYCAR testing at Iowa Speedway on June 12 and
13. Series Season-Best Ninth Lacked
Luster for Katherine Legge TrueCar Racing driver Katherine Legge entered Saturday’s competition with high hopes for a great finish after showing speed in yesterday’s practice sessions. But the IZOD IndyCar Series rookie’s season of ups and downs wasn’t over yet as a series of mishaps proved to be a setback from her seventh-place start in the MAVTV 500 INDYCAR World Championships at Auto Club Speedway. The UK-native held her starting position early in the race and improved to as high as fourth before pitting the first time on Lap 39 for fuel and tires. “The team gave me a really good race car and I was very happy with it,” said Legge. “The first stint was awesome and we were making up places until I pitted the first time. I was caught speeding on pit lane and had to do a drive-through penalty. That put us a lap down.” Legge came back out in 22nd position, but her night wasn’t over that quickly. A caution on Lap 56 for contact by Will Power would give the rookie her lap back after a wave-around by INDYCAR officials. Bad luck was soon to follow though. While awaiting a restart after a caution on Lap 74, the field checked up in front of Legge as they neared Turn 3 for the restart. Legge made contact with Justin Wilson’s car, requiring her to pit for a new front wing. “We were warming our tires and getting ready to take the green—usual stuff,” noted Legge. “But the field slowed really quickly all of a sudden and I hit Justin in the rear of his car. There was not enough time to slow the car enough with an oval brake package. I really feel bad for Justin, but there wasn’t much I could do.” Legge’s TrueCar Dragon Racing crew worked race strategy well, keeping the No. 6 car on the lead lap and giving Legge the chance to work her way up through the field. With top-five speed, she was advancing rapidly until another costly mistake in the pits set her back a lap to the leader. “That was really the story of my race,” said Legge. “We made a couple of mistakes in the pits and it cost us a top-five today. But we kept fighting and recovered.” Legge and her TrueCar Racing team continued to chase positions, with Legge turning laps consistent with the leaders for much of the race. The combination of her speed and focus amidst distraction resulted in a season-best ninth-place finish. “I am very proud of the team—they gave me a
very fast car today,” said Legge. “I also really
have to thank my sponsor TrueCar for giving me this
opportunity and for Chevy giving me such a great engine. I
am really looking forward to next year and showing what we
are really capable of in INDYCAR.” TrueCar Racing
Driver Sees Fire and Rain at Milwaukee IndyFest A much-anticipated return took a bit longer Saturday at the Milwaukee Mile where Katherine Legge led laps and finished sixth in the 2006 Champ Car World Series event. Starting 15th on the grid, the IZOD IndyCar Series rookie would take the green flag some 90 minutes late in front of a Milwaukee IndyFest crowd undeterred by the earlier rain. Ironically, the UK native’s day that started with rain would later see fire as well. After a routine pit stop on lap 170, Legge’s No. 6 left the pit box with signs of flames from underneath the chassis forcing her to immediately pit. Though the fire was minor, the additional stop under green would cost her precious positions on the racetrack leaving her 18th on the day. “My TrueCar team gave me a great racecar and we were able to run lap times consistent with the leaders,” said Legge. “However, we had to pit early because of a faulty sensor. At that point, we were playing catch up and trying to take advantage of the yellows. We were doing a good job of that, but had a small fire during one of our pit stops that cost us some laps. It was an unlucky race, but we have a lot of positives to take into Iowa next week for TrueCar and Chevrolet. I am really looking forward to it.” Katherine and her TrueCar team now move to Iowa for next
week’s Iowa Corn 250 at Iowa Speedway, where she and
her Dragon Racing crew recently put in two days of testing
on June 12 and 13. Legge’s fans can watch her live on
NBC Sports Saturday, June 23, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, or
listen live on SiriusXM or INDYCAR.com. Katherine Legge Milwaukee
IndyFest Preview TrueCar Racing’s ‘Leading’ Lady Returns to Famed Oval The Milwaukee Mile is rich with racing heritage, holding the honor of being the oldest operating motor speedway in the world. It has played host to at least one auto race every year since 1903 and has seen various forms of ‘Indy’ cars racing as far back as 1912. It is certainly no stranger to historical firsts either – a first rear-engined Indy car win; Formula One champion Nigel Mansell’s first oval track win; and among other firsts, Ryan Hunter-Reay leading the most laps in a single race here in 2004 – all 250. IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Katherine Legge made her own mark in the history books of the Milwaukee Mile in 2006 in the Champ Car World Series. The then rookie became the first woman to lead laps in that series, going on to finish sixth in the last ever Champ Car race at the famed Mile. It was the first oval race of Legge’s career. "I had a very good car at the time, and on the ovals, how good you are is very dependent on how good your car is," said the UK native. "The engineers definitely earn their money on ovals. If you have a good car, you can do well. We had our first real testing at Iowa Speedway this week, so we should have a better understanding of the car for Milwaukee. I’m anxious to get back out there in our TrueCar Chevrolet and see how well we do and if we can lead laps there again." Coming off a finish of 15th in last weekend’s race
at Texas Motor Speedway, the TrueCar Racing driver and her
Dragon Racing team will take the track Friday, June 15 for
practice and qualifying. Katherine Legge Finishes 15th at
Texas Motor Speedway Tonight’s IZOD IndyCar Series Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway was Katherine Legge’s chance to get back in her No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing Chevrolet after having to sit out last weekend’s Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. She and her Dragon Racing teammate, Sebastien Bourdais, are forced to split their upcoming races until a second Chevrolet engine lease becomes available to the team. “I was just excited to get back on the track in my TrueCar machine and get more laps behind me,” said Legge. “It was very tough to experience Belle Isle last weekend as a spectator and not as a competitor, so I’m just happy to have been racing again this weekend. A lack of testing has been our story all year, and this weekend was no different since all the other teams had tested here and I had to do my rookie oval test before we could start the first practice.” The UK native was allowed to take the track before her fellow drivers yesterday to complete her rookie test. Nine minutes later she was cleared by INDYCAR president of competition Beaux Barfield to compete on all ovals. That was the extent of her Texas testing program before taking on the 1.5-mile 24-degree banked oval at Texas Motor Speedway for practice and qualifying. The TrueCar Racing driver and her Dragon Racing team managed to get in 51 laps of practice before her qualifying run. Legge went on to qualify 22nd in the field, with a two-lap average of 210.543 mile per hour. Starting near the rear of the field would yield a surprise for Legge as she was struck by debris on her helmet visor while taking the green flag. Undeterred by the blurred visor, the rookie settled into race mode until the restart on lap 40 after a single car incident involving Charlie Kimball. Underway, Legge reported that the weight jacker system would not reset, taking away her ability to adjust the balance of the car during each stint. This left her with an ill-handling racecar for the remainder of the race. “That was one of the most difficult races I’ve ever done,” said Legge of her first race at Texas Motor Speedway. “With the weight jacker broken, I had no way of adjusting the car to control understeer. We had also made some big changes to the car overnight, but we made some big gains. We were very shy on front wing at the start of the race, so we kept adding it during pit stops. I feel like we could have been competitive near the end of the race if we had the tools inside the cockpit that I could have used to adjust the car. In the end, it was a learning experience.” Persevering, Legge ran a clean race and her team executed pit strategies that allowed her to advance seven positions during the race. The TrueCar Racing driver ultimately finished 15th and she now heads to Milwaukee, where she led laps in the Champ Car World Series in 2006. The Milwaukee IndyFest is June 16 and will be aired live
on ABC at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Katherine Legge Firestone 550
Preview: The UK Native Returns to Where it All
Began While not widely known for her experience on ovals, IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Katherine Legge does have history with the high-banked oval at Texas Motor Speedway. It was on that very track that she laid down her first laps in the United States during an Indy Lights test in 2004. “It was an amazing experience and I am still grateful for Kathryn (Nunn) giving me the chance to get in the car, since I was not originally chosen for the test,” said Legge. “I believe it gave me the much needed chance to prove I could drive these types of cars here in the United States.” An impressive performance at that test garnered enough attention that she found herself racing in the Atlantic Championship in 2005, where she posted three wins and finished third in the championship. Now, some years later, Legge returns to Texas for the ultimate test – the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday. “I’m eager to get back in my Chevy-powered IndyCar and take on Texas,” Legge commented. “I have fond memories of the Lone Star State because of the Lights test that I did here. I want to thank my sponsor TrueCar for their support and I hope I make them proud.” Katherine will get her chance starting on Friday, when she returns to the 1.5-mile 24-degree banked oval at Texas Motor Speedway for practice and qualifying. Before competing on Saturday, Katherine will have to complete a rookie oval test in front of INDYCAR officials. Series director Beaux Barfield has allotted time on Friday for the test. The Firestone 550 will be Legge’s 34th start in major open-wheel competition, with six IZOD IndyCar starts and 28 Champ Car World Series events, where her best finishes were sixth at Milwaukee and Long Beach. When Katherine takes the green flag at Texas Motor
Speedway on Saturday, it will be only her third oval race of
her career. Her first was at the Milwaukee Mile in 2006 in
the Champ Car World Series, where she led laps and finished
sixth. She most recently competed in the 2012 Indianapolis
500, finishing 22nd. Katherine Legge Indy 500 Qualifying
Preview NO MORE DRAMA "So tired, tired of this drama," sang Mary J. Blige in one of her many hit songs. It was a similar sentiment for Katherine Legge as she waited nearly a week to get a beautiful bow tie added to her TrueCar Racing Dallara in the form of a new Chevrolet engine contract. Waiting and waiting for the news to come relating to the team's desired switch from Lotus to Chevrolet power was excruciating. But the word finally came and the INDYCAR rookie was finally allowed to take the track on Day 6 in an attempt to first pass her rookie test. But drama would continue until she was able to clear the approval by INDYCAR officials necessary for her to be allowed to practice with the rest of the teams…teams that were some six full days ahead of her in readying themselves for tomorrow’s qualification runs. It would be teammate and four-time champion Sebastien Bourdais that would take Legge’s car out on track first for a setup run. "It was nice to see them push it out of the pit box and we all cheered when he was pulling out," Legge said after Bourdais shook down her car early Thursday. "It was definitely a step in the right direction." Handling issues left the UK driver with some doubt as she completed phase 1 of the rookie orientation yesterday. Her TrueCar Racing team addressed those concerns and was given the all clear last night at 6pm to let her back on track to attempt phase 2. With another brief setup check by Bourdais, Katherine was left with a mere 20 minutes to prove to officials that she could lay down 15 consistent laps in the 205-210 mph range. With numerous media, photographers, videographers, and fans looking on, the driver of the No. 6 entry did not disappoint. Quickly up to speed, she was warned to slow it down a bit to stay in the window required for the test. And, as the sun began to set on the famed oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Legge and her TrueCar Racing team had cleared phase 2. Today’s practice session was Katherine’s last good look at the “Yard of Bricks” before tomorrow’s qualifications. Passing those bricks some 44 times today, she posted a best lap of 219.430 mph with her Chevy bow tie proudly on display. She and her team have had little time to prepare for tomorrow, but that is of little concern right now. "We're not even worried about qualifying," Legge said. "If we just get it in the field, we'll get ready for the race.” And get ready she will…for her first Indianapolis
500. And like the song says, “No more tears, No more
fears, No drama.” Just Katherine Legge, TrueCar Racing,
and 200 laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27th. IZOD IndyCar Series Driver
Kathrine Legge to Support Girl Scouts Katherine Legge to Carry Girl Scout Logo on Helmet and Become Girl Scouts’ Inaugural STEM Ambassador While competing in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" on Sunday, IZOD IndyCar Series driver Katherine Legge will honor millions of Girl Scouts by wearing the Girl Scout logo on her helmet during the 96th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Legge, who attributes much of her success to the confidence and character she developed while growing up as a Girl Guide in the United Kingdom, will become the ninth woman to race in the Indianapolis 500. The logo will be worn to call attention to Girl Scouts' ToGetHerThere campaign, and Legge’s partnership with the Girl Scouts will continue beyond Sunday’s race as she becomes Girl Scouts’ inaugural STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) Ambassador and Girl Scouts’ first motorsports athlete as a national spokesperson. “Without a strong belief in myself, I would not be one of the few women to compete at the highest level in the male-dominated world of motorsports,” said Legge. “Carrying Girl Scouts’ logo on my helmet reminds me of what got me here. When I was a young girl, Girl Guides inspired me to believe that if I set my mind to it, nothing could prevent me from achieving my dreams.” Girl Scouts of the USA is celebrating its centennial this year and is using this moment to engage all members of society—mothers, fathers, all adults and IndyCar fans, corporations, government and nonprofits—to help girls reach their leadership potential. To support this effort, Girl Scouts has launched the ToGetHerThere cause campaign, the boldest advocacy initiative dedicated to girls’ leadership issues in history. The goal of the campaign is to create balanced leadership in one generation. “At Girl Scouts of the USA, we want all girls to have the opportunity to be leaders in their own lives and realize their full potential,” said Chief Executive Officer, Anna Maria Chávez. “But girls can’t get there alone. We’re thrilled Katherine will carry Girl Scouts’ logo with her during her first Indianapolis 500 race because it draws much needed attention to the cause of girls’ leadership. It also shows girls that if you have a dream, and if you believe in yourself and work hard to accomplish that dream, you can do anything.” Girl Scouts of the USA has been helping girls break career barriers for 100 years. In 1913, Girl Scouts encouraged girls to consider becoming professional aviators. Today, the organization is focused entirely on giving girls the skills they need to become leaders in their own lives. One of the ways Girl Scouts is helping encourage leadership skills is by supporting girls who wish to pursue a STEM career. Girl Scout Research Institute’s recent study, Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, found that girls are aware that gender barriers persist in today's society. The study found that 57 percent of girls agreed that if they were to pursue a STEM career, they would "have to work harder than a man to be taken seriously." The study also found that 89 percent of all girls agree that "obstacles make me stronger." The Girl Scouts named Legge the inaugural STEM Ambassador because she exemplifies the qualities needed to succeed in a STEM field by succeeding in the male-dominated sport of racing. These qualities include having a strong understanding of math and the sciences, being team-oriented, and working diligently toward a defined goal. Legge is the first woman to win a major open-wheel race
in North America. She leads the TrueCar Racing Team, the
only all-female race team focused on empowering
high-potential women to become championship racecar drivers.
The team’s primary goal, however, is the same as every
other team in auto racing: winning. Katherine Legge of Truecar
Racing returns to Long Beach The first woman to win a major open-wheel race in the U.S. to compete at same venue where she made her mark, but now in the IZOD IndyCar series British race car driver Katherine Legge made history in 2005 when she became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America. It was at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, where she drove a Toyota Atlantic Championship race car to a first-place finish despite daunting circumstances. “That weekend didn’t start off well as I’d wanted it to, as I recall” said Legge. “I crashed in qualifying and started the race off towards the back of the field. It wasn’t a race where I depended on strategy, though. It was just one of those memorable races – I was the underdog; I had to come from behind to win. It was a pretty special moment, especially since it was my first race in North America.” Legge, who is a newcomer to IZOD IndyCar series this season, is hoping for another memorable race this weekend as she takes to the track for the first time since 2007. This time it will be behind the wheel of the No. 6 TrueCar Lotus Dallara DW12 campaigned by Dragon Racing, who also fields the No. 7 McAfee/Bing Lotus Dallara DW12. Legge is looking forward to the race as it is probably the most significant event for her in her recent racing history – having raced in Germany’s DTM series from 2008 to 2010, this will be only her third event in an open-wheel car in four years. Her team has struggled with engine issues in the first few races of the season, so she has that challenge to contend with. But her considerable experience there gives her optimism (she also scored two top-ten finishes in Long Beach racing in Champ Car in 2006 and 2007). “I love the track; it’s definitely one of my favorites,” said Legge. “Everything about it is special. The atmosphere and the fans all give it a very upbeat feel and it makes for a great weekend. The track is a typical street course; a little rough with long straights and both quick and slow corners. I do have some concerns, however. We still are way behind in test time – we’ve done all of our testing during the first two races because we haven’t been able to get engines as we need them. But this will be the first race this season that I know the track, and I’ve been using the simulator to keep on top of it and prepare.” Legge, driving under TrueCar Racing’s “Women Empowered” initiative, is not the only member of her all-female team that has had success here. Shea Holbrook, who drives the #67 TrueCar Honda Civic Si in the Pirelli World Challenge series, became the second woman to ever win a World Challenge race and the first female to win in the Touring Car class of that series when she won at Long Beach last year. While Holbrook will not be racing this weekend (her class does not compete at the 1.968-mile temporary street course this year) she will be in attendance with three other members of the TrueCar team – Ashley Freiberg, Verena Mei and Shannon McIntosh – to cheer Legge on. Emilee Tominovich is the only member of TrueCar Racing that will be absent this weekend due to previous commitments. The TrueCar ladies will be appearing at the Long Beach
Fan Village on Sunday, April 15 from 10:15 a.m. to 10:45
a.m. to greet fans and sign autographs. Shortly afterwards,
Legge hits the track in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach,
which starts the same day at 1:15 p.m. PDT. The race will be
televised live on the NBC Sports Network. Katherine Legge considered the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test a success even before she recorded her first lap time March 8 at Sebring International Raceway. Once Legge was strapped into her No. 6 Lotus Dragon Racing car and running through the gears on her first lap, she was back in a race car, living and learning. Mission accomplished. Legge turned 111 overall laps in her TrueCar-sponsored machine March 8-9 during the Open Test. Her best lap was 53.8161 seconds, 111.714 mph on the 11-turn, 1.67-mile circuit, just one-half second behind her teammate, four-time Champ Car World Series champion and Formula One veteran Sebastien Bourdais. But times and speeds were secondary to Legge, who was back in an open-wheel car for the first time since driving in Champ Car in 2007. The journey toward her long-sought IZOD IndyCar Series debut in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 25 was underway. “It was great to get back in the car after four years of not driving open-wheel and over a year of not driving anything,” Legge said. “I feel much more comfortable in the car now. We have a lot of work to do, but we all are 110 percent committed. And I am sure with the people we have, it will only improve through the course of the year.” The Lotus Dragon Racing team already passed one test of its resolve and skill at Sebring. The team’s Lotus engine arrived late March 7 in central Florida, and the crew stayed up all night to install the engine into its Dallara DW12 chassis. “The team did a great job working through the night to prepare the car,” Legge said. “Thanks to them for all their hard work. The team is coming together. We have lots of great people.” Teamwork also was evident when Legge combed Bourdais’ brain for tips throughout the test. Bourdais comes to Lotus Dragon with immense experience from his varied career in Champ Car, Formula One and Le Mans prototypes. “I feel like I’m getting back in the swing of things and improving with every outing,” Legge said. “My goal remains to learn as much as I can from the team, and especially Seb on the driving side. I want to get as close to him this year, time-wise, as possible.” Legge will participate in her first IZOD IndyCar Series
event during the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, March
23-25. Legge
happy to be back in driver's seat at Sebring Katherine Legge considered the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test a success even before she recorded her first lap time March 8 at Sebring International Raceway. Once Legge was strapped into her No. 6 Lotus Dragon Racing car and running through the gears on her first lap, she was back in a race car, living and learning. Mission accomplished. Legge turned 111 overall laps in her TrueCar-sponsored machine March 8-9 during the Open Test. Her best lap was 53.8161 seconds, 111.714 mph on the 11-turn, 1.67-mile circuit, just one-half second behind her teammate, four-time Champ Car World Series champion and Formula One veteran Sebastien Bourdais. But times and speeds were secondary to Legge, who was back in an open-wheel car for the first time since driving in Champ Car in 2007. The journey toward her long-sought IZOD IndyCar Series debut in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 25 was underway. “It was great to get back in the car after four years of not driving open-wheel and over a year of not driving anything,” Legge said. “I feel much more comfortable in the car now. We have a lot of work to do, but we all are 110 percent committed. And I am sure with the people we have, it will only improve through the course of the year.” The Lotus Dragon Racing team already passed one test of its resolve and skill at Sebring. The team’s Lotus engine arrived late March 7 in central Florida, and the crew stayed up all night to install the engine into its Dallara DW12 chassis. “The team did a great job working through the night to prepare the car,” Legge said. “Thanks to them for all their hard work. The team is coming together. We have lots of great people.” Teamwork also was evident when Legge combed Bourdais’ brain for tips throughout the test. Bourdais comes to Lotus Dragon with immense experience from his varied career in Champ Car, Formula One and Le Mans prototypes. “I feel like I’m getting back in the swing of things and improving with every outing,” Legge said. “My goal remains to learn as much as I can from the team, and especially Seb on the driving side. I want to get as close to him this year, time-wise, as possible.” Legge will participate in her first IZOD IndyCar Series
event during the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, March
23-25. Legge Looks to Climb Steep
Challenges in Brazil The challenge is nearly vertical for IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Katherine Legge entering the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle on Sunday, April 29. She’s raced at numerous circuits worldwide, but she has never raced in Brazil, let alone visited the country. She looks at the map of the 2.536-mile temporary circuit and sees two long straightaways, including the famous concrete Sambadrome that serves as the front straight. That’s not an ideal scenario for her No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing car, which is powered by a Lotus engine that’s still searching for more horsepower while working through teething pains. But Legge refuses to see the downside. She’s upbeat heading into the fourth race of the season and the first outside of the United States. “I am looking forward to Brazil,” Legge said. “I have never been to South America, and I am excited about it. “The track looks fantastic. I have driven it on my home simulator and watched in-car videos and past races to try to learn it. I can’t wait to actually drive it, though!” Lack of familiarity has been a common theme this season for rookie Legge, who is tied for 25th in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings. She’s had less than a day of testing since joining Lotus-Dragon Racing due to Lotus’ late start in the series and continued gremlins during engine development. Every event has thrown a series of challenges at British rookie Legge, whether it’s track unfamiliarity, engine troubles or lack of testing. She has continued to rely on her hardy resilience and mental toughness that served her well during her auto racing career. Legge and her team recently suffered through engine changes and other problems at a familiar Long Beach circuit, yet still took the green flag for 85 laps Sunday. Engine management issues arose during the race, and she was unable to avoid debris from another car on track, which damaged her TrueCar machine. Still, Legge managed to advance seven positions to earn a season-best finish of 19th, demonstrating the patience of a seasoned professional. The Lotus-Dragon Racing team is coming to grips quickly with the new 2012 Dallara DW12 chassis. That’s a big plus heading to Sao Paulo, as the circuit combines the bumpy, rough asphalt of city streets and the slippery concrete of the Anhembi Sambadrome, which hosts the world-famous Carnival every year. Another interesting wrinkle of the circuit is that it’s one of only two in the IZOD IndyCar Series in which the pit lane is not located on the start-finish straight. It’s positioned after Turn 4. Legge hopes the team’s accelerated learning curve with the chassis and her experience at racing on temporary road circuits in Atlantics, Champ Car and the DTM will help her achieve a strong result in the final race before the 96th Indianapolis 500 on May 27. “The two long straights are a little concerning from
the engine side,” Legge said. “I know Lotus have
been working hard, so I hope we can be more competitive this
weekend and make TrueCar proud!” IndyCar’s Katherine Legge Joins The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Team SCF IZOD Indy Car Series driver Katherine Legge (pronounced: leg) has joined The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Team SCF campaign, an effort to promote sun safe behaviors among active people. Skin cancer is primarily a lifestyle disease, which is why The Skin Cancer Foundation emphasizes public awareness and education campaigns. Team SCF was developed after a variety of professional athletes approached the Foundation with the common goal of raising skin cancer awareness. “I am happy and honored to represent The Skin Cancer Foundation and I want to make a difference,” said Legge. “If only one person gets this message and it prevents them from getting skin cancer, it will have been time well spent.” After having a suspicious mole removed from her leg as a child, Legge committed herself to leading a sun-safe lifestyle. The UK-native has joined a team of athletes from a variety of outdoor fields to share one common mission: skin cancer prevention. Fellow Team SCF members include PGA Tour golfer Brian Davis, bass angler Preston Clark, professional snowboarder Shayne Pospisil, top-ranked surfer Mick Fanning and U.S. Women’s Soccer Olympic Gold-medalists Christie Rampone and Lindsey Tarpley. May is Skin Cancer Awareness month, which is also
IndyCar’s most exciting month for racing. One in five
Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a
lifetime due to overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
For more information, please visit www.SkinCancer.org
Katherine Legge returns to
Long Beach. The first woman to win a major open-wheel race in the U.S. to compete at same venue where she made her mark, but now in the IZOD IndyCar series British race car driver Katherine Legge made history in 2005 when she became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America. It was at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, where she drove a Toyota Atlantic Championship race car to a first-place finish despite daunting circumstances. “That weekend didn’t start off well as I’d wanted it to, as I recall” said Legge. “I crashed in qualifying and started the race off towards the back of the field. It wasn’t a race where I depended on strategy, though. It was just one of those memorable races – I was the underdog; I had to come from behind to win. It was a pretty special moment, especially since it was my first race in North America.” Legge, who is a newcomer to IZOD IndyCar series this season, is hoping for another memorable race this weekend as she takes to the track for the first time since 2007. This time it will be behind the wheel of the No. 6 TrueCar Lotus Dallara DW12 campaigned by Dragon Racing, who also fields the No. 7 McAfee/Bing Lotus Dallara DW12. Legge is looking forward to the race as it is probably the most significant event for her in her recent racing history – having raced in Germany’s DTM series from 2008 to 2010, this will be only her third event in an open-wheel car in four years. Her team has struggled with engine issues in the first few races of the season, so she has that challenge to contend with. But her considerable experience there gives her optimism (she also scored two top-ten finishes in Long Beach racing in Champ Car in 2006 and 2007). “I love the track; it’s definitely one of my favorites,” said Legge. “Everything about it is special. The atmosphere and the fans all give it a very upbeat feel and it makes for a great weekend. The track is a typical street course; a little rough with long straights and both quick and slow corners. I do have some concerns, however. We still are way behind in test time – we’ve done all of our testing during the first two races because we haven’t been able to get engines as we need them. But this will be the first race this season that I know the track, and I’ve been using the simulator to keep on top of it and prepare.” Legge, driving under TrueCar Racing’s “Women Empowered” initiative, is not the only member of her all-female team that has had success here. Shea Holbrook, who drives the #67 TrueCar Honda Civic Si in the Pirelli World Challenge series, became the second woman to ever win a World Challenge race and the first female to win in the Touring Car class of that series when she won at Long Beach last year. While Holbrook will not be racing this weekend (her class does not compete at the 1.968-mile temporary street course this year) she will be in attendance with three other members of the TrueCar team – Ashley Freiberg, Verena Mei and Shannon McIntosh – to cheer Legge on. Emilee Tominovich is the only member of TrueCar Racing that will be absent this weekend due to previous commitments. The TrueCar ladies will be appearing at the Long Beach
Fan Village on Sunday, April 15 from 10:15 a.m. to 10:45
a.m. to greet fans and sign autographs. Shortly afterwards,
Legge hits the track in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach,
which starts the same day at 1:15 p.m. PDT. The race will be
televised live on the NBC Sports Network. Barber Motorsports Park Serves As
Testing Ground No. 6 TrueCar/Dragon Racing Team Continues its Development Program TrueCar is revolutionary and simple to use. And while Katherine Legge’s new Lotus Dallara DW12 is also revolutionary, it’s certainly not simple to use. Most of Legge’s counterparts in the IZOD IndyCar Series have worked through the off-season by posting numerous days and thousands of miles of testing with their new chassis and engine packages in preparation for the 2012 racing season. Unfortunately, her Dragon Racing team hasn’t been afforded that luxury due to limited availability of Lotus engines. So while most teams have been steadily working through their challenges through intensive testing, California-based Dragon Racing has been forced to utilize their race weekends as their testing ground to resolve any difficulties or issues. Recently, the team was notified that they would be without engines available for testing in the immediate future, further limiting TrueCar Racing driver Katherine Legge’s development time and understanding of her IndyCar. Today’s race at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama would yield a 23rd-place finish for the UK native, but Legge and her TrueCar team were simply trying to fill in for the critical test days that were missed prior to this weekend. “The TrueCar/Dragon Racing team did a great job today," said Legge, an IZOD IndyCar Series rookie. "We were basically testing today during the race, with tire pressures, bar settings, and different things. Because we were testing, we were on a different strategy than everyone else. We were having to move over [to allow others to pass] and so we were getting into the marbles, which ultimately led to my spin.” She continued, “When I got in a gap, our lap times were pretty comparable with everybody else, which means that we’re improving. But I don’t think we are up to speed yet. We need at least two to four days of testing. We haven’t had any, so we’re learning about the car during the race and that is never a good thing. I’m still learning about the car as well. So we need more races or more testing, like everyone else out there.” Katherine and her No. 6 TrueCar/Dragon Racing team will get their next shot at development on the streets of Long Beach during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend, where Legge won her first open-wheel race in North America in 2005 in the Toyota Atlantic Championship. The IZOD IndyCar Series will run 85 laps on Sunday, April 15 on NBC Sports Network. Notes and Quotes On Barber Motorsports Park – “I [was] really looking forward to racing here because it reminds me of a lot of European tracks – very green, very hilly and smooth,” said Legge. “It looks fantastic.” On Long Beach – Katherine Legge said, “I’m looking forward to returning there. I’ve raced there and know the track, so at least that part won’t be an issue like it was at St. Petersburg and here at Barber where I had never raced before.” Moving into New Digs – After two months of being on the road and working out of another team’s facility, Dragon Racing will finally get to move into their spacious new shop in Marina Del Rey this week – a beautiful 12,000-square-foot glass showcase for its two IZOD IndyCar Series entries. Signs of Things to Come – Team owner Jay Penske
beamed with pride when asked about what positives exist in
this development phase. “I should show you the section
times. In the corners and twisty sections, we are fast. And
so far, we have had no mechanical failures on the car,”
said Penske. “It’s really a sign of what a great
job the team has done building these cars and basically
doing development out of the trucks at the races.” A Woman Empowered at Honda Grand
Prix of St. Petersburg Katherine Legge and team leave with much needed experience A little over a year ago, British racing driver Katherine Legge returned to the United States in an attempt to realize her dream of returning to American open-wheel racing. Giving up a job as a factory driver, which is the dream of most of her European counterparts, seemed like insanity to nearly everyone she encountered in the past 14 months. Yet here Legge was today in her inaugural IZOD IndyCar Series race at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, after what must have seemed like the pinnacle of the most difficult climb in motorsports – an entire year without competitive racing. Her journey would reach a waypoint a mere 70 days ago when she and her sponsor, TrueCar, signed with Dragon Racing. It would then take a team to empower her dream. In those 70 days, Legge was quickly surrounded by a top-flight team that includes some of the best minds, mechanics, and muscle in all of motorsports. Her new crew worked tirelessly to ready her car, but the wait for an engine would stall their hopes of getting much needed track time, leaving them less than a full day of testing before coming to St. Pete. With a new chassis and a new engine package, that lack of testing would reveal itself today in a number of ways that ultimately left the UK native parked off course in 23rd position with overheated fluids dispensing from her TrueCar machine. The team had been at the mercy of engine management variances all weekend. “The team did a really good job. I feel like every time we go out, we are learning and improving. It is very difficult to go into a race with less than a day of testing with this new car and new engine,” said Katherine. “We were using today as a test session and were learning a lot. It was unfortunate that we had so many issues that were out of our control. But, that’s what happens when you should have been working these things out in testing. And we didn’t have the capability to do that for obvious reasons.” Despite the issues that ended her day early, Legge was still happy with her team and the continued dedication and performance. “From my side, I am happy. We didn’t make any
mistakes. The team did a really good job as well and
didn’t make any mistakes either. I am sure everyone
will leave here and look at all the data and come back next
weekend with a lot of issues resolved. So there are a lot of
positives to take from this weekend into next weekend at
Barber.” Legge to drive for Dragon
Racing in 2012 Indycar Series Talented international driver Katherine Legge, the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America, will compete in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series for Dragon Racing. Legge will drive the No. 6 entry for Dragon, with primary sponsorship from TrueCar. Her teammate will be four-time Champ Car World Series champion Sebastien Bourdais. Both Legge and Bourdais will compete with Lotus power, as Dragon Racing was named as a factory team for the iconic sports car manufacturer that is one of three engine suppliers this season in INDYCAR. The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season starts Sunday, March 25 at St. Petersburg, Fla, with the 101st Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27 as the marquee event of the schedule. "I am very proud to be driving in the 2012 IndyCar Series for Lotus Dragon Racing , with the gracious support of my sponsor TrueCar,” Legge said. “Lotus, Dragon and TrueCar have put together an amazing programme that I have every faith will succeed and win races. “Lotus has such a great heritage and racing background and will be an enormous strength to our program. I am very much looking forward to working with all of those involved, and I am excited to get out on track now alongside a fantastic teammate in Sebastien Bourdais.” Legge is resuming her elite-level open-wheel racing career after three seasons as an Audi factory driver in the European-based DTM, the world’s top touring car series. She drove for Futurecom TME, Abt Lady Power and Team Rosberg during her three-year DTM career from 2008-10. Legge, 31, achieved the greatest success of her career to date in North American open-wheel racing. She won three races in the Toyota Atlantic Championship in 2005, becoming the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America. Legge then became the first woman to compete full time in the Champ Car World Series, in 2006, and was the first woman to lead a lap in that series. Before coming to America in 2004, Legge built an impressive portfolio of success in many ultra-competitive European open-wheel series. She became the first woman to win a pole in a British Formula Ford Zetec event, in 2000. She also earned pole position at Oulton Park in England during the 2002 Formula Renault season with a time quicker than the lap record set by eventual Formula One World Champion Kimi Raikkonen. Those results helped her become the first woman to receive the prestigious British Racing Drivers’ Club “Rising Stars” honor in 2002. Her successful 2005 season in Toyota Atlantic also led to a test late that year with the Minardi team in Formula One, the world’s most prestigious series. Dragon Racing, owned by Jay Penske, is based in Los Angeles. The team made its IZOD IndyCar Series debut in 2007 as Luczo Dragon Racing and guided Raphael Matos to Rookie of the Year honors in 2009. “I am extremely excited and proud to partner with
Lotus Cars and TrueCar,” Penske said. “The
combination of having the technical support of Lotus as a
factory team, the financial backing of a game-changing
company TrueCar as a primary sponsor and the unquestionable
driving skills of Sebastien and Katherine makes us a force
to be reckoned with in 2012.” Katherine Legge’s Quest
For An IndyCar Ride At the final race of the year on the IZOD IndyCar Series trail, it’s customary to see drivers walking around and looking for an appropriate job for the coming season. There are a few seats available for next year, particularly with new engines and chassis supplanting a familiar Dallara/Honda/Firestone grouping that’s been in place since 2006. Because of this teams are looking not only for a good racer but also someone who can test and help develop a car. That’s where a breadth of experience can come in handy – whether in the Indy cars or with other series. One of the drivers talking to team owners at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was Katherine Legge, who most recently has been an Audifactory driver in the DTM (German Touring Car) championships. Legge should be familiar to American racing fans for her efforts in the Toyota Atlantic championship and the Champ Car World Series, where she met far more success than that other female driver, Danica Patrick. The elegant and charming Briton, however, first came to the United States under compromising circumstances. There was a time when Kathryn Nunn, wife of engineer and
Champ Car team owner Morris Nunn, was trying to put together
a Firestone Indy Lights team comprised of woman drivers.
Together with Lyn St James, she organized a – for lack
of a better term – gong show at Texas Motor Speedway
and invited six female race car drivers to show up. (No
access to rest of the story.) Katherine Legge discusses F1, DTM and
IndyCar in 2012 In years gone by it was common practice for many of motorsports greatest drivers to earn a living and develop their skills by driving a variety of different racing cars throughout their careers. Whether it was single-seaters, sportscars, touring cars you name it they would drive it, having the willingness and ability to compete in different series provided them with a degree of versatility many of today’s drivers don’t get to experience. Versatility and adaptability have been qualities Katherine Legge has demonstrated in her career to date. Arguably Britain's most famous female racer, Katherine has also shown speed, bravery and commitment as she rose through the single-seater ranks first in the UK and then in the U.S. Success in Toyota Atlantic's led to a move-up to the Champ Car series where she impressed both on and off the track and became a firm fan favourite. Further headlines were made and experience gained with tests in Formula One with the Minardi team, Team Great Britain in A1 Grand Prix and more recently in the ultra competitive German DTM touring car championship with Audi. This year saw Katherine move back to America, a country she loves, with a new challenge in mind, to land a full-time drive in IndyCar for next season. The series has been making headlines as it continues to develop and with Chevrolet and lotus joining Honda, a new Dallara chassis waiting in the wings, Katherine's decision looks to be a smart one. With this in mind, I recently caught-up with Katherine to see how her plans are developing for next year, her thoughts on what it will take for a female racer to break into Formula One and much more. Girlracer: Katherine you were very popular and successful in open-wheel racing in North America when you raced in Toyota Atlantics and Champ Car. What prompted you to leave and race in the DTM? Katherine: I felt with the merger happening between the IRL and Champ Car to form IndyCar it was a period of uncertainty. I thought that being part of a factory effort would be a great opportunity to grow as a driver. Of course being back in Europe I thought it might even open doors into the F1 world. I would have stayed if I had thought I had a chance to be with a competitive outfit here but like I said everything was up in the air with the merger and I took the security route. Girlracer: Looking back, how do you view your time in the DTM and what will you miss about the series? Katherine: That’s a tough question. I have very mixed emotions about my time in the DTM, we had some good days and some very bad ones. However, I did learn a lot and I grew as a person and a driver. I don’t think my results reflect that for a number of reasons. Girlracer: How are you finding life back in the States again? Katherine: I have a personal love affair with the USA! When I was gone I missed it here and the friends I made. I miss things from the UK still of course and my family. I also miss the mountains in Germany, although if I had the time I could travel to the mountains here!! I think the American outlook on life as a whole is more positive and I really enjoy that ‘can do’ attitude. Girlracer: We see women racing successfully in many different types of motorsport, why do you think that there are no women racing in Formula One? Katherine: I don’t think F1 is ready for a female driver and I don’t think there are that many talented enough to pull it off… I don’t mean that in a bad way its just F1 is not just about the driving, having to manage all the personalities and politics that goes on is way harder!! When I tested I proved that I could drive the car fast enough, it will just take a major commercial backer to open those doors. Girlracer: You impressed in your Formula One test with Minardi in 2005, do you see Formula One as a closed chapter or still unfinished business? Katherine: Gosh I have been so focused this year on putting my IndyCar deal together I haven’t really pursued it as an option. I would jump at the chance to drive in F1 but realistically its not going to happen unless like I say you can get major backing from a global commercial force. Girlracer: So what made you decide to return to the U.S. and IndyCar? Katherine: I felt it was where I belong. I missed racing stateside and I really feel its one of the few places to race in the world where gender is a non-issue. I wanted the chance at winning races and being given an equal shot at it where your results directly depend on the effort and talent you have both on and off the track. Girlracer: Next year Chevrolet and Lotus will join Honda as IndyCar engine suppliers. These manufacturers don't know yet how many cars will start the season next year and therefore how many engines they will have to supply. At the same time, some of the teams are saying they don't know yet which engines they may be using or if they will be able to sign a deal with the manufacturer of their choice. What impact is this situation having on your talks with teams and when would you hope to have a deal announced? Katherine: It’s a tricky situation, because the teams have that as their number one priority at the moment. It will all work itself out pretty quickly here though. I am looking forward to it as I really believe it will make for more interesting racing. Girlracer: Having raced in Europe for a few years, would you anticipate any difficulties in re-adjusting to an IndyCar, ovals and the U.S. style circuits, some of which will be new to you? Katherine: Gosh I think it will take me a while to get used to the car again, but really after a test day it should start to come back! Girlracer: Do you think that you will have the opportunity to have a test in either the current car or new car before the end of the year? Katherine: I hope so! Girlracer: You attended the Indy 500 this year, have you been able to attend any other races since then? Katherine: Yes I have been at quite a few of the races this year. I have to get myself back into the consideration of team owners for next year and that means them seeing you at the track right. It hurts a lot to see the others racing when you are not but it just makes you more determined to make it happen for yourself. I have also had quite a few commercial meetings that take place at the races so it has been important for me to be at as many as possible. Girlracer: IndyCar introduced double-file race restarts this year, what's your thoughts, is this good for the series? Katherine: I think it is good for the series as it creates closer racing, but I cant really judge myself having not been part of one. Girlracer: Are there any particular IndyCar circuits that you're looking forward to racing at again next year or any of the new circuits that you're looking forward to getting to race at? Katherine: All of them!!! Girlracer: Looking at the championship this year it looks like it's going to come down to Dario Franchitti and Will Power again, who's your money on taking the title? Katherine: Oh that’s a tough one! They have both done a great job this year and created a lot of interest for IndyCar racing! I will go with Dario but only because it was a gut instinct!! Girlracer: What do you do you stay fit and in such great shape? Katherine: I enjoy running and so in a typical week will run 20-30 miles, some long easy, some hard, some intervals. I also do circuits and weight training three times a week. I try to do some cycling but on more of a casual basis, and I just started Yoga! Girlracer: Who's inspired you the most in your career Katherine: My dad… He has been there for me the whole time. Senna was my childhood hero growing up in racing. Girlracer: What advice would you give to any of our readers interested in starting a career in motorsports? Katherine: Don’t do it!!! Go grab a tennis racquet instead!!... No, seriously if its what you have your heart set on than be prepared for a lot of hard work and you will need a thick skin. You have to make sure its what you want 110% and you are prepared for the journey because if you don’t have total commitment it will chew you up and spit you out very quickly. If you are prepared for it then be single minded, focused and don’t give up! One of the main things I would suggest is get some professional advice from someone you trust early on to guide your career. Girlracer: Thank you Katherine for taking the time to talk with Girlracer, we can't wait to see you back in Indycar next year! Katherine: Thanks Girlracer, I hope to make you
proud! I have been working very hard and being very patient
and diligent with my 2012 aspirations and program...
xoxo Katherine Joins Lyn St. James on the
Autosportradio.com Show Katherine was once again a guest on the Autosportradio.com show, live from McGilvery's in Speedway, Indiana. In this video from last night's show, she is joined by Lyn St. James, a retired professional IndyCar driver with 8 CART and 5 IndyCar Series starts to her name. She is just one of seven women who successfully qualified for the Indianapolis 500, and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award in 1992. The first two guests on the show were Ryan Briscoe (INDYCAR driver) and his wife Nicole (a NASCAR reporter on ESPN). You can pick up Katherine and Lyn at 36:00 minutes into the show. 
Katherine Legge Walks Away
from Spectacular Crash Unscathed Legge, who qualified a season and career high tying eighth, got an equally good start picking up three places by the second lap. One as a result of the opening lap incident and another when Justin Wilson was moved back two spots for jumping the start. However, on the restart following the crash she got boxed in and lost sixth places dropping to 11th. Showing her trademark determination, Legge began the long climb back. She picked up one spot on lap seven, but fell back to 12th after the first round of pit stops. Legge fought her way back to 10th by the second round of stops and when Tracy made an off-track excursion after losing a battle with Servia, she was in ninth. Legge was running in seventh just before the start of the third round of stops, then moved into second place when she was able to stay out longer than most of the cars ahead of her. The extra laps, with a low load of fuel, gave Legge additional track position so that following a very quick stop by the Bell Micro - PKV Racing crew on lap 43 she reemerged in sixth place, just behind her teammate. Three laps later she was flying through the air upside down and staring at the ground. "I am a bit shaken, but I'm okay...as you can see," she said. "All my bits are intact, so that just goes to show how strong Champ cars are. It was a big impact, but hopefully everything will be fine for the next race at Surfers Paradise." Legge went on to say, "I don't think you are really aware of what is going on when you have a situation like I had. All of a sudden the car just sped up and hit the wall. Then I see the ground and there is dirt coming into the cockpit...and I see the fence...honestly you are thinking what is going to happen next. I think I saw parts breaking off all around me. And I think I saw the engine split away because the thing I was thinking about the most was that the car was going to catch fire, which it did. Then when the engine went away and I though okay that's good. To be honest I think I had my eyes closed for lots of it, but it is a bit scary." Legge concluded by saying, "The only problem I am having now is I banged by knee a little bit against the bulkhead. It is just a bit of bruising which won't look to attractive in my dress at the Atlantic's banquet tonight." Note: Following her crash safety officials reported that Legge was "awake, alert and had no complaints." She was held for observation for approximately half an hour. Upon arrival at the Champ Car medical unit she was asked if she wanted anything to which see responded, "Just a cup of tea." Legge, a rookie, made her 12th career Champ Car start and first at Road America although she did compete there last year in the Atlantic Championships qualifying third and finishing second. The native of Guilford, England has earned four top-10 finishes in her first 11 Champ Car races placing a season, and career, high sixth at Milwaukee, eighth in her Champ Car debut at Long Beach eighth in Cleveland and ninth in Denver. She has qualified in the top-10 twice in 12 attempts this year (eighth on the oval in Milwaukee and here on the Road America road course). The resident of Indianapolis, Indiana is third in laps completed and ninth in laps led with 12. Legge is 16th in the standings with 122 points, 46 points out of 10th. She is fifth in the Roshrans Rookie of the Year race. Legge has established a number of Champ Car records this
season. She is the first female to start a Champ Car/CART
race since Lyn St. James at Michigan in 1995 and the first
female to lead a Champ Car race (Milwaukee, 12 laps). Her
sixth place finish at Milwaukee set a new Series high for a
female driver (her eighth in Long Beach and Cleveland give
her the three best finishes) surpassing a ninth place finish
by Janet Guthrie at the 1978 Indianapolis 500. Legge won
three races and finished third last year in her rookie
season in the Atlantic Championship Series. Her victory in
her debut Atlantic event at Long Beach made her the first
woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America. More history made as Legge leads
Milwaukee - 6/4/06 British Champ Car rookie Katherine Legge continued to re-write the Champ Car history books with a career best sixth place finish at Milwaukee. In finishing sixth in what will arguably be the toughest race of the year for the 25 year-old PKV Racing driver Legge not only continued to vindicate her place on the Champ Car grid but also began proving herself as a potential series frontrunner. The Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225 at the venerable Milwaukee Mile was always going to be one of the toughest tests of the season for Legge and she rose to the challenge admirably. In addition to taking a career best eighth place on the grid Legge also became the first female driver to lead a Champ Car race when she stayed out under the first caution period of the day on lap 29, holding on to top spot for a dozen laps despite the close attentions of Justin Wilson. Legge eventually succumbed to her countryman's advances but continued to hold second place through the middle of a race shortened to 197 laps in order to fit in with the series' time-limit. However her earlier pit strategy meant that another pitstop was required, leaving her two laps down in sixth place when the chequered flag fell. With just ten cars finishing the race Legge not only
easily finished as the best placed rookie but she also moved
into eleventh place in the title race, one point behind
current rookie leader Will Power and just 20 points out of
the top five. It's been a week now since my Champ Car debut, and I think the Long Beach result has just about sunk in. For sure, the part where I made a mistake has sunk in, but we'll take eighth for our first race. We had a bad qualifying the day before, so we'll take that result and the points, and we'll work on things and move on to the next one. I love Long Beach, but I am glad to have got it out of the way. Of course, I won there last year, and the atmosphere, the sunshine, everything about it is just great, so I like going back there. I like the track although, obviously, it's different to drive in a Champ Car. I think it is going to be like that this year because, even though I know some of the tracks, they're going to be different in the Champ Car. Long Beach is still fun to drive but, when you're coming out of the hairpin and put your foot down and have 750bhp and a lot of wheelspin and there's no rubber on the track, you think it's definitely different! The whole weekend feels different going back as a Champ Car driver. You've got a lot more things to do, and a lot more demands on your time - and there was a lot more pressure on me last weekend. There was a lot of added media attention, and I think, to some degree, it was a distraction, but you just have to focus harder on being focused. It was an experimental weekend in that respect, as we didn't know exactly what was going to happen, and how heavy the attention was going to be, but, now that we do, we can develop strategies to move forward. Practice was really all about getting used to everything and, although practice and first qualifying didn't really go as planned, again, looking back, perhaps they weren't so bad. We were just learning and getting to grips with the set-up of the car, and Oriol and Jimmy were trying to help as much as they could with that because they had driven there before and have driven Champ Cars a lot more than I have. We just wanted to get through the first qualifying and practice sessions as it was going to be faster in second qualifying. Basically, we drove around, trying to improve the car, staying out of the wall and we thought that we had a good shot at the top ten in second qualifying, but things didn't really go our way. I made a mistake on new tyres - running with the two types, the reds and the blacks, was a learning experience - but, at least, we know we can come back next time and it will be better. Because of qualifying, lining up on the grid was disappointing. I wanted to be further up the grid - I don't think I've ever been that far back, and it was a bit humiliating! When you're on the last few rows, it's not really where you want to be, so I was disappointed at that. It was great going round on the back of the truck, and on the parade lap, when everyone's waving and cheering - that really gives you a boost - but I thought that we really had a lot of work to do. The team did a fantastic job with the strategy and that got us back into the race, and we were eighth fastest, so we probably finished where we should have. It was a long race, kind of what I expected but, obviously, there were things that I didn't expect too. I believe that I cost myself sixth place and a shot at leading the race, but most of the other rookies made more mistakes than I did, so we'll take that and move on. I'm glad that I've got the first one out of the way because it was weighing on my mind, and I'm really looking forward to Houston now. It was disappointing to be the only PKV driver to make it to the finish, and I really felt for Jimmy and Oriol. Of course, I went through the first corner and saw that the others hade gone off, and my first thought was that it could mean more points for me. It sounds selfish, but it's completely honest. Obviously, you want to win by overtaking those guys and being quicker than them, but you'll still take the points any which way you can. If they're silly enough to throw it away, we'll take it. Unfortunately, the retirements weren't Oriol or Jimmy's fault, so I felt really bad for them. I hope Jimmy does more this year, as it was great to have him there, and great to have him racing. Both he and Oriol have been such a great help to me, developing me and bringing me along. I don't think that you'll find that in many team-mates, as racing drivers are selfish and generally do the bare minimum for anyone else. Would I do what they have done for someone else? Honestly, I don't think I would. The first corner wasn't so bad for me, although, if I had qualified higher up, who knows. At Long Beach, you come through a hairpin before going down the start-finish straight, so the field is always pretty strung out before it gets to the first corner. I could see the yellow flags and, at the back, we were just cruising and taking it easy by the time we got there. As a team, we half-expected that something might happen and, when it's a long race like that, you really don't want to take yourself out on the first bend. I picked my way through, then there was a yellow, so we came in for fuel - we made sure that, every time we could, we topped up - and managed to drag the people behind in with us, so we didn't lose track position. After that, we managed to pick a couple off, but did most of it under pit-stops really. Like I said, I reckon we could have finished sixth, but I spun mid-race. I just made a mistake. I was on 40-lap old tyres, so they were pretty old, and I obviously wasn't being careful enough on them. I had a lot of oversteer coming around that particular corner and where, normally, you'd give it a handful of opposite lock and it'd be fine, this time it snapped out on me and I was fully on the lock-stops and couldn't rescue it. Maybe it was a lack of concentration, but I think it was really just a genuine mistake, albeit one that I won't make again. I was sat there and I was kicking myself so hard! It was soul-destroying, I was desperate! Obviously, I had spun it, and I was fine with that. I'd even kept the engine running in the spin, but then I stalled it, so I was doubly kicking myself while I was waiting for the rescue team to get to me! However, I know that I'm going to make these mistakes. It's if I make them again that I'm going to be stupid. If I only make them once and learn from them, then it's a good thing. Everybody's been fantastic since the race. The fans were fantastic and I'm so grateful for their support. That's what makes it fun, what makes it a great weekend. A street circuit and the fans at a street circuit make it a completely different atmosphere. Obviously, I haven't talked to all the other drivers, but we had a couple of days of testing in Portland after Long Beach and everyone's been really supportive. They respect what I am trying to do and, more importantly, they respect the fact that I'm just another race car driver and I'm just trying to do my very best. I think that the team were also happy to get the race under their belt, because there was just as much pressure on them as there was on me. They have been working so hard towards it, and have had a lot of extra work because of my lack of experience and needing to bring me on. It's not like they have got an experienced driver and can plonk him in the car, get fantastic feedback and get to be up the front straight away - they've had to work really hard with me and I think it was a relief for them to get this one out of the way as well. I showed promise, I showed that I can race and I got out of the car and wasn't tired at all - I could have done another race. I've worked really hard on all that, and I think that it showed that we have potential. Testing showed that too - although I had my first crash in a Champ Car at Portland. It was disappointing in that we were P8 on the first day and then had some gearbox problems, and then we were P7 on the second day and I went and caught the tyre barrier. I didn't get a chance to run in 'happy hour', when everyone puts new tyres on and generally goes quicker. However, overall, it was promising. Every time we go out, I get closer to Oriol, closer to the front of the pack, and I learn. That's all we can wish for. I know some people say that I have a luxury in being able to go out there and have a 'learning year', but I don't care. That's what all the other rookies are doing as well, I'm just being honest about it. Yes, I want to win, as much as anybody else on the grid, but I'm being realistic and want to get what I can out of it. I want to maximise what I can this year, and that means learning as much as I possibly can. Of course, it also means results, but I'll be happy going in to 2007 having learned all I need to learn and developed as a driver. We tried some really funky stuff at Portland, some bizarre set-ups. Oriol did the same, as he had Jimmy's car from Long Beach as well as his own. They each had their own direction to go in, and we were coming from another direction, so we learned a lot, some really beneficial things which, moving forward, will really help us. Whether they'll help us for Houston or not, I doubt, because Portland is a 'proper' track, not a street course, but I think, when we go back to Portland, we'll be in really good shape. The PKV team is doing an awesome job now. Of course, we're still a relatively new team but, as long as the engineers and everyone keep working as hard as they have been, I don't see any reason why, by the end of the year, we wont be on top of things. I've got some time off this week, although I don't know what normal people call time off, as I'm still busy 24-7. I suppose, as a race car driver, you don't get any real time off as I'm still going to be in the gym twice a day, and I'm still going to be down at the workshop, learning all I can. I suppose, for me, time off means not travelling for a while. I'm in Indy now for seven or eight days, then we go to Milwaukee for a rookie test, where Kevin will pick Jimmy and me up to go to Italy - where we'll have some fun on powerboats for a while! The life of a racing driver, eh? After that, I think I'll have a quick stop back in England, where I'll get to see my mum, my sister and my boyfriend. Then I'll be back in Indy for a few more days, getting acclimatised again and figuring out plans for what we're going to do when we get to Houston. I'll speak to you again then. Legge to drive in the Champ Car World Series at Long Beach Katherine Legge, 25, joins the IRL Indy Car Series' Danica Patrick, as the only women racing in major open-wheel series. She won three times on the developmental Atlantic Championship Series in 2005, and moved up to Champ Cars beginning with the season-opener Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. She will drive her first event for PKV Racing, a team co-owned by series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven. Source: USA Today, February 15, 2006 "It's all so new to me," Legge
said. "I have to be more physical to drive the car, and
the whole thing is just a different beast with pit stops,
push-to-pass and strategy...I just want to be rookie of the
year and improve toward 2007 and see where we are as a
team." Katherine Legge signed for Polestar for this season's US-based Toyota Atlantic Championship with backing from Champ Car team PKV Racing. And she scored a history-making debut victory in the Series at Long Beach, California, on 10th April. Well done, Katherine - details on www.champcarworldseries.com - a terrific achievement for the 25-year old ex-Formula Renault racer from Guildford, England. Katherine's first win was followed up by two more as the year wore on and she finished Third overall in the Championship. In October 2005 comes news that she is to test an F1 Minardi (just before the team is handed over to Red Bull) at Vallelunga on November 21-24, just after she has her first taste of a ChampCar on November 18-19 in the States. Katherine Legge to test
Rocketsports Racing Champ Car in Sebring Look
out, Danica! Woman wins race
Legge earns 2nd major open-wheel victory for woman since 1980 Woman
gets third victory of season
The only woman driving in Champ Car’s top developmental series pulled off a difficult pass for the lead Sunday and went on to win in the streets of downtown San Jose, her second straight victory and third of the season. A
Woman's Place A few weeks ago I drove from LA to Dallas/Ft Worth to witness a six-woman shootout for a possible Menards Infiniti Pro Series ride with Nunn Motorsports, owned my Kathryn Nunn. Please emphasize the word "possible". Katherine
Legge Gets Second Toyota Atlantic
Victory -
womenssportsnet.com
Look out Danica Patrick, Katherine Legge is on your heels. Legge showed Sunday that her victory in April at Long Beach in her Toyota Atlantic debut was no fluke, racing to a win on the new road course at City Center Airport, near downtown Edmonton. It is only the second major open-wheel win for a woman since Desire Wilson won an Aurora Formula One race at Brands Hatch in Legge's native England in 1980, the year Legge was born. Rookie
driver has Legge up in open
wheel
While Katherine Legge was preparing to drive in her first race this season in Long Beach, a couple of young girls stopped to wish her good luck. They made her charm bracelets and asked for her autograph. After Legge crashed during qualifying, the girls came by to make sure she was OK. On race day, Legge gave the girls something to celebrate: a victory. Legge's win in the Toyota Atlantic series, the feeder system for the Champ Car World Series, marked the first time a woman has won an open-wheel race in North America. Desire Wilson won at Brands Hatch in England in 1980, the year Legge was born. "It was so cool to see those young girls after I won," says Legge, of England. "Hopefully, people like me can open doors for young girls like them. I didn't actually think I could be a racing driver when I was growing up because I'm a girl." Legge and her family have financed much of her racing career. She has been a driving instructor to help pay the bills. It all started when her father, Derek, a former competitive soccer player, bought her a go-kart for her ninth birthday. "I got the go-kart, and I was quicker than my father," she says. From then on, racing became a father-daughter endeavor. Derek, who makes a living building homes in England, has been to all but one race this season. He missed Edmonton. "To think that it all started when I was 9 and he spent all of his hard-earned money on my go-karts and then he missed that win," Legge says. "He was crying on the phone, and I told him he had to stop because he was making me cry." Legge's mother, Vivienne, however, never really shared in
their enthusiasm. Vivienne, who sells homes in England,
didn't like the dusty atmosphere of the racetrack. "She's
been very supportive, but I don't think this is what she
expected her daughter to do," Legge says. Legge has planned to take her first practice spin in a Champ Car at an undetermined location sometime after the season. For someone who didn't even think she'd have a ride this season at any level, Legge is glad to have options. She unsuccessfully made a bid to race in the IRL during
the last offseason. Then she heard that Kalkhoven was going
to be in England meeting with engine executives and she
showed up in the company's waiting room for him. She
persuaded him to give her a test ride; soon afterward he
decided to help sponsor her. Rookie results for Legge,
Patrick A comparison of Katherine Legge and Danica Patrick's rookie seasons in the Toyota Atlantic series.What a difference of six-years racing experience means.
Katherine
Legge - Toyota Atlantic (Legge is pronounced "leg") Team
Polestar Racing Group
Career Highlights
2005 Outlook One of Europe’s top female race car drivers, Legge joins the Toyota Atlantic Championship this season with sponsorship from PKV Racing of the Champ Car World Series. After establishing an impressive racing resume in the UK and finishing in the top 10 last season in the North American Formula Renault series, Legge is looking forward to vying for the 2005 Atlantic crown. She’ll compete for Polestar Racing Group, one of the top teams in the series, and will race alongside another talented rookie – Antoine Bessette – in the Polestar stable. Experience 2004: Competed in the both the British Formula Renault and North American Formula Renault 2000 Championships. Finished 10th in the North American series, despite starting in less than half of the events. Earned Kathryn Nunn Infinity Pro Series Scholarship. 2003: Raced in the British Formula 3 Championship. 2002: Ran in the British Formula Renault Championship. Won the pole position at Oulton Park. Became first female to receive prestigious British Racing Drivers Club Rising Stars accolade. Won the Susan JP Jamieson award from the British Women Racing Drivers Club for fastest lap speed by a female in the UK. 2001: Competed in the British Formula Renault Winter Series. 2000: Raced in the British Formula Ford Zetec Championship with a best finish of third place. Became the first female to win a pole position in the series. 1990-1998: Won numerous British karting championships. 2005 Road America History Legge will be seeing her first Atlantic Road America racing action this weekend. 2005 Season Overview It was a magical and historical weekend for Katherine
Legge in the 2005 season opener at Long Beach. She showed
poise and speed all weekend but lost her fast lap in
qualifying after hitting the wall and causing a stoppage in
the session. Coming from seventh on the starting grid, she
put on a remarkable display in the race moving up quickly
from the green flag. She got involved in an accident with
Fernando Rees early on and she was able to continue while
Rees was forced to retire. After shaking off the contact,
Legge settled in to pursue the leaders. She engaged in a
tremendous battle for the top spot with Rocky Moran Jr. and
her teammate Antoine Bessette in the final stages of the
race. Legge captured the lead with three laps remaining when
Moran’s car broke down. She held off Bessette in the
last two laps, winning by just half a second over her
hard-charging rookie teammate. With the victory, she became
the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North
America and she was also the first Atlantic driver to win in
their first series race since Jon Fogarty did it at
Monterrey, Mexico in 2002. Despite some struggles in
qualifying, Legge turned in a solid result at Monterrey in
Round 2. After running among the top three for most of the
weekend, Legge crashed into a tire barrier early in
qualifying. She not only damaged her car’s suspension,
but she also lost her fast laps and was forced to start
eighth in the race. Once again raising her game on race day,
Legge improved to fifth place at the checkered flag for her
second consecutive top-five to start the year. At the
Portland doubleheader, Legge struggled for most of the
weekend but recovered with a strong finish in Round 4. She
qualified seventh for the opening race of the weekend and
lost a couple of spots during the 35-lap event to finish
ninth for her worst finish of the season. Earlier that day,
Legge suffered some wing damage on her car and lost her
fastest lap when she made contact with the tires in Turn 5
during qualifying. Starting 10th on the grid on Sunday, she
worked her way up the running order and had a great battle
with David Martinez for several laps before getting by the
talented Mexican. Legge moved up to finish third for her
second podium of the year and she earned a bonus point for
improving the most positions during the race. In her first
experience racing at Cleveland in Rounds 5 and 6, Legge
learned some valuable lessons on the wide-open airport
circuit. She qualified fifth in the first race of the
weekend but she made contact with both her teammate Bessette
and Dan Selznick in Turn 1 and she was forced to retire in
16th place before ever completing a lap. Race #2 carried
much better results as she made it cleanly through the
difficult first turn. After qualifying an Atlantic
career-best fourth, she wound up fifth overall for her
fourth top-five result of the season. At Toronto in Round 7,
Legge qualified sixth and started strong in the race passing
Tonis Kasemets for fifth position early on. She was running
as high as fourth before a hard-charging Kasemets began to
try and get by her. Legge was penalized for blocking on
Kasemets and she had to serve a drive-through penalty on pit
lane. After falling back in the field as a result of the
penalty, Legge fought back to claim her original spot of
sixth at the finish line. Round 8 brought about Legge’s
second win of the season and her best all-around performance
of 2005. Her car was fast on the Edmonton airport course
from the moment it rolled off the truck. She owned the
second-fastest lap in both rounds of qualifying, but wound
up starting third, for her best qualifying effort of the
season, behind both the provisional and final polesitters.
Legge made contact with both of the drivers in front of her
in Turn 1 at the start, but no serious damage was done to
any of the cars and she moved up to second on the opening
lap and began to track down polesitter Charles Zwolsman.
Legge was able to get past Zwolsman when he came upon lapped
traffic and she assumed control of the race on Lap 19. She
fought off a challenge from Zwolsman on both a late-race
restart and in the final lap to secure her second Atlantic
win in eight events. She also earned a bonus point for
improving the most positions in the race. Legge made it two
in a row when she captured the first Atlantic race on the
streets of San Jose in Round 9. She qualified fourth and
enjoyed another good start, passing David Martinez for third
place in Turn 1. She moved up to second when race leader
Tonis Kasemets retired with mechanical problems. She then
passed Zwolsman for the lead for the second consecutive
week, this time on Lap 29 of the 45-lap event. She held off
Martinez late to win by 1.084 seconds. After improving to
third in the season standings with back-to-back wins, Legge
suffered some early-race heartbreak in Denver. She qualified
fifth but became involved in a Turn 1 accident with Zwolsman
at the start of the race. Legge was forced to pit lane with
suspension damage and didn’t re-enter the race for five
laps as repairs were being made. She ran well for the
remainder of the event, posting the third-quickest lap of
the race, but finished 17th for her worst result of the
season. Legge fell to fifth in the title chase as a result
of the finish as she now owns 217 points on the year, 51
behind Zwolsman, the championship leader. How often have we heard that one driver or another is the "real deal"? Some people were just born to race. Katherine Legge, who makes her home next to the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in Northampton, UK is certainly one of those. She is the real deal. In 2000 Katherine Legge became the first female to win pole position in the British Formula Ford Zetec Championship and scored a best finish of third. That result was only the beginning. In 2002 Legge ran the British Formula Renault championship, taking pole position at Oulton Park. Katherine became the first woman to receive the
prestigious British Racing Drivers Club Rising Stars award
in 2002 and followed that with the Susan JP Jamieson award
from the British Women's Racing Drivers Club, awarded for
setting the fastest lap speed by a female UK racer. Katherine
Legge Heading to Portland to Regain
Ground
"I am hoping to have good races at Portland because it is a doubleheader and it's very important for points and the championship," said Legge, who became the fist female driver to win a Toyota Atlantic Championship race in her debut during season-opening 2005 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. For all the latest Katherine Legge news visit the
official Katherine Legge website www.gokatherine.com
Legge
continues to excel with her third Atlantic
win When Derek Legge put his oldest daughter behind the wheel of a go-kart for the first time, the ride was expected to be a short one. Sixteen years later, Katherine Legge's driving career is still gaining speed. Sunday, Legge put another exclamation point on her breakthrough rookie season on the Toyota Atlantic circuit by leading the final 16 of 45 laps and holding off David Martinez by about three car lengths to win the support race at the inaugural Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San Jose. Legge, 25, has won three of the series' nine races, including the past two. She is the only woman ever to win an open-wheel race in North America. She won her series debut in April at Long Beach and leapfrogged from fifth place to third in the season standings Sunday with her sixth top-five finish. "I saw Tonis went into the pits and couldn't continue his race, and after that I felt quite confident I was going to win the race,'' said Zwolsman, who started from the pole position. ``I thought on this tight track nobody was going to pass me.'' Zwolsman led for 20 laps until his gear box began to fail. He held off Legge until the 29th lap, when she caught him on a straightaway and zipped into the lead on Turn 8. ``Honestly, I don't know if I would have passed Charles if he hadn't had his problems,'' Legge said. ``Where you started the race on this track was basically how you were going to finish. I was just focused on not making any mistakes. ``I saw my opportunity again and went for it. I felt bad for him, but I felt good for me. I was lucky.'' Legge had minor mechanical issues -- she locked her right front brake early in the third lap and had problems for the remainder of the race. But she never relinquished the lead and won by 1.084 seconds despite late pressure from Martinez, who matched his series-best finish. ``He was right behind me the whole way,'' Legge said. ``Yeah, a little bit of pressure, but I coped with it OK I think.'' Although a ride in the Champ Car series appears only a matter of time, Legge reiterated that she probably needs another year on the Atlantic series. ``The one thing I don't want to do is be driving around at the back'' on the Champ Car circuit, Legge said. ``I'd rather do another year in Atlantics and win a championship or contend to win a championship before I make the jump.'' Legge said she hopes her continuing success has proved that she is more than a novelty in a male-dominated business. ``I should just be seen as a driver now,'' Legge
said. A Lot to Learn: A
better-educated Katherine Legge could strike fear in the
hearts of male racers It’s inevitable that race fans will compare Katherine Legge to Danica Patrick, and it’s tempting to emphasize one point. In 10 starts in the Toyota Atlantic Championship, Legge (like the limb) has done something Patrick could not do in two seasons. Legge has won a race. Actually, three. Tempting, but not necessarily fair. No one knows that better than Legge. “Danica is really good and deserves to be where she is,” she says. “But I don’t think you can compare us. We’re in different places at different times. Maybe one day we’ll be able to race each other.” That’s not likely to happen soon. Patrick is ensconced in the IRL, where she took the world by storm with the fastest qualifying lap this year at Indianapolis, and found her way to the cover of Sports Illustrated. Legge is only beginning to garner attention outside the Atlantic paddock, and she has eyes fixed squarely on Champ Car. Now 25, she was three years older than Patrick—with fewer race starts—when she climbed into an Atlantic Swift. She competes in a field with far less experience (and arguably less talent). The two do share things beyond gender—things common to racers everywhere. Legge got her first taste of speed at age eight, when her family visited a kart track on holiday in Spain. When they returned home to Northhampton, England, her dad bought his own kart, but soon it was obvious who had the knack. From age nine, Legge did the driving. “Until I was 18, we were together at kart races nearly every weekend, but particularly in the beginning we had no idea what we were doing,” Legge says. “My father’s a builder, and he had no racing experience whatsoever. When I was 17, we figured out that I should probably drive for a professional team.” When it was time for Legge to graduate to cars, her father sold a piece of property and decided to start a team in Formula Ford 1600, fielding a second car for a paying driver to defray costs. It proved difficult. Legge consistently outperformed the payer, who thought he was getting the short stick. The team disbanded after seven races, and Legge’s season was cut short. She hasn’t completed a full season since. She sat out 2001. In 2002, she ran half of the British Formula Renault series and won the pole at Oulton Park, breaking Kimi Raikkonnen’s track record. In 2003 she bought four races with a second-tier F3 team. In 2004 she came to North America and finished 10th in the Formula Renault championship, starting only half the races. Her experience and the caliber of her team seldom matched her talent, yet she never lost her drive to drive. With nothing for 2005, Legge went uninvited to Texas Motor Speedway, where veteran team owner Morris Nunn’s wife had arranged a test for female drivers. “At the press conference before the test, I told them ‘Put me in the car, and if I’m not quickest I’ll go home to England,’ ” she says. They did, and she was, even though she’d never driven on an oval. Legge won the Kathryn Nunn Scholarship and a ride in the Infiniti Pro Series. Unfortunately, Nunn’s Infiniti team shut down when parent Mo Nunn Racing disbanded. Legge was back in the cold. So she tried something else. Aware last winter that Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven would be visiting Cosworth, which he had just purchased, Legge tracked down his number and phoned, asking to wait in the lobby in the event he might see her. Hours later, Kalkhoven called her in. “I figured he had the whole world and their dog asking for money, so I was looking for advice,” she says. “I told him ‘I’m quicker than this and that person.’ He looked amused and said, ‘How do you know that?’ ” Kalkhoven was convinced of something, because after the meeting he phoned Jim Griffith, co-owner of the Polestar Racing Atlantic team, and asked Griffith to give Legge a test. “I believe women are capable of winning, but I didn’t relish testing a wanker, and I wasn’t sure if I was getting one,” Griffith says. “We brought her to Phoenix and clearly she had technical shortcomings, but within minutes it was also clear she was better than 99 percent of the drivers in this country. We had to get her to slow down.” So Kalkhoven funded a car for Legge with sponsorship from his PKV Champ Car team, but promised only half the season. Legge probably guaranteed herself all the races when she won the Atlantic opener at Long Beach. Her year has been a mix of near brilliance and nearly wild inconsistency. In Long Beach she benefited from leader Rocky Moran Jr.’s broken gearbox, but by that point she had passed five cars and was breathing fire down Moran’s neck. She ran down the leader in both Edmonton and San Jose, then survived hard challenges in both races. She’s also finished as low as 16th. In Denver a first-corner accident kept her from completing a lap. Legge has a shot at the Atlantic championship, but Griffith believes moving up next season is a bad idea. “She still needs a lot of seasoning,” he says. A race engineer by trade, Griffith teamed with Patrick Carpentier, Alex Barron and Buddy Rice when each won his Atlantic championship. He’s engineered Memo Gidley, and watched Jacques Villeneuve, Alex Tagliani, A.J. Allmendinger—and Danica Patrick—as they served apprenticeships in Atlantic. “To be honest, Katherine was kind of thrown under the bus coming here,” Griffith says. “All of those drivers were already much more developed when they got to Atlantic. If you look at it in those terms she is better than any of them. She just takes to it. She wants it. “Until four races ago, I don’t think she recognized the concept of ‘the zone,’ or when she’s in it or how she might get herself there. It’s not remotely clear to her yet how deep or wide her zone can be. But she’s relentless in her desire to get ahead of whoever’s in front of her and then to drive away. “In a few years, when guys see Katherine in their
mirrors, they’re going to be very nervous.” - J.P.
Vettraino British woman's
wish: Champ Car ride Katherine Legge doesn't feel right asking for too much, considering the kind of year she's had. Or pressing the boss for answers, considering what he has done for her career. But after finishing two days of encouraging tests in a PKV Racing Champ Car this week at Sebring International Raceway, the 25-year-old Brit, who was unknown and looking for a break a year ago, is just eager to know whether she'll be driving one full time this spring. "I'll do whatever they think is best. I'll be all right, but I wish I could say, "Well, it's 80 percent Champ car or it's definitely 90 percent Atlantics,' " said Legge, who in 2005, her first year in the developmental Atlantics series, won three times to become the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America and finished third in points. "Half of me is saying I should stay in Atlantics and get another year of experience. The other half is saying, "Put me in the big car. Put me in the big car. Put me in the big car. This is cool.' "Maybe in three weeks they'll let me know. I hope I will. I'll be nagging. Believe me, I will." As persistent as she is, Legge knows she won't be able to pry anything out of PKV co-team owner Kevin Kalkhoven - "I try to look into his eyes and get a feel for it, but he's a very good poker player," she said. Kalkhoven said he does not need to make a decision for six weeks. One of three co-owners of the series, Kalkhoven makes it clear that he wants Legge to succeed as a racer, not as a novelty in a male-dominated sport. Starting her in Champ Car in 2006 would be ahead of a normal schedule. That said, she has been ahead of the curve since she pitched herself to him in England last year. After her driving ability proved equal to the determination that convinced Kalkhoven to sign Legge, he helped arrange tests for her this fall in various other series, including Formula One. Kalkhoven admitted that Legge's Sebring test, where she posted a best lap of 51.51 seconds over the 1.66-mile course on Wednesday and posted the fifth-best time of any Champ Car driver - including regulars - who tested there this fall was "quite remarkable." Legge made 119 laps on both Tuesday and Wednesday. NOT READY: Jimmy Vasser , 40, has been so consumed with his immediate future as a racer and ever-closer future as a team co-owner that he did not realize that Michael Andretti, 43, announced last week he would race the Indianapolis 500. Andretti, co-owner of Andretti Green Racing, which has won consecutive Indy Racing League titles with Tony Kanaan and Dan Wheldon, "retired" after the 2003 Indy 500. Vasser, a 10-time race winner and the 1996 CART champion, said he couldn't relate to Andretti's desire to return because "I've never retired and then come back, so maybe when I retire here shortly and if I come back you can ask me that." But the time is coming, he admitted. Vasser, the "V" in PKV, finished sixth in points in 2005, his 14th season. His decision will impact where Legge races, but he's taking his time. "We had a decent year last year and it's just that it's time for me, I believe, to transition, although we haven't made our decision yet," he said Wednesday. "We're going to take all our data and our list of 20 drivers we have as candidates to take the seat at PKV, including the driver we had last year - Cristiano da Matta - and go make a decision. Whenever retirement is involved, I shouldn't say retire. When I resign my seat at PKV at some point in time it doesn't mean I've stopped driving forever. Retirement is the wrong word. However, it's going to be difficult for sure." Source: By Brant James,
Times Staff Writer, Published December 25, 2005,
www.sptimes.com/2005/12/25/Sports/British_woman_s_wish_.shtml
Katherine
Legge Shows Progress in First Full Day of Champ Car
Testing Legge clocked 119 laps with a best mark of 52.04 today at Sebring. Last week, Katherine Legge got her feet wet in her first experience in a 750-horsepower Champ Car; on Tuesday, the 25-year-old Brit dove headfirst into the Champ Car pool, completing nearly 200 miles of testing with PKV Racing at Florida’s Sebring International Raceway. Legge, who produced three victories while claiming third place this past season in the Toyota Atlantic Championship, ran 119 laps on the Sebring road circuit in the No.12 Gulfstream/PKV Racing machine to begin a two-day test session with the team that sponsored her Atlantic effort in 2005. After making her Champ Car debut on December 13 at Sebring running for Rocketsports Racing, Legge nearly doubled her total laps from last week as she competed in cool, overcast conditions on the 1.66-mile Sebring circuit. Legge posted a best lap of 52.04 seconds Tuesday, demonstrating how drastically she can improve her on-track performance with a full day of testing under her belt. Her top time from one week ago, under completely different track conditions, was 53.2 seconds. “Overall, it was a good day,” said Legge, who has also tested a Formula 1 car with Minardi and an A1 Grand Prix car with Team Great Britain in the past month. “I’m getting more accustomed to driving a Champ Car and I’m very thankful to PKV for this opportunity and their help. I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t get my time down into the 51-second range, but the day went well and I’m happy with the way I drove. We still have some work to do tomorrow.” Competing as the lone Champ Car on the track, Legge benefited from strong support at the test. PKV Racing co-owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Dan Pettit were on hand for the test along with fellow team owner and Champ Car driver Jimmy Vasser as well as team general manager Jim McGee, team manager Steve Krisiloff and the PKV crew. “Katherine did a very good job,” said McGee. “She ran quite a few miles and we tried some different things on the car once she got comfortable. We still want to do some longer, full-tank runs, but we’ve got another day ahead of us.” Legge will return to the test track
on Wednesday morning. “Last week’s test with
Rocketsports really helped me get used to driving a Champ
Car and I think I did a good job today,” she concluded.
“But I still need to work on getting more consistent in
the car.” Katherine
Legge Wraps Up Two-Day Sebring Test Legge improved another half-second in comparison to Tuesday, clocking a best lap of 51.5s at Sebring today. British female racer Katherine Legge again made progress in the final day of a two-day test session with PKV Racing. For the second consecutive day, Legge logged 119 laps on the 1.66-mile road circuit at Sebring International Raceway for the PKV squad. She completed both long and short runs on the tough test track and posted a top unofficial lap time of 51.51 seconds, surpassing her quick mark from Tuesday of 52.04 seconds. “It was an awesome experience. I have to give a huge thanks to both PKV Racing and (team co-owner) Kevin Kalkhoven for this opportunity,” said Legge, who tested in very chilly conditions Wednesday with temperatures in the 50s under an overcast Florida sky. “Seeing as there weren’t any other Champ Cars on the track during the test so there wasn’t much rubber, I really wanted to reach a time of 51.5 and I was able to do that. We did a lot of laps and some pretty long runs and I came away from the experience knowing I did my very best.” After becoming the first woman ever to win a major open-wheel race in North America this season with three victories in the Atlantic Championship, Champ Car’s top developmental category, Legge proved that she could handle the heavier and more powerful Champ Carduring the test. She ran nearly 400 miles over the two days, clocking her fast lap during a mid-afternoon run on Wednesday. “She did a great job and she’s definitely not afraid to push the car to the limit,” said Champ Car driver and PKV Racing co-owner Jimmy Vasser, who was on hand to supervise Legge’s test in the #12 Gulfstream/PKV Racing machine. “We all watched Katherine race last year in Atlantics and we knew that she was a good driver. But until you work with someone you don’t truly know how determined they are. After these last two days, one thing I know for sure now is that she has a tremendous amount of determination. She has the talent to compete at this level.” Vasser, the 1996 Champ Car series champion, said Legge will definitely be considered for PKV’s plans for the 2006 Champ Car season. “We’ll sit down as a team in mid January and look at all the data from the tests and make a decision from there,” said Vasser. “Katherine, along with the other drivers we’ve been looking at [Giorgio Pantano, Ryan Briscoe and Ryan Dalziel], will certainly be in the mix when we get to that point.” Since finishing third in the 2005
Atlantic standings for Polestar Racing Group, Legge has
reaped the benefits from her strong showing as a rookie. In
addition to her Champ Car tests with both PKV and
Rocketsports Racing, she’s also driven a Minardi
Formula 1 car and an A1 Grand Prix car. If she makes the
jump up to Champ Cars next season or returns for a
championship run in the new Champ Car Atlantic series, Legge
knows she’s certainly matured as a driver over the past
year. “It’s been an unbelievable year,” said
the native of Northampton, England. “Regardless of
where I wind up racing, the experiences I’ve had will
be a massive help to me on the race track in 2006.” We haven't been able to make the cut for an interview during the two races we've covered. When I mentioned this to Katherine at the first race, her comment was "Keep trying." That has been my only comment from her, though her father was gracious enough to grant an interview. All we wanted to ask were our standard three questions. Q1: How did you get interested in racing? Q2: What did/does your father think about it? Q3: What advice would you give young girls who might be interested in racing against guys? Maybe it's because her highest placement in Champ Car has
been 6th this year (when only 10 cars were running at the
finish) and her largest finish from last place this year has
been five positions (Portland). Long Beach was the only race
where she finished on the lead lap. GC: Being a father and seeing Katherine's interest in a primairly male dominate sport, how was it for you? Derek: I think the thing is this is that if we had had a little boy first, would Katherine have had the same chances. I can't answer that because that would be a tricky one. But having seen what Katherine has done, and I'm 100% behind her, you shouldn't pigeon hole girls. Katherine prefered go-karting scene and at a young age, the difference between the sexes isn't quite so apparent. It was really a bigger problem with some of the parents, really. Especially little boy's mothers not likely their little boys being beaton by a girl. But we're all stereotypes to a certain degree. Katherine never thought of herself as other than a racer. She hates all that comparisons to Danica Patrick, because she wants to be compared for racing. so she stears clear of trying to do the girly thing because straight away that's how you characterise them. My advise to any fathers bring their girls up in racing is to always stear clear of painting the car in Barbie pink or going too far to use female type sponsors. But don't push the girly bit. GC: How's she feeling about going into Champ Cars versus Atlantic cars, with the increase in horsepower. Is it a big difference for her? Derek: At first, because it was such a big jump,
last year was Katherine's first full season of racing in
cars. She did lots of years in karts. a lot of people were
advising her to do another year in Atlantics but when you
get the opportunity to do this, the opportunitiy doesn't
come along too often. so she did a few tests and she started
realizing that she was competitive and my thing was, you may
never be strong enough so why don't you go ahead and do it.
And, although Katherine has never believed that, it's always
there, I wonder if I can handle it. So she did a
two-hour race simulation at Sebring. Before she did it, she
was a bit apprehensive but no, it's just another car, just a
big go-kart. Now she just wants to go faster. But she
realizes that you have to learn and do it step by step.
Nobody jumps straight in. If she tried to think that she
could go faster than somebody who's been doing it for 15
years, and Katherine's only at her fourth/fifth race, you
have to earn the right. I recon next year or the year after
that, once she's done all the circuits and with a new car,
then I think you will see that she will be as quick as
anyone out there. It's just a matter of learning, because
she's got to learn to give technical feedback because of her
lack of racing in the past, she's still at a slight
disadvantage but she's learning it really quickly and the
team she's got around her now, there's not one sexist there,
they're all behind her because they know how much she puts
into it and how much she wants it and that she's not there
to be a posing female poddling around at the back of the
grid. Legge Disappointed with
Indianapolis 500 Result One of the Hottest 500’s on Record Ends with Legge in 22nd Position What is commonly known as “The Month of May” in Indianapolis, the 500-mile race required IZOD IndyCar Series driver Katherine Legge to be in attendance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for some 18 days in a row. Her ‘month’ was supposed to begin on May 10th, with the Rookie Orientation Program. But delays encountered when switching engine manufacturers to Chevrolet would leave the rookie six days behind in her program. The month would end on May 27th when she took the checkered flag as the ninth female to compete in the world’s largest single-day sporting event. In near record heat that saw nearly 200 fans seeking medical attention, Legge launched her No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing Chevrolet onto the 2.5-mile circuit from a 30th starting position. It was a position that the UK native was fortunate to earn after only two hours of practice before qualifications began. The TrueCar Racing pilot estimates that she ran only 120 miles in practice sessions before having to complete the most difficult 500 miles in all of motorsports. It may have been that lack of practice for her TrueCar Racing team that prevented them from seeing a better result. (Editor's note: A look at history shows that the qualifying and finish (next to last of the running cars) was the usual position so maybe it wasn't so much the team but something - or someone else.) "We didn't know what engine we would get and if we would get one on time," said Legge. "There was a lot of legal wrangling and Sebastien [Bourdais, her teammate] and I didn't really know what was going on in the end. But ultimately other teams gained an advantage and got to be on the track practicing for six days before we got an engine." She and her teammate struggled to find speed in Friday’s practice, which would be the last time they would drive the famed oval before Sunday’s race. It showed, as they finished 22nd and 20th, respectively. And that’s what bothered Legge more than anything else the legendary track would throw at her during a race that most rookies are just happy to finish. "My biggest fear was not having a good result," she said. "If I finished outside of the top 12 or 15, I knew I wouldn't be satisfied. It was 500 miles so we really learned a lot. I’m pleased in a lot of ways but also disappointed as it just didn’t go the way we hoped. We went a lap down early, but I think we had a car to finish better than 22nd and I hate that we didn’t finish higher. I’m glad we finished the race and I’d really like to thank my TrueCar crew for all of their efforts. The Indy 500 is an amazing experience that nothing can prepare you for.” Legge will now prepare herself for the streets of Belle Isle as she heads to her next stop in Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. She has only seen the circuit during a May 21st media day. The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to the 2.1-mile circuit at Belle Isle June 1-3 for the first time since 2008, where the race will be broadcast live on ABC, Sunday, June 3 at 3:30 PM. NOTE - Katherine Legge honored millions of Girl Scouts by
wearing the Girl Scout logo on her helmet during the 96th
Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Legge wore the logo to call attention to Girl Scouts'
ToGetHerThere campaign, and Legge’s partnership with
the Girl Scouts that continues beyond Sunday’s race as
she is Girl Scouts’ inaugural STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering & Math) Ambassador and Girl
Scouts’ first motorsports athlete as a national
spokesperson. Disappointing finish leaves Legge
looking forward The first thing IZOD IndyCar Series driver Katherine Legge does when she steps out of her TrueCar Racing Dallara is seek out her race engineer, Brandon Thomas. As the rookie has shown in every session this season, she craves dialogue with her team in an effort to improve her results. And with a background that includes being Chief Design and Development Engineer at Red Bull Racing, Brandon knows a thing or two about improving cars and results. Throughout a dry Saturday, the UK-native and her team worked on improving the DW12’s setup while she got comfortable around the 2.536-mile temporary street circuit. Even with brake repairs on pit lane, the Dragon Racing crew was able to serve up 38 laps of practice for their TrueCar Racing driver before qualifying. Only getting in six laps in the session, Legge qualified 24th for today’s Sao Paulo Indy 300. “The Lotus teams were struggling to find speed down the long straightaways here, so we were simply focusing on the areas of the car we can control,” said Legge about her day of practice and qualifying. “We managed to fix a braking issue that’s been plaguing us, as well as some other improvements to keep us competitive with the other Lotus teams. We are working well together as a team and really starting to gel. I am very happy to be working with Brandon and the rest of my crew.” Never a surprise in "Sampa" or "Cidade da Garoa" (city of drizzle), Firehawk wet-condition tires were required for a rainy start to Sunday. Unfortunately, today’s morning warmup would leave the No. 6 team with even more to improve. At only a couple of laps in, Legge’s Lotus would leave her stranded and in need of a tow by the Holmatro Safety Team. “We suffered a failure on the alternator and water pump drive,” said Thomas. “And while it’s just accessory components on the front of the engine, it does require the car to be split in half. It was a lot of work, so it certainly made for a rough start to our Sunday.” However, Legge’s TrueCar/Dragon Racing Lotus showed up for work in plenty of time for her to take the cockpit before the start of the 75-lap event. Firestone Firehawk primary tires awaited her, since conditions had cleared and the track was dry. Almost immediately at the drop of the green flag, Katherine and the other Lotus drivers were overtaken by the Honda-powered machines of Justin Wilson and Takuma Sato who had started behind them. Legge was relegated to 26th position, but posting times on pace or quicker than fellow Lotus drivers who were running just ahead. “For the first time this year, we were actually faster than a few of the cars in front of us,” Katherine said. “I was on a similar pace to Sebastien [Bourdais], but I couldn’t overtake Oriol [Servia] or Simona [de Silvestro]. We then had a slight engine problem coming out of the hairpin on lap 14, which cost us some time.” After pitting for fresh alternate tires on lap 17, Katherine headed back out with a mission of improving her position. However, contact with the wall coming out of turn 10 would mean an early end to her day on lap 20, leaving her in 26th. “Everything was going fine,” said Legge. “We were racing with some other cars and I clipped the rear against the wall coming onto the rear straight. Normally, that wouldn't cause much damage, but it depends on the angle of the impact. I thought it was just a flat tire, but we came in and found out it was a bit more than that.” “I feel like the limited running we did today was still positive,” stated Legge. “It’s unfortunate our day ended early, because we are all learning something every lap we are out there. I am really looking forward to Indy and having a week on track, so I am hoping it doesn’t rain much. We really need the practice and testing time.” Legge and her TrueCar Racing team now head to
Indianapolis for the famed “Month of May” leading
up to the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500-mile Race.
With four weeks available prior to the race, Katherine and
her team will have a bit of time to catch their breath and
continue their improvement. Legge endures 'difficult day' in
San Jose Katherine Legge came through a tiring afternoon in San Jose with a 12th place finish following a race that saw her collect a pair of punctures and get involved in a pair of incidents. The Crash.Net columnist came into Sunday's 97-lap Canary Foundation Grand Prix of San Jose with a fighting chance of another top ten finish in her #20 PKV Racing Lola-Ford for although she only qualified 15th on the 17-car grid, the bumpy and unforgiving nature of the 1.448-mile San Jose circuit was guaranteed to claim a few victims. Unfortunately for Legge she became one of those victims on no less than two separate occasions, first seeing a good start go to waste when she clashed with Andrew Ranger on lap 20 while disputing 12th place and then losing six laps when she made contact with the turn six tyre barriers on lap 36. Coupled with the single lap she lost as her team replaced
the punctured tyre caused by the clash with Ranger, Legge
was left to complete the second half of the race seven laps
adrift of the leaders and only able to pick up places as
others fell by the wayside. Fortunately for the
Englishwoman, the arduous San Jose circuit claimed a number
of victims before the day was over, allowing Legge to
complete the list of those running at the finish in 12th
position. Katherine Legge was left ‘disappointed' at the end of qualifying for the Cleveland Grand Prix, despite securing her best starting position on a road course so far this year. Legge had been 13th going into final qualifying but had to settle for 14th place by the end of the session. Nonetheless, her result came after she gave her PKV squad a scare when she crashed into the tyre barriers during morning practice. However, while she left the team with plenty of repair work to do, she repaid them with 12th in the warm-up session. Improving her provisional time initially by two tenths, Legge sat fifth in the speed charts with 25 minutes remaining but while she was able to improve her time by half a second later on, she still slipped to 14th on the grid. It was a result she was frustrated with, particularly as Oriol Servia's fourth place gave her hope that she would be able to get into the top ten. “I was disappointed with qualifying because the Bell Micro – PKV Racing car is better than where we qualified,” Legge said. “I think it was one of those situations where I never got track position. I would have the first four laps clear and then, when I should have been running my fastest laps, I would run into traffic. “I thought we should easily be in the top-10 with
the car we've got. It is just disappointing because I didn't
get any clear laps at the end of my runs,” she
explained. “I am also disappointed because the Bell
Micro – PKV Racing crew did a great job getting the car
back together after the misdemeanour earlier today. The car
is a good race car, so I am confident that we can have a
good race tomorrow.” British Champ Car rookie Katherine Legge finished Sunday's G.I. Joe's Grand Prix of Portland in 13th position after her PKV Racing team only clicked on a competitive set-up in the final two thirds of Sunday's race. The 25-year old Crash.Net columnist never found the same comfort zone with her #20 Bell Micro backed Lola as she did in April's major test session at the picturesque 1.964-mile Portland road course and with a practice spin doing her confidence no favours either she lined up a disappointed 15th for Sunday's 105-lap race. It quickly became apparent in the race that keeping the car on the island was of paramount importance as all 18 starters successfully completed the race and Legge did just that, gaining two positions over the course of the afternoon and finishing ahead of former Forsythe driver Mario Dominguez in a respectable 13th position. ?The Bell Micro ? PKV Racing team did a good job preparing the car for the race,? said Legge, who still sits second in the Rookie of the Year standings. ?It was the best it has been all weekend on the last two sets of tyres. I am a little disappointed because I felt we were held up by some other cars that were slower, but overall I think we had a solid race. ?We stayed in the hunt for the rookie of the year award,
so I feel good about that. I really want to thank my crew
for all the hard work this weekend. They did a great job in
the pits, as always. It's hard because I know we can do
better, but I also know that I am still learning. I just
have to keep improving each weekend.? Legge ‘still searching'
for Portland speed. Crash.Net columnist Katherine Legge continued to struggle to find the sweet spot with her #20 PKV Racing Lola in final qualifying at the Portland International Raceway. The 25-year old British Champ Car rookie will start Sunday's G.I. Joe's Grand Prix of Portland from 15th position after setting a best time of 59.297secs around the scenic 1.964-mile Portland road course, although at the end of the session she was in no mood to admire the mountain backdrop. “The Bell Micro – PKV Racing team is disappointed,” said Legge, who was more than a second and a half behind polesitter Bruno Junqueira. “What makes it more disappointing is that we had such a good car at the test here in April. We thought it would be the same this weekend and it is not. The whole team has worked very hard this weekend, but we still have a lot of work to do. “We are going to have to sit down and figure out the
right direction to go with the car,” she continued.
“The good news is we have a practice tonight, so we
have a chance to make the changes we need. Then we can come
back stronger in the race tomorrow.” Legge 'disappointed' with sixth. Although not one to set her expectations too high, Katherine Legge has admitted that, in hindsight, she is underwhelmed with a record-breaking sixth place in Milwaukee. Despite making her oval racing debut at the city's famous Mile, Legge eclipsed more seasoned rivals by becoming the first female to lead a lap in Champ Car history, before taking sixth place on the road to overturn her previous record placing of eighth, achieved on debut at Long Beach in April, despite having to wrestle with a damaged front wing on the #20 Bell Micro/PKV Racing entry. The 25-year old Briton gained valuable track time and experience by running an extraordinary number of laps during Friday's open test and Saturday's practice session, and then ran another 50 tours in Sunday's morning warm-up, the most of any driver, as she focused on a couple of long runs to get a feel for the car in race conditions. That track time then paid off as Legge drove like a ten-year veteran instead of a rookie, conducting a smart, patient race, resisting the temptation to challenge Paul Tracy when he used his patented high line into turn one on opening lap and benefiting when the ensuing three-car pile-up moved her into fifth place. When the second yellow flag came out, the PKV team decided to go with an alternative fuel strategy and remained on track, putting Legge into the race lead for the first time in her Champ Car career. Not content to just lead the race, however, the Briton then proceeded to defend her position against fellow countryman Justin Wilson for the next dozen laps, before a damaged wing caused her car to understeer and let Wilson, on newer tyres, through. Her position then ranged from second to seventh as the race continued through its three-stop cycle, but she managed to get some payback on Wilson as she passed him to keep from going a lap down, eventually moving into sixth place on lap 156 when rookie rival Will Power pitted for the last time. However, despite setting new marks for the series, Legge admitted to a sense of anti-climax after the race. "I am actually disappointed because we had such a great car all weekend," she said, "If someone had said yesterday that I was going to finish sixth, I would have been happy with that, but now I am not so sure. "The car felt really good at the beginning of the race then, unfortunately, about a quarter of the way in, something went wrong with the front wing. From that point on, I was struggling with a massive push, massive understeer, and, the more I turned the wheel, the more I would scrub the front tyres away. I was just holding on, trying not to hit the wall. Fortunately, the rear was very secure, which is what you want on an oval, but it was a big struggle, a tough race. "Even leading is not really significant. I mean, it is a nice feeling, but that is my job. We had a good pit strategy, so we took the lead legitimately and I was racing with Justin, so I proved that I could be competitive and run with good speed. "It is all part of the learning process, and I made it to the end of the race, so that is good. The team did a fantastic job - the pit-stops and strategy were great and I am really proud of them." Legge is now eleventh in the standings, with 49 points,
but just one point of the rookie series lead, behind
Power. Penalty hinders feisty Legge in
Monterrey. British Champ Car rookie Katherine Legge may not be pleased with a final result of 15th in Sunday's Tecate Grand Prix of Monterrey but her final result masked a fighting performance from the 25 year-old PKV Racing driver. Following a weekend marred by engine changes, difficulties with the handling of her PKV Racing #20 Bell Micro Lola-Ford and a further clash with her fellow British rookie Dan Clarke in practice, Sunday's 76-lap race was another roller coaster ride for Champ Cars only female driver. From 17th and last on the grid Legge picked up three places on the opening lap around the twisty 2.104-mile Fundidora Park circuit in Mexico thanks to brave first turn pass on Nicky Pastorelli and a collision between CTE-HVM teammates Clarke and Nelson Philippe. Safely settled in 13th position Legge latched onto a large train of cars backed up behind her similarly troubled PKV teammate Oriol Servia only to lose all her hard earned ground with a brief spin in turn five. Pushed back to 16th Legge persevered with a set of tyres that were well passed their best and began turning laps far quicker than the drivers immediately ahead of her. Briefly promoted to the top ten during the second round of pit stops Legge emerged ahead of both Pastorelli, Clarke and Jan Heylen for the final run to the finish, once again in 13th position. While 13th would have placed Legge third in the six strong rookie class her afternoon wasn't over yet as race officials handed her a drive through penalty for some stout defending against her increasing nemesis Clarke in the closing stages. Forced to take an extra trip down pit road with less than ten laps remaining Legge was demoted to 15th where she remained for the rest of the race. Despite losing several valuable championship points
thanks to her penalty Legge still runs third in the
Roshfrans Rookie of the Year standings just 12 points behind
rookie leader Will Power heading into the next round of the
series at the famous Milwaukee Mile. Katherine Legge was left frustrated after her second Champ Car outing, having endured a string of problems throughout the two-hour night event at Reliant Park in Houston. Already ruing a less than satisfying second qualifying session, and having had to have a precautionary suspension change after brushing the wall in warm-up, the Briton was faced with having to battle her way through the field, but was hampered by three very different obstacles. "What a day, what a day," she sighed, "Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. They say bad things happen in threes and they were certainly right today. First, I had a knee pad get loose in the cockpit. Then, I had an electrical problem with the car and finally I got taken out of the race." Legge was running 13th, having made up two places on her grid slot on good PKV strategy despite the electrical woes, when fellow Briton Dan Clarke sent the Bell Micro machine into the tyres with a mistimed lap 42 move. To make matters worse, the CTE-HVM driver was ten laps down on Legge at the time of the incident. The impact with the tyre wall not only cost Legge time while the safety car extricated and restarted her, but also confined the PKV car to the pits for a further twelve laps while her crew set about replacing the rear wing which had been torn off. She eventually returned to the race 15 laps down, and back in 15th place, but made up one spot before the chequered flag fell. "I really have to thank the Bell Micro/PKV Racing crew, as they did a fantastic job getting the car repaired," Legge admitted, "They are really a great bunch of guys and I appreciate their hard work and support. "Obviously, I am very disappointed because we had a good
car for this race and were moving up the field. The good
thing is that we made a lot of progress this weekend and I
am looking forward to making even more next weekend in
Monterrey."
WomenInRacing.org ©1996-2023 by Gordon Clay |
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