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Katherine Legge
Katherine Anne Legge (/ˈlɛɡ/ LEG; born 12 July 1980) is a British racing driver who is set to compete in the 2026 Indianapolis 500 for A. J. Foyt Racing, ran by HMD Motorsports. Legge has competed in the highest levels of global motorsport, including NASCAR, IndyCar Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship. She holds the record for the fastest qualifying effort for a woman in Indianapolis 500 history, set in 2023, and became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America in 2005. In NASCAR, Legge is the most recent woman to start a NASCAR Cup Series race.
Prior to joining the Toyota Atlantic series, Guildford-born Legge raced in several developmental open-wheel series in Britain, including Formula Three, Formula Renault and Formula Ford. In 2000, she was the first woman to achieve a pole in a Zetec race. In 2001, she beat Kimi Räikkönen's lap record and achieved a pole, and she was the first woman to receive the BRDC's "Rising Star" accolade.[citation needed]
Legge's move to the United States came about in 2004, when, after running out of finances to continue her racing career, she visited the UK offices of Cosworth, refusing to leave until she had met Cosworth boss Kevin Kalkhoven. Kalkhoven sent his daughter to speak to Legge to get her to leave: after a brief conversation with Legge, she instead told Kalkhoven that he should meet with her. Kalkhoven then offered her a drive in the first three rounds of the 2005 Toyota Atlantic Championship with Polestar Motor Racing: this was her first full-time drive. She won the series opener at Long Beach in her first career Atlantic start. In doing so, she became the first woman to win a developmental open-wheel race in North America. Legge went on to take her second and third wins of the season at Edmonton and San Jose. She finished the season third in the championship with three wins and five podiums. She also received the Toyota Atlantic BBS Rising Star 2005 Award.[citation needed]
In November 2005, Legge became the first woman to test a Formula One car since Sarah Fisher in 2002, when she tested on the second and third days (22 and 23 November) of the Minardi team's final testing session at Vallelunga. After she crashed after two laps on her first run on the track, it was decided to postpone the test until the following day, on which she completed 27 laps with a best lap time of 1:21.176. She was also the first woman to test an A1 Grand Prix car, on 9–11 December 2005 with A1 Team Great Britain.
Legge received the 2005 RACER Magazine "Most Promising Road Racer of The Year" award.
In the 2005–2006 off-season, Legge tested a Champ Car once for Rocketsports Racing and twice for PKV Racing. In February 2006, it was announced that she would drive for PKV Racing in the 2006 Champ Car season. In June, she became the first woman to lead a lap in series history, leading twelve laps at Milwaukee. Legge suffered a violent accident at the 2006 Grand Prix of Road America when the rear wing of her car broke; she was able to walk away from the car unharmed.
Legge drove for Dale Coyne Racing in 2007, and her best result in the series was sixth place twice.
In 2008, Legge moved to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters series, driving for Colin Kolles' Futurecom TME Audi team. For 2009 and 2010, she raced for the Abt Sportsline team, who were the 2008 champions. For 2009, she was the only one of the five drivers in the Abt Sportline team using the previous year's car.
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Katherine Legge
Katherine Anne Legge (/ˈlɛɡ/ LEG; born 12 July 1980) is a British racing driver who is set to compete in the 2026 Indianapolis 500 for A. J. Foyt Racing, ran by HMD Motorsports. Legge has competed in the highest levels of global motorsport, including NASCAR, IndyCar Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship. She holds the record for the fastest qualifying effort for a woman in Indianapolis 500 history, set in 2023, and became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America in 2005. In NASCAR, Legge is the most recent woman to start a NASCAR Cup Series race.
Prior to joining the Toyota Atlantic series, Guildford-born Legge raced in several developmental open-wheel series in Britain, including Formula Three, Formula Renault and Formula Ford. In 2000, she was the first woman to achieve a pole in a Zetec race. In 2001, she beat Kimi Räikkönen's lap record and achieved a pole, and she was the first woman to receive the BRDC's "Rising Star" accolade.[citation needed]
Legge's move to the United States came about in 2004, when, after running out of finances to continue her racing career, she visited the UK offices of Cosworth, refusing to leave until she had met Cosworth boss Kevin Kalkhoven. Kalkhoven sent his daughter to speak to Legge to get her to leave: after a brief conversation with Legge, she instead told Kalkhoven that he should meet with her. Kalkhoven then offered her a drive in the first three rounds of the 2005 Toyota Atlantic Championship with Polestar Motor Racing: this was her first full-time drive. She won the series opener at Long Beach in her first career Atlantic start. In doing so, she became the first woman to win a developmental open-wheel race in North America. Legge went on to take her second and third wins of the season at Edmonton and San Jose. She finished the season third in the championship with three wins and five podiums. She also received the Toyota Atlantic BBS Rising Star 2005 Award.[citation needed]
In November 2005, Legge became the first woman to test a Formula One car since Sarah Fisher in 2002, when she tested on the second and third days (22 and 23 November) of the Minardi team's final testing session at Vallelunga. After she crashed after two laps on her first run on the track, it was decided to postpone the test until the following day, on which she completed 27 laps with a best lap time of 1:21.176. She was also the first woman to test an A1 Grand Prix car, on 9–11 December 2005 with A1 Team Great Britain.
Legge received the 2005 RACER Magazine "Most Promising Road Racer of The Year" award.
In the 2005–2006 off-season, Legge tested a Champ Car once for Rocketsports Racing and twice for PKV Racing. In February 2006, it was announced that she would drive for PKV Racing in the 2006 Champ Car season. In June, she became the first woman to lead a lap in series history, leading twelve laps at Milwaukee. Legge suffered a violent accident at the 2006 Grand Prix of Road America when the rear wing of her car broke; she was able to walk away from the car unharmed.
Legge drove for Dale Coyne Racing in 2007, and her best result in the series was sixth place twice.
In 2008, Legge moved to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters series, driving for Colin Kolles' Futurecom TME Audi team. For 2009 and 2010, she raced for the Abt Sportsline team, who were the 2008 champions. For 2009, she was the only one of the five drivers in the Abt Sportline team using the previous year's car.