Ten years after her previous start in the Indy500, Katherine Legge will be back as the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's fourth entry at the 107th edition of one of the biggest races in America.
In the past couple of years, the Indy500 suffered from a lack of female entries: in 2020, we witnessed the first year with no female participation for the first time in 20 years – and again there were no women on the 2022 starting grid. But this year, Katherine Legge will try to break that negative trend, as the British star is set to return with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) after last racing at the Indy 500 in 2013.
Katherine is likely one of the most popular and influential figures in women's motorsport – a driver that has extensive experience spanning from single-seaters to prototypes and GT vehicles. She famously drove the Minardi F1 car in 2005, becoming one of the few women to have tested F1 machinery, before competing at the highest levels of world's motor racing: her resumé includes Champ Car, IndyCar, IMSA, DTM, Formula E.
This season, Legge is competing in the GTD class of IMSA – a series where she has seen success and claimed four victories, becoming vice-champion in 2018. Just two weeks ago, Legge entered her eleventh Daytona 24 Hours and, sharing the Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 with Sheena Monk, Mario Farnbacher and Marc Miller, she was fourth across the finish line.
Legge has also a successful record with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, as she raced with the team in the Jaguar iPace eTrophy back in 2018/2019, scoring a pole position, a victory and three podiums out of ten races. In Indycar, Legge has contested a part-time campaign in 2012 with Dragon Racing and has a second Indy500 start to her name in 2013, in a Schmidt Peterson entry; before, she had raced full time in Champ Car, where she recorded several top ten finishes - and two P6 as personal best results.
Katherine Legge will enter the Number 44 Honda powered-car, with Hendrickson as main sponsor - a leading global transportation and supplier of suspension systems and components for the commercial transportation industry.
It will be Katherine's third participation in the biggest race of the IndyCar season, where she will aim at topping her best finish of P22 in 2012. For the team, she will be the second female driver in their history, after bringing Danica Patrick from the Atlantic Series to IndyCar debut.
"I am thrilled to be back at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the biggest race in the world, the Indy 500" - Katherine said. "Bobby gave me my first chance to win races for the team in the Jaguar I-PACE series a few years ago and it feels like a homecoming of sorts to be back with the team, especially seeing as I’m also very proud to be back with HPD in IMSA, and now in the INDYCAR SERIES."
"Racing at Indy with an Indy 500-winning team and with Honda is an amazing opportunity, and one I am very grateful for and intend to make the most of", she continued. "I’m hoping I can learn from my teammates and team members, and transition smoothly back to open wheel racing for May. I can’t wait to get to work!"
Legge is the 32nd announced entry for the 107th running of the famous race, which is closing in on a return of the Bump Day - with only 33 spots available on the grid. So far, she is the only woman in the race - and only one of the eleven to have ever raced at the Indy 500.
Simona de Silvestro (Paretta Autosport) last competed in 2021.
The biggest spectacle in American open-wheel racing will take place on 28th May.