Katherine Legge
Legge atLas Vegas Motor Speedway in 2025
Nationality	British
Born	Katherine Anne Legge (1980-07-12)12 July 1980 (age 45) Guildford,Surrey, England
IndyCar Series career
19 races run over 4 years
Best finish	26th (2012)
First race	2012Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
Last race	2024Big Machine Music City Grand Prix (Nashville)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
Champ Car career
28 races run over 2 years
Years active	2006–2008
Team(s)	PKV Racing (2006) Dale Coyne Racing (2007)
Best finish	15th (2007)
First race	2006Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach)
Last race	2007Gran Premio Tecate (Mexico City)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
Formula E career
Debut season	2014–15
Racing licence	FIA Gold(until 2015, 2019–) FIA Silver(2016–2018)
Former teams	Amlin Aguri
Starts	2
Championships	0
Wins	0
Poles	0
Fastest laps	0
Best finish	34th in2014–15
Finished last season	34th
Previous series
2001–2004 2003 2005 2008–2010	Formula Renault UK British Formula Three Atlantic Championship Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
NASCARCup Series career
7 races run over 1 year
2025 position	37th
Best finish	37th (2025)
First race	2025Shriners Children's 500 (Phoenix)
Last race	2025South Point 400 (Las Vegas)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCARO'Reilly Auto Parts Series career
11 races run over 3 years
2023 position	71st
Best finish	51st (2018)
First race	2018Rock N Roll Tequila 170 (Mid-Ohio)
Last race	2025Pennzoil 250 (Indianapolis)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
ARCA Menards Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish	143rd (2025)
First race	2025Ride the 'Dente 200 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
Statistics up to date as of 6 November 2025.

Katherine Anne Legge (/ˈlɛɡ/LEG; born 12 July 1980)^[1][2] is a British professionalauto racing driver who has competed in theNASCAR Cup Series,NASCAR Xfinity Series,IndyCar Series,IMSA SportsCar Championship. She holds the record for the fastest qualifying effort for a woman inIndianapolis 500 history, set in 2023,^[3] and was the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America in 2005.^[4]

Legge is represented by BRANDed Management and long-time talent manager Klint Briney, who also oversaw the career of nine-time Indy 500 starterSarah Fisher.

Prior to joining the Toyota Atlantic series,Guildford-born Legge raced in several developmental open-wheel series in Britain, includingFormula Three,Formula Renault andFormula Ford. In 2000, she was the first woman to achieve a pole in aZetec race. In 2001, she beatKimi Räikkönen's lap record and achieved a pole, and she was the first woman to receive the BRDC's "Rising Star" accolade.

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 ofCosworth, refusing to leave until she had met Cosworth bossKevin 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 2005Toyota Atlantic Championship with Polestar Motor Racing: this was her first full-time drive. She won the series opener atLong Beach in her first career Atlantic start.^[5] 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 atEdmonton andSan 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.

In November 2005, Legge became the first woman to test aFormula One car sinceSarah Fisher in 2002, when she tested on the second and third days (22 and 23 November) of theMinardi team's final testing session atVallelunga.^[6] After she crashed after 2 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.^[7] She was also the first woman to test anA1 Grand Prix car, on 9–11 December 2005 withA1 Team Great Britain.^[8]

Legge received the 2005RACER Magazine "Most Promising Road Racer of The Year" award.^[9]

In the 2005–2006 off-season, Legge tested aChamp Car once forRocketsports Racing and twice forPKV Racing. In February 2006, it was announced that she would drive for PKV Racing in the2006 Champ Car season. In June, she became the first woman to lead a lap in series history, leading twelve laps atMilwaukee.^[10] Legge suffered a violent accident at the2006 Grand Prix of Road America when the rear wing of her car broke; she was able to walk away from the car unharmed.^[11][12]

Legge drove forDale Coyne Racing in 2007, and her best result in the series was sixth place twice.

In 2008, Legge moved to theDeutsche Tourenwagen Masters series, driving forColin Kolles'Futurecom TMEAudi team. For 2009 and 2010, she raced for theAbt 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.

In January 2012, Legge signed withDragon Racing in theIndyCar Series, alongside FrenchmanSébastien Bourdais.^[13] Legge reached a two-year agreement with sponsorTrueCar as part of their Women Empowered campaign.^[14] However, since theLotus engines were shown to be uncompetitive, the team made a change toChevrolet engines. But team owner Jay Penske could only procure one Chevrolet engine lease agreement for the team, so they could only enter one car per race after Indianapolis. Therefore, for the remainder of 2012, Dragon entered Bourdais at the road and street courses, and Legge at oval tracks, except forSonoma Raceway where both drivers were able to compete.^[15] Legge finished 26th in points, competing in ten of the fifteen races, and had a best finish of ninth in the2012 MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships atAuto Club Speedway.

Legge participated in the 2013 Indianapolis 500 race as a joint venture betweenSchmidt Peterson Motorsports andTeam Pelfrey. She took her first practice laps on bump day and qualified 33rd. She ended the race in 26th.

In May 2015, Legge announced her involvement with theGrace Autosport project to enter the2016 Indianapolis 500 race. Working with the support of theFIA's Women in Motorsport Commission, the all-female team set out to promote technology and engineering as a career for young women.^[16] The team was unable to acquire a chassis, and subsequently did not enter the race.^[17]

Legge entered the2023 Indianapolis 500, ten years after her previous entry. She qualified 30th, setting a new qualifying speed record for female drivers (231.070 mph/371.871 km/h). She out-qualified her three full-timeRahal Letterman Lanigan teammates, and she avoided the dreaded "Last Chance Qualifying," a session where drivers compete for the final three spots in the 33-car Indy 500 starting field. Ultimately, her teammate, 16-time Indy 500 competitorGraham Rahal, was bumped from the field at the end of the session.^[18] Legge suffered multiple mechanical issues and a crash in the days leading up to the race. On lap 35, she lost control, leaving the pit lane and hitting the inside pit wall. She tried to continue the race, but was forced to retire on lap 41.^[19]

For the2024 Indianapolis 500 she drove forDale Coyne Racing withRick Ware Racing, usinge.l.f. Cosmetics as her primary sponsor.^[20] On bump day, she brushed the wall on her last lap, but kept her foot on the gas. During "Last Chance Qualifying," she was the fastest of the four drivers fighting for the final three spots in the race. Her 19-year-old rookie teammateNolan Siegel was ultimately bumped from the field of 33, with 2022 Indy 500 winnerMarcus Ericsson and Rahal qualifying in the remaining two spots after Legge's 31st position.^[21] Her race ended when she suffered an engine failure on lap 23.^[22] Legge returned to the team for the balance of the six oval races that season.^[23]

In 2013, Legge left IndyCar to join theDeltaWing program in theUnited SportsCar Championship. Legge competed in the2014 and2015 seasons for DeltaWing.

Legge joinedMichael Shank Racing in 2017 to drive anAcura NSX GT3 at theIMSA SportsCar Championship.

In the2019 24 Hours of Daytona, Legge raced as part of an all-female team alongsideSimona de Silvestro,Christina Nielsen, andAna Beatriz, having placed second in classthe previous year. She was placed fifteenth in their class after Legge brushed a wall and damaged the car's suspension.^[5]

In 2014, Legge signed for theAmlin Aguri team to compete in theinaugural season of theFormula E electric open-wheel series.^[24] She raced in the first two races before being dropped forSalvador Durán.

In July 2020, while participating in the pre-race testing at Paul Ricard ahead of the European Le Mans Series, Legge was injured in a crash, suffering a broken wrist and leg. Legge was part of the all-female Richard Mille Racing team along withSophia Flörsch andTatiana Calderón.^[25]

On 10 April 2025, it was announced that Legge was bringing here.l.f. sponsorship over from theIndianapolis 500, spreading it across the Xfinity Series and Cup Series for at least seven races. The first e.l.f. race would be in the Xfinity Series on 19 April atRockingham Speedway and the first Cup race would be atAutodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on 15 June. Other races revealed include the Xfinity race atCharlotte Motor Speedway Memorial Day Weekend, ruling out a return to the2025 Indy 500.^[26]

In August 2018, Legge joinedJD Motorsports for herNASCAR Xfinity Series debut atMid-Ohio Sports Car Course, driving the No. 15Chevrolet Camaro. As part of a two-race schedule with the team, she also competed atRoad America.^[27] Legge later made her oval debut atRichmond Raceway.^[28]

On 27 July 2023, it was announced that Legge would return to NASCAR and the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 07 car forSS-Green Light Racing in the road course races atRoad America, theIndianapolis road course,Watkins Glen and theCharlotte Roval.^[29] However, she only ended up running the race at Road America after her sponsor, Blast Equality Collab, did not want to be on the car for the remaining races due to their members' connection with thewriters' strike going on at the time.^[30]

On 19 April 2025, Legge put up a qualifying lap of 23.397 in her No. 32 Chevy, beating five other cars qualifying times, but due to a lack of car owner points (NASCAR's Owner Points Provisional Rule) she was one of two cars bumped out by teams with guaranteed starting spots based on points for theNorth Carolina Education Lottery 250 atRockingham Speedway. Then it was announced that she would race the No. 53 car forJoey Gase Motorsports,^[31] in place ofJ. J. Yeley, who had already qualified the day prior, secured a 31st-place start. Legge finished 36th afterWilliam Sawalich got into the back of her car, which sent her spinning, andKasey Kahne had no where to go on lap 52.^[32]

In her second straight Xfinity effort following a week that saw her receive death threats and throngs of inappropriate sexual comments,^[33] she qualified for the2025 Ag-Pro 300 atTalladega Superspeedway on 25 April by clocking in a faster time than 14 cars, including two of her teammates to secure her 27th place in the field. Before the race, NASCAR CommissionerSteve Phelps spoke toCNN about Legge and the abuse she had suffered, condemning fans' behavior towards her while defending her against critics who thinks she is somehow undeserving of her place in NASCAR.^[34] During the race, she became the fourth woman in history to lead an Xfinity Series race — and the second at Talladega, taking the lead on Lap 75, equaling Danica Patrick’s one-lap out front at Talladega in 2012. While running fifteenth on lap 100, she was collected in an accident triggered byAric Almirola, who later apologized, saying miscommunication with his spotter led to the high-speed miscue. She'd ultimately finish 34th.^[35]

On 3 March 2025, it was announced that Legge would make herNASCAR Cup Series debut atPhoenix Raceway, driving the No. 78 Chevrolet forLive Fast Motorsports, where she crashed during lap 210.^[36][37] This made her the first woman to compete in the Cup Series sinceDanica Patrick in the2018 Daytona 500.^[38] It was also the first time that the oldest driver in the field was a female in series history. On 6 July 2025, she scored a top-twenty finish on theChicago Street Course, the best result for a woman in Cup since Patrick eight years prior — crossing the line in nineteenth for her best-ever result in the series.^[39]

On 7 January 2025, it was announced that Legge would make her ARCA debut in the2025 season-opener atDaytona in the No. 23 car forSigma Performance Services.^[40] She finished 39th after being involved in an early wreck.

Legge took part in the 2024Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, driving an Acura Integra Type S DE5 in the Time Attack 1 category.^[41] She placed 27th overall, and fifth of eleven in her division.^[42]

Legge is a member of the Women in Motorsport Commission of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile).

Legge was briefly engaged to German racing driverPeter Terting.^[43]

On 18 April 2024, Legge was inducted into theLong Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame, the first woman to earn the honor.^[44]

^* Season still in progress

(key)

** Podium (Non-win) indicates 2nd or 3rd place finishes.

*** Top 10s (Non-podium) indicates 4th through 10th place finishes.

** Podium (Non-win) indicates 2nd or 3rd place finishes.

*** Top 10s (Non-podium) indicates 4th through 10th place finishes.

** Podium (Non-win) indicates 2nd or 3rd place finishes.

*** Top 10s (Non-podium) indicates 4th through 10th place finishes.

(key)

(key) (Races initalics indicate fastest lap)

• † — Retired, but was classified as she completed 90% of the winner's race distance.

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position; races initalics indicate fastest lap)

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position) (Races initalics indicate fastest lap)

^† Points only counted towards the WeatherTech Sprint Cup and not the overall GTD Championship.

Year	Class	No	Team	Car	Co-drivers	Laps	Position	Class Pos.
2007	DP	84	Robinson Racing	Riley Mk XI	George Robinson Wally Dallenbach Jr. Paul Dallenbach	596	25	15
2014	P	0	DeltaWing Racing Cars	DeltaWing DWC13	Gabby Chaves Alexander Rossi Andy Meyrick	288	61DNF	17DNF
2015	P	0	Claro/TracFoneDeltaWing Racing	DeltaWing DWC13	Gabby Chaves Memo Rojas Andy Meyrick	42	53DNF	16DNF
2016	P	0	Panoz DeltaWing Racing	DeltaWing DWC13	Sean Rayhall Andy Meyrick Andreas Wirth	119	53DNF	12DNF
2017	GTD	93	Michael Shank Racing withCurb-Agajanian	Acura NSX GT3	Andy Lally Graham Rahal Mark Wilkins	617	29	11
2018	GTD	86	Michael Shank Racing withCurb-Agajanian	Acura NSX GT3	A. J. Allmendinger Trent Hindman Álvaro Parente	751	22	2
2019	GTD	57	Heinricher Racing withMeyer Shank Racing	Acura NSX GT3	Simona de Silvestro Christina Nielsen Bia Figueiredo	550	32	12
2020	GTD	19	GEAR Racing powered byGRT Grasser	Lamborghini Huracán GT3	Christina Nielsen Tatiana Calderón Rahel Frey	471	35DNF	16DNF
2021	GTD	88	Team HardpointEBM	Porsche 911 GT3	Earl Bamber Rob Ferriol Christina Nielsen	737	32	10
2022	GTD	99	Team Hardpoint	Porsche 911 GT3	Nick Boulle Rob Ferriol Stefan Wilson	672	37	10
2023	GTD	66	Gradient Racing	Acura NSX GT3 Evo22	Mario Farnbacher Marc Miller Sheena Monk	729	22	4
2024	GTD	66	Gradient Racing	Acura NSX GT3 Evo22	Tatiana Calderón Stevan McAleer Sheena Monk	368	49DNF	19DNF

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position) (Races initalics indicate fastest lap)

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

^* Season still in progress
¹ Ineligible for series points

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

• List of female Indianapolis 500 drivers
• List of female NASCAR drivers

Wikimedia Commons has media related toKatherine Legge.

• Official website
• Katherine Legge driver statistics at Racing-Reference
• Katherine Legge career summary at DriverDB.com

• 1980 births
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• Sportspeople from Guildford
• English expatriates in the United States
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