Katherine Legge

Katherine Legge is recognized as a versatile racing driver with experience across multiple disciplines of global motorsport, including NASCAR, the IndyCar Series, and the IMSA SportsCar Championship. Legge holds the record for the fastest qualifying effort for a woman in Indianapolis 500 history and became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America. In her early career in Britain, she surpassed Kimi Räikkönen's lap record, achieved a pole position, and was the first woman to receive the BRDC Rising Star accolade.

Legge's transition to American motorsport began when she secured a drive in the Toyota Atlantic Championship after meeting with Cosworth executive Kevin Kalkhoven. She won the series opener at Long Beach in her first Atlantic start, becoming the first woman to win a developmental open-wheel race in North America, and went on to claim two additional wins that season, finishing third in the championship. In Champ Car, Legge became the first woman to lead a lap in series history, leading 12 laps at Milwaukee. She also became the first woman to test a Formula One car since Sarah Fisher, testing with the Minardi team at Vallelunga. Legge's career includes participation in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), Formula E—where she signed with the Amlin Aguri team for the inaugural season—and major endurance events such as the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

In NASCAR, Legge became the most recent woman to start a NASCAR Cup Series race and was the first woman to drive NASCAR's Next Gen car. She achieved two top-20 finishes in the Cup Series in a single season, including a 19th-place finish at the Chicago Street Course and a 17th-place result in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Legge has continued her NASCAR Cup campaign, making her eighth career start at Watkins Glen, while also preparing for her fifth appearance in the Indianapolis 500 with HMD Motorsports and A.J. Foyt Enterprises. In 2026, she made history by attempting to become the first woman to complete "The Double," racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

Beyond her racing accomplishments, Legge has been an advocate for inclusion and integrity in motorsport. After entering NASCAR, she publicly addressed online harassment and bullying, emphasizing the need to confront toxic behavior in the sport. NASCAR leadership, including Commissioner Steve Phelps, expressed support for Legge and her contributions to motorsport. She is involved with the FIA's Girls on Track initiative, focusing on the training and development of young women pursuing careers in motorsports. Legge is also the first woman inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame. Her career continues to influence the landscape of motorsport, particularly in the areas of diversity, equity, and female representation in racing.