Katherine Legge Will get Indianapolis 500 Experience With Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

British sports activities automotive racer Katherine Legge returns to the Indianapolis 500 for the primary time since 2013 this yr. On February 9, she was named to a fourth Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda for the 107^thIndianapolis 500 on Could 28.

“After various makes an attempt, I am pleased to announce that Katherine will be a part of us in our Hendrickson Honda for the 107^th working of the Indy 500,” crew co-owner Bobby Rahal mentioned. “I have been a fan of Katherine’s for a few years and know that, in the correct scenario, she could be aggressive and determine into the end result on the finish of the race.

“She has pushed for us earlier than within the Jaguar electrical program and gained from pole in Mexico Metropolis and completed on the rostrum a number of occasions, so it’s good to have her again with us to work collectively on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the primary time. I do know she seems to be at this as an opportunity to point out all people what she actually can do.”

Legge is the second feminine race automotive driver to compete for RLL. Danica Patrick competed within the Atlantic Collection with the crew from 2003-2004 and within the IndyCar Collection from 2005-2006.

Legge will be a part of a crew that features Indianapolis 500 veterans Graham Rahal, Christian Lundgaard and Jack Harvey.

Earlier IndyCar Expertise

Legge was a full-time competitor within the Champ Automobile World Collection in 2006 with PKV Racing, the crew owned by Champ Automobile Collection proprietor Kevin Kalkhoven. She completed sixth at The Milwaukee Mile in 2006.

Legge joined Dale Coyne Racing in 2007 and opened the season along with her finest end of the yr, a sixth place on the streets of Las Vegas.

After the Champ Automobile World Collection was dissolved and absorbed by the Indy Racing League to create as we speak’s NTT IndyCar Collection in 2008, Legge returned for 12 races in 2012 with Jay Penske’s Dragon Racing. Her finest end was ninth at Auto Membership Speedway in Fontana, California on the finish of that season.

Earlier that yr, she made her Indianapolis 500 debut, beginning 30^th and ending 22^nd.

She competed in only one extra IndyCar Collection race – the 2013 Indianapolis 500 for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. She began 33^approxand completed 26^th in a Honda.

Since that point, Legge has centered on Sports activities Automobile racing, together with the Imsa WeatherTech Sports activities Automobile Championship. Earlier this yr, Legge competed within the GTD Class of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. She began fourth and completed fourth for Gradient Racing within the Acura NSX GT3.

“I’m thrilled to be again at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the largest race on the earth, the Indy 500,” Legge mentioned Thursday. “Bobby (Rahal, co-owner with David

Letterman and Michael Lanigan) gave me my first probability to win races for the crew within the Jaguar I-Tempo sequence a number of years in the past and it seems like a homecoming of kinds to be again with the crew, particularly seeing as I am additionally very Proud to be again with HPD in Imsa, and now within the IndyCar Collection.

“Racing at Indy with an Indy 500-winning crew and with Honda is a tremendous alternative, and one I’m very grateful for and intend to benefit from. I am hoping I can be taught from my teammates and crew members, and transition easily again to open wheel racing for Could. I am unable to wait to get to work.”

World Sponsor

Hendrickson, a number one world producer and provider of suspension methods and elements to the industrial transportation business, would be the major sponsor of the crew’s no. 44 Honda-powered entry.

Hendrickson, a Boler firm, is a number one world producer and provider of medium- and heavy-duty mechanical, elastomeric and air suspensions; built-in and non-integrated axle and brake methods; tire stress management methods; auxiliary raise axle methods; parabolic and multi-leaf springs; stabilizers; bumpers and elements to the worldwide industrial transportation business.

Hendrickson relies in Woodridge, Illinois and has been within the transportation enterprise for greater than 100 years.

“Hendrickson could be very proud to be part of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing,” mentioned Jeff Sass, Vice President of Advertising and marketing, Hendrickson. “We, at Hendrickson, are excited to have Katherine Legge driving the Hendrickson Honda No. 44 automotive on the Best Spectacle in Racing, the Indy 500.

“We count on to be kneeling down subsequent to Bobby, Dave, Mike and Katherine kissing the bricks Memorial Day weekend.”

In depth background

Legge is a local of Guildford, United Kingdom and at present competes fulltime in an Acura NSX GT3 for Gradient Racing within the GTD class in Imsa. Her resume contains expertise in Components 3, Components Renault, a Components One check, Champ Automobile, Indy automotive, A1GP, DTM, Components E and sports activities automotive racing. Legge was the primary lady to win pole in a Zetec race in 2000.

One yr later she gained Brdc’s “Rising Star” award. In November 2005 she grew to become the primary lady to check a Components One automotive since Sarah Fisher in 2002.

Legge competed within the Toyota Atlantic Championship in 2005, profitable the sequence opener in Lengthy Seaside in her first profession begin to grow to be the primary lady to win a developmental open wheel race in North America. She completed the 2005 Atlantic season third within the championship with three wins and 5 podiums.

She moved as much as PKV Racing in Champ Automobile in 2006 and have become the primary lady to guide a lap in that sequence when she led Lap 12 at Milwaukee and went on to earn an Indy automotive profession finest end there of sixth. She later had an enormous crash at Highway America however was largely unhurt and in a position to compete within the remaining two races of the season.

Later in her profession, she moved to the Delta Wing sports activities automotive program from 2013-2015 and competed in two Components E races with Amlin Aguri within the 2014/2015 season.

She spent three seasons with Meyer Shank Racing from 2017-2019 in a factory-backed

Acura GTD program and earned 4 wins and 11 podium finishes – together with the primary win worldwide for NSX in Detroit in 2017. In 2020, she competed within the Rolex 24 at Daytona in a Lamborghini within the GTD class earlier than switching her focus to a European primarily based racing program.

She signed with Richard Mille Racing to participate within the 2020 European Le Mans Collection and 24 Hours of Le Mans within the LMP2 prototype class however was injured in a pre-season testing crash after a tire failure on the Paul Ricard circuit and missed the rest of the season whereas recovering from her accidents.

In 2021-2022, Legge returned to Imsa as lead driver for Workforce Hardpoint, driving a Porsche 911 within the GTD class and at present competes in an Acura NSX within the GTD class for Gradient Racing in 2023. She and her co-drivers just lately completed fourth in school on the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

In her free time, she is a Woman Scouts Stem Ambassador and enjoys snowboarding, biking, coaching, and competing in triathlons, yoga and is a vegan athlete.

“We’re wanting ahead to seeing the No. 44 Hendrickson entry on the Best Spectacle in Racing – the Indy 500 – and welcoming Katherine again to the crew,” crew co-owner Michael Lanigan mentioned. “The Lanco Group of Corporations has used Hendrickson suspension elements for a few years, and it’s nice to work with them within the NTT IndyCar Collection.

“They’ve been a terrific companion over time, and we’re wanting ahead to an extended future and thrilling Could.”