Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.) — Katherine Legge has a huge challenge ahead of her.
Doing “The Double” is no easy task. Scrambling to do The Double is even more difficult. Doing both races with teams that don’t race full time makes it even a bigger mountain.
But at 45 years old — 10 years older than any other driver who has attempted The Double — Legge knows it could be now or never to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on the same day.
Only five drivers, and no woman, has ever competed in both. Only one has completed all 1,100 miles.
“I’m excited, but I’m also a little apprehensive,” Legge said told me and other reporters Wednesday morning prior to Indy 500 practice. “It’s going to be a lot of driving. … I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to eat. I’m going to be hungry. All the things. How am I going to stay hydrated?”
Katherine Legge signs an autograph for a fan.
Legge, who consulted with Kyle Larson as Larson attempted The Double the past two years, said the program came together in just the last week and as of Wednesday morning, they were still making final plans on helicopters and planes for her to compete in both the May 24 races.
She should qualify for both events as neither likely will have more entries than spots available. She will have to fly to Charlotte on May 23 after the Indy 500 drivers meeting to practice and qualify the Cup car, then back to Indianapolis that night and then scramble from the end of the Indy 500 (approximately 4 p.m. ET) for the start of the Coke 600 (engines fired likely around 6:10 p.m.) with the trip likely taking at a minimum of 80 minutes.
The fact she shouldn’t have to sweat qualifying should allow her to breathe a little bit more easily as both her HMD Motorsports team (as part of a partnership with A.J. Foyt Racing) for the Indy 500 and the Live Fast Motorsports team for the 600 don’t race full time in their series.
“I knew that at some point in time, it would be something that we looked at doing, but I didn’t anticipate it being this year,” Legge said. “It’s a very cool opportunity that kind of came up — obviously Indy was first [to get done] and there was loads of discuss it, and we thought, ‘Nicely, why not? It is perhaps the one alternative I get.’
“It may not be, however I’d as properly take it whereas the iron’s scorching. It’s a kind of actually cool issues that not many individuals get to do.”
Solely one of many 5 drivers — Tony Stewart — has completed on the lead lap in each races on the identical day. That may be a troublesome ask for Legge, particularly within the Cup automotive, as Stay Quick sometimes doesn’t end on the lead lap on 1.5-mile ovals reminiscent of Charlotte.
Katherine Legge is trying to change into the primary lady driver to finish “The Double.”
A number of the makes an attempt have been stymied by climate. Legge stated the Indy 500 is the precedence that day. However clearly she needs to perform the feat of each races.
“The very first thing is to complete each races,” Legge stated. “I’m hoping to have an excellent end in Indy. Charlotte? Will probably be my first time there in a Cup automotive. I’m nonetheless comparatively new on an oval. So to complete that race could be a consequence.”
With sponsorship from e.l.f. Cosmetics, Legge is aware of that her Double try can be scrutinized as her being the primary lady to do it.
“I at all times say, I simply wish to be a race-car driver, and it does not matter whether or not I am black, white, feminine, male, no matter it could be,” Legge stated. “I feel I’m in all probability getting the chance to do that as a result of I am feminine, so that doesn’t escape me, and I am very grateful for it.”
The British driver is the primary non-American to aim the feat, which she stated is cool.
And I do assume there was one other issue on whether or not she would ever get the prospect to do that once more in addition to how she performs. What about her age?
“Sssshh,” she stated with amusing once I talked about her age. “I feel I’m as match as I’ve ever been. I don’t assume that ought to issue into it.
“I’m simply fortunate that I get the chance to do it whereas I nonetheless have a profession and I am not too outdated and decrepit to do this stuff.”
