Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced on Thursday that IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver Katherine Legge will attempt to qualify at this year’s 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 with Hendrickson sponsoring her No. 44 Honda. Her highest finish in the Indy 500 was 22nd place in 2012.
Legge is one of nine women to compete in the Indy 500 and this will be her third appearance if she qualifies for the race. This is her first IndyCar race since 2013. Two weeks ago, Legge, along with Sheena Monk, Marc Miller, and Mario Farnbacher of No. 66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 finished fourth in the GTD class at the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
“I am thrilled to be back at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the biggest race in the world, the Indy 500,” said Legge. “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. 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 has competed in 225 races in her career from DTM, IndyCars, Sports Cars, Formula E, and NASCAR. She has won four poles, eight wins, and 20 podium finishes. Among her wins, four of them came in IMSA at Watkins Glen, Belle Isle, and Laguna Seca. In 2005, she raced for the Polestar Racing Group and won three races and five podium finishes in the Toyota Atlantic Championship Presented by Yokohama. She finished third in the championship.
“After more than a few attempts, I’m happy to announce that Katherine will join us in our Hendrickson Honda for the 107th running of the Indy 500,” said Bobby Rahal, Co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
“I’ve been a fan of Katherine’s for many years and know that, in the right situation, she can be competitive and figure into the outcome at the end of the race. She has driven for us before in the Jaguar electric program and won from the pole in Mexico City and finished on the podium several times, so it is nice to have her back with us to work together at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time. I know she looks at this as a chance to show everybody what she really can do.”
The 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season kicks off on Sunday, March 5th, from the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, at 12 pm on NBC.
