In this day and age, there’s a new notion that women can do anything men do when it comes to their careers, drive, and ambition. Katherine Legge is no exception, as the British racer has definitely made a lot of strides in the past 20 years, eventually making her NASCAR Cup Series debut earlier this year at Phoenix Raceway on March 9.
“The competition is what drew me to racing. At nine years old, I was go-kart racing, and I had no idea it was possible to become a professional race car driver and do it as a job. I feel very blessed that I found something I’m very passionate about. I loved it and kept going, many years later.”
Race car drivers have a lot of ups and downs throughout their careers, including the highs consisting of winning races, grabbing multimillion-dollar endorsements, and signing onto the most competitive teams. In Legge’s case, she took a leap of faith, relocating from England in hopes of receiving recognition to make it in the big leagues of American open-wheel racing, and eventually stock car racing.
“The biggest turning point of my career was winning the Long Beach Grand Prix in 2005, which was my first full season of open-wheel racing. Kevin Kalkhoven, as well as Jim and Pam Griffith of Polestar Racing Group, gave me my first opportunity, and I’m forever grateful for that. That first opportunity allowed me to go professional, kickstarting my career over here in North America, putting me on the map.”
Race car drivers spend days preparing for every race, and their pre-race routines include extensive exercise, dieting, watching videos of how to race each track, and practicing on the simulator, which gives drivers the real-world feel of each car and track.
“To mentally prepare for every race, I watch videos, study data, review old races, use the simulator, and talk to other people in the garage.” Legge made her NASCAR Cup Series debut at Phoenix Raceway in March and has since competed at Mexico City, the Chicago Street Course, and Sonoma Raceway this summer. She’s expected to race in both the Brickyard 400 and the Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, making her preparation all the more crucial.
“I love the competition and challenges. There’s always something new and doing NASCAR this year, there’s always a new challenge and I definitely have a renewed source of vigor and motivation for it because I love the challenge. It’s very difficult and I welcome this new challenge.”
Every professional race car driver has a bucket list event or track they hope to compete in, as motorsports span across a wide range of leagues around the world. One of the most well-known international series is the V8 Supercars Championship, based in Australia and New Zealand. This touring car series is home to current NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year contender Shane van Gisbergen. Just as NASCAR has the Daytona 500 and IndyCar has the Indianapolis 500, the V8 Supercars Championship features its own prestigious marquee event that drivers around the world aspire to race in. Legge let it be known that she would love to run the Bathurst 1000, being that this event is regarded as the “Great Race” by both fans and drivers alike. Legge has run multiple Indianapolis 500’s so far in her career and the Bathurst 1000 is not out of reach.
Some drivers are also superstitious and have pre-race routines. Legge has a few, but nothing out of the ordinary.
“I get dressed in the same way before every race, wiping my race buds to make sure there’s no sticky stuff on them before the event in the same order and I even put my belts on in a specific order and if it’s done any other way, it messes with my mind. I’m a little superstitious, but I don’t think anything bad will happen if it’s done a different way, but I guess you could regard these as ‘tics’, per se.”
Women in racing is still a foreign concept in this world, despite Janet Guthrie, Shawna Robinson, Pippa Mann, Sarah Christian and Cheryl Linn Glass making it across various racing disciplines. This invites in a lot of sexism from fans as well, and Legge didn’t hold back on giving advice to any ladies who want to make it as a professional race car driver.
“I would tell them to develop a thick skin, don’t worry about what people think of you, be true to yourself and keep on keeping on.”
The last question made Legge stop and think for a second. When asked, “What is something you think many people would be surprised to know about you?” her reply was, “I like solitude, and I’m not really an outgoing person. I have to be outgoing for sponsors and media. I like my house in the woods with my peace and my dog, not peopling,” which is a respectable answer, given the fact that being a race car driver who’s not like her 39 other competitors doesn’t allow for much privacy and peace while at the track.
Legge’s next race is the Pennzoil 250, which takes place this upcoming Saturday, July 26, at 4:30PM EST/1:30PM PST on the CW, and will run the Brickyard 400 the following Sunday, on July 27, at 2:00PM EST/11:00AM PST on TNT. The Brickyard 400 will be Legge’s fifth-career NASCAR Cup Series race and first “Crown Jewel” event of her career. Legge is familiar with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after running several Indianapolis 500’s and won’t have to worry racing her way in, unlike Chicago earlier this month, where she beat Corey Heim in qualifying, locking herself into the Grant Park 165, when it was looking like she’d fail to qualify. Follow along on her journey and watch this weekend’s races if you want to see how this superwoman makes it happen behind the wheel, showing that the ladies can do everything the men do.
Every Man on Every Crew, LLC. 
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