Katherine Legge To Returns to #NASCAR
To The NASCAR Xfinity Series
With one of the most diverse careers in motorsports, spanning everything from INDYCAR / Indy 500, IMSA sports cars and NASCAR to testing a Formula 1 car, Katherine Legge will return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for four races this season, beginning with this weekend’s Henry 180 at Road America. She will also be entered in the upcoming Xfinity Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen International, and Charlotte Motor Speedway, all with SS Greenlight in the #07 Chevrolet.
“The Indy 500 made me realize that life and racing careers are too short not to go for it,” said Legge. “My interest and passion is to continue to break new ground in motorsports. I’ve been proactive over the last year in thinking about what I want to do in my career and how I can accomplish those things. I’m so thankful to [SS Greenlight team co-owner] Bobby Dotter for the opportunity; and to Wayne Auton, Mike Helton, and Jim France, for welcoming me back to NASCAR, especially at one of my favorite tracks, Road America.”
In May, Legge made history with her Indy 500 qualifying run, turning the fastest single lap and four-lap qualifying average by a female driver in the 107-year history of the Indianapolis 500. Her four-lap average of 231.070 eclipsed the mark of 229.439 set in 2002. Legge became the ninth woman to compete in the Indy 500 in 2012; and in 2023 was the only woman in the race, generating 50 million media impressions for her third start in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
“Female athletes are the rarest of birds because they are able to transcend audiences in a way that their male counterparts cannot, said Klint Briney, Legge’s agent. “At the Indy 500 this year, we saw unprecedented demand around Katherine from media outlets and major advertisers. It signals a sea change in our sport and highlights a new and emerging audience for figures like Katherine. We’re very optimistic about her future, as she’s racing now more than ever before and see great potential in maximizing her opportunities on and off the racetrack.”
Legge currently competes full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series driving the #66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22. She has scored four top-10 finishes this season, including finishing fourth in the 24 Hours of Daytona. She also brought NSX its first ever win worldwide in Detroit in 2017.
The springboard to her professional career was winning the Toyota Atlantic series season opener in Long Beach in 2005, in her first career start, to become the first woman to win a developmental open-wheel race in North America. She also won that season at Edmonton and San Jose, finishing the season 3rd in the points championship and subsequently turning pro and moving up to Champ Car. She spent three seasons in Europe driving for Audi in the premier DTM series, and was a key part of the DeltaWing project in the American Le Mans Series. Formula One offered her a test in 2005 at Vallelunga Circuit in Italy.
In 2018, Legge competed in four NASCAR Xfinity Series races: at the Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course, Richmond Raceway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Road America, where she had her best finish of 14th out of 40 entries. For her return this year, her #07 machine will carry sponsorship from ref-ology + Blast Equality Collab (BEQ), Team Schuler of Compass Real Estate and the Women’s Premier Basketball Association (WPBA).
Blast Equality Collab, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded by Shelley Russi is a leadership collaboration taught through the lens of diverse sports experiences. Blast Equality Collab aims to help members and partners learn how to put people first while making decisions with a higher degree of integrity and accuracy by having to do it in real-world game/event situations. We partner with, and receive donations from, entities where our members are provided opportunities to put into practice Embodied Leadership at the intersection of Sports + Officiating, and beyond.
“Katherine Legge and
SS Greenlight Racing embody the Blast Equality Collab (BEQ) Mission,” said Russi. “This opportunity to collaborate with Katherine, who trail blazes throughout the world, makes her the perfect fit to drive the SS Greenlight 07 at Road America. Katherine is a powerful sports figure who aligns with the BEQ Embodied Leadership vision. Alongside Team Schuler, we are supporting the first Black Woman-owned, FIBA certified league in California where the WPBA is generating opportunity for WPBA players to land contracts internationally/domestically, in a playing capacity or in leadership roles impacting corporate culture.”
Following this weekend’s Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity Series Road America 180 on July 22 (televised on NBC at 3:00 PM ET), Legge’s remaining 2023 schedule will include:
- · Road America IMSA SportsCar Weekend Aug. 6 (USA Network, 11:00 AM ET).
- · NASCAR Xfinity Pennzoil 150 presented by Advance Auto Sports on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Aug. 12 (USA Network, 5:30 PM ET).
- · NASCAR Xfinity Shriners Children’s 200 at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 19 (USA Network, 3:30 PM ET).
- · IMSA SportsCar Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway on Aug. 27 (USA Network, 2:00 PM ET).
- · IMSA SportsCar Battle on The Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Sept. 17 (NBC, 1:00 PM ET).
- · NASCAR Xfinity Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina on Oct. 7 (NBC, 3:00 PM ET).
- · IMSA SportsCar Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Oct. 14 (USA Network, 6:30 PM ET).
Practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Road America 180 will begin on Friday, July 28 at 5:05 PM, with qualifications following at 6:05 PM, and the race on Saturday, July 29 at 3:00 PM ET. All on-track action can be seen on NBC or NBC’s Peacock Premium streaming service.
source: BRANDed PR Media
