Second Thoughts: Katherine Legge Faces Big Double Challenge

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?” 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 a lot of talk about it, and we thought, ‘Well, why not? It might be the only opportunity I get.’ “It might not be, but I might as well take it while the iron’s hot. It’s one of those really cool things that not many people get to do.” Only one of the five drivers — Tony Stewart — has finished on the lead lap in both races on the same day. That would be a tough ask for Legge, especially in the Cup car, as Live Fast typically doesn’t finish on the lead lap on 1.5-mile ovals such as Charlotte. Some of the attempts have been stymied by weather. Legge said the Indy 500 is the priority that day. But obviously she wants to accomplish the feat of both races. “The first thing is to finish both races,” Legge said. “I’m hoping to have a good result in Indy. Charlotte? It will be my first time there in a Cup car. I’m still relatively new on an oval. So to finish that race would be a result.” With sponsorship from e.l.f. Cosmetics, Legge knows that her Double attempt will be scrutinized as her being the first woman to do it. “I always say, I just want to be a race-car driver, and it doesn’t matter whether I’m black, white, female, male, whatever it may be,” Legge said. “I think I’m probably getting the opportunity to do this because I’m female, so that does not escape me, and I’m very grateful for it.” The British driver is the first non-American to attempt the feat, which she said is cool. And I do think there was another factor on whether she would ever get the chance to do this again as well as how she performs. What about her age? “Sssshh,” she said with a laugh when I mentioned her age. “I think I’m as fit as I’ve ever been. I don’t think that should factor into it. “I’m just lucky that I am getting the opportunity to do it while I still have a career and I’m not too old and decrepit to do these things.”