Katherine Legge to Enter Indy 500 with AJ Foyt Racing
- Legge is making her fifth Indy 500 start, having become the ninth woman to qualify for the race in 2012.
- Legge is the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America and lead laps in Champ Car.
- Legge recently competed in NASCAR, becoming the first woman to qualify for a Cup Series race since Danica Patrick.
Katherine Legge to Enter Indy 500 with AJ Foyt Racing
SPEEDWAY, Ind.–Katherine Legge will be making her return to the Indianapolis 500 on May 24th in the #11 Chevrolet for HMD Motorsports in partnership with AJ Foyt Racing. That announcement was made on Monday.
Legge is looking to make her fifth Indy 500 start in the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet, after becoming just the ninth woman to qualify for the race in 2012. In 2023, she became the fastest woman to ever qualify for the race, posting an average speed of 231.07 mph. She remains one of the most accomplished female drivers in global motorsport—including being the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America, the first to lead laps in Champ Car, and the first to lead the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The British driver enters the 2026 race following a 2025 campaign in NASCAR, where she became the first woman to qualify for a NASCAR Cup Series race since Danica Patrick’s 2012 debut, and the first woman in seven years to start a Cup race. Across 14 events spanning ARCA, the Xfinity Series (now O’Reilly), and the Cup Series, Legge recorded two top-20 finishes at the Cup level and the highest finishing position among rookie drivers in her debut race.
“We worked incredibly hard to be back at this year’s Indianapolis 500, and I don’t take a single moment of it for granted. I’m beyond grateful to e.l.f. Cosmetics for believing that women deserve to take up space in every arena—including this one. Together, we’re proving that when you invest in a woman’s dream, there’s no limit to what she can achieve. It honestly feels like Christmas being back at the 500. Every time I return, I gain a deeper appreciation for what it takes—not just to compete here, but to earn the opportunity to be here in the first place. I’m reminded that I’m a small part of this enormously storied event. To the AJ Foyt Racing organization, HMD, Chevrolet, IndyCar, and my team at BRANDed Management—thank you for fighting tirelessly to make this possible,” said Legge.
Legge became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America in 2005, the first woman to lead laps in Champ Car, and one of the few women to compete across NASCAR, INDYCAR, IMSA, and global endurance events, including the 24 Hours of Daytona and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
