INDIANAPOLIS – Katherine Legge’s historic attempt to become the first woman to complete “The Double” — racing 1,100 miles across two tracks in a single day — was cut short on Sunday when she crashed out of the Indianapolis 500.
Legge, an accomplished English driver, completed only 17 of the planned 200 laps at the iconic 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway before colliding with Ryan Hunter-Reay’s car. The crash occurred when Hunter-Reay began to lose control in the second turn, and while trying to avoid him, Legge’s car hit the inside wall, ending her race prematurely.
“I’m fine, just gutted more than anything,” Legge remarked after being evaluated and released from the infield medical center. “Ryan spun in front of me, I think he was battling his car for a minute. I was just chilling, trying to save fuel, and he spun down the track and started coming up the track, so I tried to go low and just didn’t make it.”
This attempt marked Legge as the sixth driver to take on “The Double,” which combines the Indy 500 with NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in North Carolina. Notably, the only driver to successfully complete this grueling feat is three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, who achieved it in 2001.
Legge’s week leading up to the race was fraught with challenges, including a delayed flight from New York to Indianapolis, which caused her to miss the annual media day. Compounding her difficulties, she experienced communication issues during the final practice session on Friday, and the rain-out of the Coca-Cola 600 qualifying on Saturday added to her woes.
“Hopefully, we get all of the travel woes out of the way now before the weekend, and this weekend goes smoothly,” Legge expressed to The Associated Press earlier in the week. Her management had been coordinating logistics with Kyle Larson’s team to streamline her transition between the two venues.
Initially, it seemed like luck might turn in her favor when the speedway avoided the anticipated rain, allowing the race to commence on time. However, the collision with Hunter-Reay dashed those hopes. Hunter-Reay also underwent medical evaluation following the crash and was released shortly thereafter.
“It was super tough out there,” Hunter-Reay commented after the incident. “The whole time I was trying to keep it off the wall. Just super disappointing. That’s the busiest I’ve been around here in 16 years. I was trying to keep it off the wall the whole time, and finally, one of those wiggles didn’t come back in Turn 2.”
In recent history, crashes and inclement weather have marred each of the last three attempts at “The Double.” Last year’s rain delays prevented two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Larson from reaching Charlotte in time for the race, and he crashed out of both races that day.
Despite the setbacks, Legge remained focused on her next challenge. “She’ll stay here throughout,” her father, Derek Legge, said, keeping an eye on the weather as he sat outside her garage. “We’re keeping an eye on the weather. It might even be delayed here an hour at a time.”
Legge started the Indy 500 from the No. 26 position, located in the middle of the ninth row, racing for HMD Motorsports in collaboration with A.J. Foyt Racing. She still intends to travel to North Carolina to compete in the Coca-Cola 600, where she is set to start 37th for Live Fast Motorsports following the rainout of qualifying.
Weather conditions remained uncertain, with initial forecasts suggesting clear skies for the start of the Charlotte race, but the likelihood of rain was expected to increase later in the evening. Legge’s teams had been working diligently to arrange logistics for her helicopter ride from the speedway to Indianapolis International Airport, followed by a private jet to Charlotte.
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