Photo by Lavdrim Mustafi, Pexels.
In 1977, Janet Guthrie left her mark on the bricks as the first woman to race in the Indianapolis 500, finishing 29th before placing ninth the following year. With 11 Indy races under her belt, she marked a turning point in a sport which had been dominated by men for decades.
Awarded the Landmark Award in 2024, her career consisted of NASCAR Cup Series, full female teams, and an induction in the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame. Guthrie began a legacy, one that didn’t get surpassed until nearly three decades later by Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an IndyCar series race.
Before Guthrie, women were excluded from racing or having pit access.
But Guthrie wasn’t a sidelines photographer, she wasn’t a driver’s wife, she wasn’t handing out tickets—Guthrie was a racer.
Since Guthrie’s debut, only nine women have started the race.
Katherine Legge is one of these women, having begun her IndyCar career in 2006. Since her debut, she’s qualified for four 500s. Before racing in the United States, this British driver was redefining the possibilities for women in the United Kingdom, competing in a variety of Formula series and exceeding expectations in open-wheel racing.
After moving to North America, she became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race, alongside holding the women’s record for the fastest qualifying effort in Indy 500 history.
Nevertheless, these accolades are not what’s motivating Legge.
“I don’t want to just be a female driver for the sake of ticking a diversity box,” Legge told The Arizona Republic last year, “I want to be there on merit, and I want to be a good example for everybody that’s coming up behind me.”
Fans at Indianapolis Motor Speedway cheer the drivers speaking at the Public Drivers Meeting on Legends Day in May 2024.
Photo by Hannah Johnson, TheStatehouseFile.com.
Now, during the 110th running of the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 24, Legge will not only be racing, but attempting to compete in NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day—a combined 1,100 miles in two different states back-to-back with vastly different racing styles.
For long-time race fan and avid 500 Festival Mini-Marathon participant, Liz Miner, Legge’s return to the Indianapolis track is a show of mental toughness you don’t see every day.
“It shows determination, resilience, and confidence at the highest level of motorsports,” said Miner, “It’s inspiring to see a woman continue to push boundaries in a sport that has traditionally been male dominated.”
For Legge, this isn’t just about headlines, but a lifelong dream as she’d be the sixth driver to ever compete in both races.
Logo by Sydney Byerly, TheStatehouseFile.com.
Legge told NASCAR.com on May 15 that she had considered putting it off, to gain more NASCAR and IndyCar experience. However, she ultimately decided this is not an opportunity she easily could pass up.
“I think it’s really cool that we can show all these young people, not just young women, that barriers can just be in your head and you can do it,” she said.
It isn’t just fans ready to see what Legge can do.
Kyle Larson, the most recent driver to attempt this ‘double,’ has been open about his confidence and support.
“I think she’s an amazing ambassador for the sport and especially women in racing,” Larson told NASCAR.com, “I think with her experience, she will handle it all very well.”
This Memorial Day weekend, Legge will cross the same bricks Guthrie did nearly 50 years ago, just with an extra 600 miles under her belt.