Catchfence

Iowa produces the largest corn crop of any state, but Iowa Speedway produces some of the most exciting racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series. This weekend’s Iowa Corn Indy 250 would prove to be no exception for TrueCar driver Katherine Legge.

In a unique ‘heat race’ format, the UK native raced her way into the field in one of three 30-lap sprints qualifying the No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing car in 19th position. She would ultimately start the race 16th on the grid after INDYCAR assessed penalties to some of Legge’s competitors for unapproved engine changes.

In somewhat of a repeat of last week’s race in Milwaukee, Legge and her crew would have to endure a 45-minute rain delay before taking the green flag. The brief but heavy rain changed track conditions for the TrueCar pilot and her fellow drivers, washing away grip and dropping track temperatures.

“The first stint, with the track being so green and so much cooler, the car was very loose and it was all I could do to hang onto it,” said Legge. “So in the first stop we took out two full turns of front wing, which is a big adjustment. It improved the car a lot so I could use the tools inside the car better.”

Legge’s TrueCar Dragon Racing crew would continue to adjust the car to fight the loose condition from early in the race that cost them a lap to the leaders on the 17-second-lap circuit. The hard work paid off and their driver would eventually produce some of the fastest laps of all drivers as the race counted down to the finish, showing the speed necessary to compete with the leaders. Legge’s quickest lap was the fifth fastest lap overall.

“We kept adjusting tire pressures and the car got better and better throughout the race.” Legge continued, “In the last stint, it all came together and the car really came alive. We were very competitive in the last stint and we really learned a lot. We keep improving and moving forward in every way. I’m sure it was a really good race for the fans here at Iowa Speedway and I am just so fortunate to be able to compete against some of the best drivers in the world. I can’t wait to get home to watch it on television, because I think this is a great race for INDYCAR fans and I want to see what I missed from inside the cockpit.”

Legge spun with two laps remaining, making slight contact with the wall in turn 2 and losing one position on the racetrack. Her 15th place finish would match her IZOD IndyCar Series best finish of 15th at Milwaukee.

She and her TrueCar Dragon Racing team now get a much-needed weekend off before hitting the streets in Canada at the Honda Indy Toronto, July 6-8. The race will be broadcast live on ABC Television at 1:00 p.m. ET. Fans can listen to the broadcast live on SiriusXM and INDYCAR.com.

About Katherine Legge:

Birthdate: July 12, 1980
Hometown: Guildford, England
Residence: Indianapolis
Marital Status: Engaged
Website: www.katherinelegge.com
Twitter: @katherinelegge (personal) and @KatOnTrack (for on-track updates)
Facebook: katherineracing

Career Highlights

Inaugural STEM Ambassador for Girl Scouts of the USA … Ambassador for the FIA Women In Motorsport Commission … Member of the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Team SCF … Competed in European-based DTM touring car series as factory Audi driver from 2008-10, driving for Futurecom TME, Abt Lady Power and Team Rosberg … Drove in Rolex 24 at Daytona for Robinson Racing in 2007 … Competed in Champ Car World Series in 2006-07 for PKV Racing, Dale Coyne Racing, becoming first female to lead Champ Car race … Recorded five top-10 finishes in Champ Car in 2006 … First woman to win major open-wheel race in North America, with three victories in Toyota Atlantic in 2005. Finished third in series … Earned Formula One test with Minardi in 2005 … Drove for A1 Team GB in A1 Grand Prix, tested Champ Car in 2005 … Raced limited schedule in British and North American Formula Renault championships and Can-Am championship in 2004 … Competed in limited British Formula 3 schedule in 2003 … Competed in British Formula Renault in 2001-02, wininng pole in 2002 at Oulton Park with track-record lap … Earned British Racing Drivers’ Club “Rising Stars” honor in 2002 … Became first woman to win pole in British Formula Ford Zetec championship in 2000 … Competed in karting from 1990-99.

About TrueCar, Inc.

TrueCar, Inc. is an online automotive information and communications platform focused on creating a better car buying experience for dealers and consumers. Consumers want a hassle-free car buying experience and dealers want high-quality sales velocity. TrueCar helps achieve these goals by providing unbiased market information on new car transactions and by supplying an online communications platform through which dealers and consumers can communicate with each other. TrueCar’s market-based information provides both consumers and dealers with an accurate and comprehensive understanding of what others actually paid recently for similar vehicles, both locally and nationally. TrueCar’s communications platform then allows informed, ready-to-buy consumers to communicate directly with participating dealers. Some of the nation’s largest and most well respected membership and service organizations rely on websites powered by TrueCar to help educate their members and customers who are in the automotive market. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, and has offices in San Francisco, CA, and Austin, TX. After experiencing dramatic growth since 2006, TrueCar is developing a suite of products and services centered on radical clarity through the comprehensive analysis of market data and information. TrueCar’s participating dealer partners have sold over 500,000 new vehicles to TrueCar users nationwide.

You can follow TrueCar on Twitter and become a fan of TrueCar on Facebook.

Source: GRand Solutions, LLC., for TrueCar Dragon Racing, Press Release