INDIANAPOLIS — Katherine Legge’s attempt at ‘The Double’ got off to a difficult start Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway but the veteran driver still secured her starting spot in the 110th Indianapolis 500 field.
Legge qualified 27th for next Sunday’s race with a four-lap average of 229.456 mph after battling difficult track conditions during qualifying. Unlike most years, there were exactly 33 entries for the 33-car field, meaning there would be no bumping and Legge was safely locked into the race.
Luck was not on Legge’s side before she even hit the track. After posting the slowest speed during Fast Friday practice, she drew the 33rd starting position in Friday evening’s qualifying order draw, forcing her to run in the hottest and windiest conditions of the afternoon.
“I wish we qualified better,” Legge said. “I think we were unfortunate with the 33rd draw going out when it was the hottest and the windiest that it’s been.”
Despite the conditions, Legge said the No. 78 machine still showed promising pace, crediting the team for giving her a fast and comfortable car. She added that the wind significantly affected the handling during her run. Legge also believed setup adjustments ultimately hurt the car’s performance, saying the team did not properly account for how the added downforce would affect the gearing and speed.
Still, Legge remains optimistic heading into race day.
“I think we’ll have a really solid race car,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s not really that relevant over 500 miles whether you start in P12 or P20.”
The Indy 500 is only half of Legge’s challenge next Sunday. Later that evening, she will also race in NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. About the second-half of her day, Legge anticipates a challenge but welcomes it with open arms.
“Every time I go out there I learn and I get better,” Legge said. “It’s also relatively new to me and I’ve never driven a Cup car at Charlotte. I would imagine that over the course of 600 miles it will sort of become more like second nature to me.”
Unlike Kyle Larson last year, who attempted ‘The Double’ while competing full-time for the Cup Series championship, Legge said her priority remains the Indy 500. If necessary, she will have a relief driver available for the Coca-Cola 600.
Jessica Garcete is an IndyStar sports reporter. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to theYouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Katherine Legge qualifies 27th for Indy 500 as Double attempt begins