Katherine Legge has brought new attention to the Danica Patrick IndyCar female driver controversy, revealing that gender politics in American open-wheel racing played a role in her career trajectory. During a podcast discussion, Legge explained she felt pushed out of IndyCar as the organization was not open to having two prominent female drivers racing together in the mid-2000s.
Revealing the Barriers for Female Racers in IndyCar
Legge’s racing career in the US started with promise during her rookie season with PKV Racing in 2006, making four Top 10 finishes. The following year proved challenging when technical changes placed her with Dale Coyne Racing, where she struggled to match her previous form and managed only two Top 10 finishes. The 2008 merger of Champ Car and IndyCar – intended to unify American open-wheel competition – set the stage for a rare occurrence, with both Legge and Danica Patrick potentially on the same grid. However, Legge disclosed that there was organizational resistance to having more than one female driver in the lineup.
“My first season with PKV Racing when I went to Champ Car was great, as a rookie year. Then they (Champ Car) changed the car the following year, and I went to Dale Coyne. I never really found my stride that year,” she said.
After departing the US racing scene, Legge moved to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) in Europe for three years, citing the merger as her reason for leaving. She emphasized her exit was influenced by the reluctance of series organizers to include both her and Danica Patrick as full-time drivers.
“And then I did DTM three years because they (Champ Car) merged with IndyCar, and so they had Danica, and they didn’t want two girls back then. There wasn’t (room) really for more than one (female driver) apparently,” the 45-year-old said.
Legge’s claims highlight ongoing challenges facing female racers at the highest levels. During her absence, Danica Patrick became one of the most prominent faces of American motorsport, achieving multiple milestones including winning the Indy Japan 300 and being named the IndyCar Series Most Popular Driver six consecutive times from 2005 to 2010. When Legge did eventually return to IndyCar in 2012, Patrick had already moved on to NASCAR, creating space for a new female presence in the competition.
Katherine Legge’s Entry into NASCAR and Ongoing Struggles
Recently, Legge extended her racing ambitions by entering NASCAR in 2025, signing up for both the Xfinity and Cup Series. Her initial NASCAR outings were fraught with difficulties, including several crashes that led to significant criticism from fans and doubts about her suitability as a Cup Series driver. However, Legge demonstrated resilience by overcoming these setbacks.
Her perseverance paid off at the Grant Park 165 in early July, when she finished P19 for Live Fast Motorsports—making her the first woman since Danica Patrick in 2017 to secure a Top 20 result in a NASCAR Cup Series race. Legge further improved her record at the Brickyard 400 with a 17th-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a venue she had previously raced on in four Indy 500 events.
The intertwined paths of Katherine Legge and Danica Patrick stretch back to their early days as teammates in junior categories around 2000. While Patrick retired from racing in 2018 and moved on to roles as an F1 and IndyCar commentator, Legge has remained determined to expand her legacy as a pioneer for women in motorsport.
The controversy over female driver inclusion in the top American series, as revealed by Legge, underscores the persistent difficulties women have faced in breaking through racing’s traditional barriers. As Legge continues to compete, her perseverance stands as a statement against restrictive norms, with the hope that greater inclusion will shape the future of racing.
