Katherine Legge to attempt Indy 500 double

Katherine Legge said on May 13 that she will attempt one of motorsport’s rarest same-day assignments: racing the Indianapolis 500 in Indiana and the Coca-Cola 600 in North Carolina on May 24. NASCAR said the British driver will become the first woman to try the “Double,” a feat that requires a driver to cover more than 1,100 miles across IndyCar and the NASCAR Cup Series on the same day. (nascar.com) Legge is entered in the Indy 500 with HMD Motorsports in partnership with A.J. Foyt Racing and in the Coca-Cola 600 with Live Fast Motorsports. The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to start at 12:45 p.m. ET, and NASCAR lists the Coca-Cola 600 for 6 p.m. ET. ### How rare is the Indy-Charlotte “Double”? NASCAR said only five drivers have attempted the Double before Legge: John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson. (nbcsports.com) IndyCar’s driver page for Legge described her as the sixth driver overall and the first woman to attempt both races on the same day. Tony Stewart remains the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles in one day, according to Fox59, which said he finished sixth in the 2001 Indianapolis 500 and third in that year’s Coca-Cola 600. Fox59 also said Kyle Larson’s 2024 and 2025 attempts showed how dependent the effort is on weather and timing: he completed the Indy race in 2024 but missed the start in Charlotte because of rain, and in 2025 he failed to finish either event after crashes. (nascar.com) ### Which cars and teams is Legge driving? The Indianapolis Motor Speedway said on April 27 that Legge will drive the No. 11 Chevrolet for HMD Motorsports in partnership with A.J. Foyt Racing in the 110th Indianapolis 500. IMS said the entry gives Legge a chance to make her fifth career start in the race. (nascar.com) NASCAR said Legge will then move to the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports for the Coca-Cola 600 later that evening. The NASCAR release said e.l.f. Cosmetics will serve as primary sponsor across both events. Fox59 reported that Legge made her first NASCAR Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International on May 10 with Live Fast Motorsports and finished 35th in a 38-car field. (fox59.com) ### What did Legge say about taking on both races? Legge said in a prepared statement carried by Fox59 that “very few drivers ever get the opportunity to attempt ‘The Double,’ and I do not take that opportunity lightly.” She said the challenge was about “pushing through perceived limits” and thanked e.l.f. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Cosmetics for backing the effort. The Associated Press, published by NBC Sports, reported that Legge told reporters she was more focused on the opportunity than on the milestone of being the first woman to try it. “I always say I just want to be a race car driver,” she said, according to AP. (nascar.com) (fox59.com) ### Why does A.J. Foyt’s name keep coming up around this attempt? NASCAR said John Andretti’s 1994 Double attempt was also tied to A.J. Foyt Racing. The Associated Press said Foyt was involved even earlier in a related piece of history, when Janet Guthrie used a backup Foyt car in her 1976 Indianapolis 500 qualifying attempt before going on to make her NASCAR Cup debut in Charlotte. (fox59.com) The Associated Press also noted that 2026 marks 50 years since Guthrie’s first appearance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That places Legge’s attempt alongside two earlier milestones involving women at Indianapolis and Charlotte, though Legge told reporters she was reluctant to define the effort primarily through that lens. (nbcsports.com) ### What has to happen between now and May 24? This weekend is the first immediate hurdle. The Associated Press said Legge will be one of 33 drivers trying to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in the No. 11 Chevrolet, and IndyCar has listed her among this year’s Indianapolis 500 entrants. (nascar.com) May 24 is the fixed date for the two-race attempt. Indianapolis Motor Speedway has the Indy 500 scheduled for Sunday, May 24, and NASCAR’s 2026 Cup schedule lists the Coca-Cola 600 for 6 p.m. ET that same day at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) (nbcsports.com)