“No race evokes the same emotion”: Katherine Legge explains why Indy still pulls her back in 2026 while chasing NASCAR goals

Katherine Legge expressed her desire to race in the prestigious Indianapolis 500 in 2026 while balancing it with her NASCAR goals. Despite this year largely being defined by her transition into NASCAR, the 45-year-old British driver has made it clear that she holds a unique emotional pull that is hard to ignore towards the Indy 500.

Katherine Legge has made four starts in the Indy 500, with a best finish of 22nd, which came in 2012 with Dragon Racing. Her last start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” came in 2024, and she is looking for a fifth start in the event next season.

Speaking to Racer, the British driver opened up about why a return to the Indy 500 in 2026 remains very much on her mind—even as her long-term focus shifts toward the NASCAR Cup Series. For her, the 500-mile Indy race stands apart even from motorsport’s other crown-jewel events.

Here’s what Legge said:

“I would love the opportunity to see where I end up. With Sam Schmidt, I had a car that was capable of winning, or at least a top 10, and I know I can run there again. There's no race that evokes the same emotion as Indy. There are some really cool races. You've got Daytona 500, you got Le Mans, Bathurst, the Daytona 24 Hour. You’re always gonna want to do those right?

---

Katherine Legge expresses her desire to complete doubleheader at Phoenix

While the Indy 500 is the crown jewel, Katherine Legge has her sights set on a unique plan and physical challenge to complete a doubleheader at Phoenix Raceway.

With the 2026 IndyCar Series schedule returning to the Phoenix oval, the schedule aligns for a crossover weekend with the NASCAR Cup Series on the first weekend of March. Legge, who made her Cup debut at Phoenix in 2025 with Live Fast Motorsports, hopes to become the only driver on the grid attempting to race in both the IndyCar and Cup Series races on the same weekend.

In the aforementioned interview, Legge said:

“As long as you're in with a shot and you feel like you’ve still got it, and I feel like I’ve still got it, I want to race again at Indy. And I’d love to do Phoenix as well and do the Cup weekend with IndyCar and maybe be the only driver who goes there to do both.”

Katherine Legge made five Cup starts in 2025, with her best finish of P17 coming at Indianapolis. She is regarded as a highly versatile female racing driver, having successfully competed in NASCAR, IndyCar, and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, and for her record for the fastest qualifying lap by a woman in Indy 500 history.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Yash Soni