Written by Dan Jones
Katherine Legge has been confirmed to pilot the No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing car for at this weekend's double-header event at the Milwaukee Mile, as the Wisconsin oval returns to the schedule for the first time since 2015.
The Guildford-born driver has raced in the No. 51 for all other oval events in 2024, retiring on Lap 22 of the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 with a mechanical failure, after making it through last-chance qualifying, before finishing 17th and 24th in the Iowa 250 doubleheader, being incorrectly penalised in Race 1, which cost the Brit a top ten finish. Legge would have her day end after seven laps after colliding with Ed Carpenter at the Gateway 500.
Legge and fellow Brit, Toby Sowery, have shared the No.51 for the second half of the season, with Legge taking care of the car for all the oval events to date in 2024, whilst Sowery took the helm for the road courses at Mid-Ohio, Toronto and Portland.
Colin Braun initially drove in the opening round on the Streets of St. Petersburg and the non-championship $1 Million Challenge. Nolan Siegel made an appearance in the car on the Streets of Long Beach, and raced the sister No.18 car in two events, before Arrow McLaren signed the 19-year-old.
Legge now becomes the driver to feature in the No. 51 the most this season with five races. Luca Ghiotto did four events at Barber, Indianapolis, Road America and Laguna Seca, whilst IndyCar veteran, Tristan Vautier, made a surprise return to the series by racing in Detroit.
Legge, the only female in the field, unlike the majority of the current grid, has raced in Milwaukee in her career, as well as testing there in the mid-season hybrid test for the team. Legge finished 18th in 2012 at Milwaukee with Dragon Racing, and an impressive 6th with PKV Racing at her previous visit in 2006.
The main priority for Legge will be trying to bring the No.51 into the top 22 cars of the entrant standings, in order to gain the $1 Million bonus as part of the 'Leaders Circle.' Sowery's excellent work in recent races has brought the car back into contention against all odds, and only lies eight points off the No.78 Juncos Hollinger Racing and the No.20 Ed Carpenter Racing, which are both on the cut line.
It will be a difficult task though, with oval supremo Conor Daly at the wheel of the No.78, and Carpenter having experience at Milwaukee and Nashville. However, with the unpredictability expected, Legge could have an outside chance. Legge has not been confirmed to race at IndyCar's season finale at Nashville Superspeedway, but is expected to.
It has been an all-British affair Dale Coyne Racing for the closing rounds of 2024, with Jack Harvey in the No.18 since the Olympic break, whilst Sowery and Legge have shared the No. 51 amongst themselves since Mid-Ohio, the duo taking the car's top four results of the season.
It's the confirmation of the long-expected that Katherine Legge will continue her 2024 oval swansong, continuing this weekend at the Milwaukee Mile.
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