Katherine Legge will be first woman to attempt Indy 500-Coke 600 ‘double' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Katherine Legge is aiming for history this month.
The 45-year-old British driver will become the first woman to attempt the iconic Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 “Double” on May 24.
She will also be the oldest person and the first non-American to attempt the feat.
Legge will compete in the Indy 500 for HMD Motorsports with AJ Foyt Racing in the afternoon before immediately flying to Charlotte for the Coke 600 with Live Fast Motorsports. She’ll have sponsorship from e.l.f. Cosmetics on both her IndyCar and NASCAR entries.
Only five drivers have attempted “The Double” in racing history, with only one ever successfully finishing all 1,100 miles over both races (Tony Stewart in 2001).
John Andretti (1994), Stewart (1999, 2001), Robby Gordon (2000, 2002-04), Kurt Busch (2014) and Kyle Larson (2025) are the only drivers to start both races on the same day. Larson first attempted the feat in 2024 but missed the start of the race in Charlotte due to a rain delay in Indianapolis. He got to the starting line for both races last year in his second attempt, but crashed out of both events early.
Legge will aim to follow in the footsteps of pioneer Janet Guthrie, who made laps in preparation for both races back in 1976. Guthrie failed to qualify for the Indy 500, but pivoted to make her NASCAR debut at Charlotte instead (finishing 15th and completing 379 of 400 laps).
Unlike Guthrie, Legge has experience in both series ahead of time. She’s made four Indy 500 starts with a best finish of 22nd in 2012. Legge competed in the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen International last weekend, finishing 35th in her eighth career Cup Series start.
Legge’s endurance racing background could prove beneficial for such a grueling day. She has competed in the the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring and Rolex 24 at Daytona.
“The Double” is the ultimate test of endurance, considering the high-intensity of both crown jewel events in the span of a few hours — with an hour-and-a-half flight jammed in the middle.
Legge’s preparation is already underway as Indy 500 practice sessions began this week. Qualifying for the Indy 500 is set for this weekend before more practices throughout next week. She’ll jet to Charlotte for NASCAR practice and qualifying on Saturday, May 23, before heading back to Indy for race day on May 24, then turning back around to finish it out in North Carolina that evening.
