Katherine Legge reflected on her recent qualifying attempt at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where she credited Conor Daly’s advice for helping her achieve one of her strongest qualifying runs in the Xfinity Series. The seasoned driver from Surrey, England, benefited from the experience of Daly, a well-known competitor in the NTT IndyCar Series, which she says played a critical role in her approach to qualifying.
On Saturday, Legge posted a best lap time of 55.03 seconds, placing her 24th on the starting grid, just over a second slower than pole winner Sam Mayer. During qualifying, she recorded a top speed of 163.56 mph, finishing just behind her teammate Jeb Burton and ahead of Matt Dibenedetto, marking an encouraging result in a fiercely competitive field.
Discussing her qualifying session during the Throttle Therapy podcast by iHeart, Legge shared the impact of Daly’s advice on her mindset and strategy for the day.
“I was actually texting with Conor Daly and he said it’s flat out, and after practice there was no way. I was like, ‘is he having me on, like is this for real?’ Like there’s no way it’s flat. He said, ‘yeah, honestly, like it’s faster than you think it is’. And I am so grateful that he told me that, and I’m so grateful for him giving me that info because in practice on older tires, when I was kind of getting up to speed, you’re nowhere near flat.” —Katherine Legge
“So I went out, ‘okay, Conor, I got this’, and my foot quivered in turn three. And we do an alternate start finish line between ten three and four, so we go out of the pits straight onto the track and we literally start our lap after ten three, so we do I don’t know, like two thirds of the track. And so I got on it…we were a second off the pace, but we’re still P24 behind my teammate Jeb Burton, and so I felt like that was probably the best qualifying we’ve had in Cup or Xfinity to date this year” she further added. —Katherine Legge
Details of Legge’s Xfinity Race and Final Standing
Starting from 24th, Legge’s race in the Xfinity Series presented multiple challenges. By the conclusion of Stage 1, she had dropped to 28th place and was unable to regain positions during Stage 2, settling into 29th. Unfortunately, her race ended prematurely in the final stage due to a DNF on Lap 74 of the scheduled 100 laps, cutting short what had begun as a promising weekend of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Performance Overview of Legge’s Cup Series Participation at Indianapolis
In addition to her efforts in the Xfinity Series, Katherine Legge also competed in the Cup Series event during the same weekend, representing Live Fast Motorsports in the No. 78 car. She qualified 38th on the grid—placing ahead of Denny Hamlin, who suffered a crash during qualifying, and just behind Josh Bilicki. Legge recorded a best lap time of 56.96 seconds with a top speed of 158.00 mph, finishing 7.83 seconds slower than the pole sitter, Chase Briscoe.
Legge demonstrated consistency throughout the Cup race, improving her track position from 30th place at the end of Stage 1 to 23rd after Stage 2. In the race’s final portion, she advanced further to secure a 17th-place finish, marking one of her strongest results in the Cup Series to date.
Significance of Daly’s Input and What’s Ahead for Legge
Katherine Legge’s experience at Indianapolis underscores the crucial role that expert guidance can play in competitive motorsports, particularly in high-speed qualifying sessions where precision and confidence are vital. Conor Daly’s suggestion to accelerate “flat out” encouraged Legge to push beyond her initial hesitation, resulting in a qualifying success she described as potentially her best in recent Cup or Xfinity outings.
This breakthrough could serve as a foundation for future improvements across both series as Legge continues to adapt to the unique demands of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Her performances in both the Xfinity and Cup Series, despite some setbacks, display steady progress backed by strategic mentorship and growing confidence behind the wheel.
