Katherine Legge signs for PKV Racing (Champ Car Series)
Discussion
Crash.net said:
After months of speculation, and weeks of waiting, Katherine Legge appears to have won the hearts of PKV Racing following confirmation that she will be driving one of its entries in this season's Champ Car World Series.
The Briton has twice tested with the team, owned by CCWS overseer Kevin Kalkhoven as well as Dan Pettitt and Jimmy Vasser, but admitted to Crash.net that her name has been firmly in the frame since the first outing at Sebring last year.
"The team actually told me at the end of the year," Legge confirmed, "The decision was based on the first test and, even though we have had another test at Sebring since then, as far as I know, it was a done deal before that.
"However, you never really know and, until you have a contract in front of you - and I haven't had that until now - it's just talk. In motor racing, people change their minds all the time, so it's nice to have it confirmed."
Despite apparently knowing that she had at least one hand on the wheel of what she has since revealed to be the #12 Lola-Cosworth, Legge admitted that last month's test alongside Franck Montagny was still a little nerve-wracking.
"There's always pressure," she confessed, "I didn't have the contract then, so they could still have turned around and changed their minds. The pressure was still very much on, and I wasn't sure if they were making me do a race distance to see if I was capable - and, if I wasn't, were they going to turn around and say 'sorry, but you need to have more practice'.
"Obviously, doing the distance was a big weight off my mind, especially as it was twice as long as I had ever driven before. I didn't know how I would handle it but, as it turned out, it was fine and I learned so much from it."
Although obviously excited by the announcement, Legge revealed that it hadn't been that hard to suppress the news.
"As I said, I haven't had it in writing until now, so the last thing I wanted to do was say that I was racing a Champ Car and then look like a complete idiot when it didn't turn out to be true," she smiled, "It's also been quite nice, quite exciting, to be able to get on with what I've been getting on with, to learn without any attention as it were.
"Obviously, the people who are important to me, and those who are important to the programme, have known, but it's nice to be able to do a big announcement, when everyone is feeling more comfortable with the whole idea."
PKV is expected to officially reveal the 25-year old as one of its two-car line-up later today, although the identity of the second driver remains something of a mystery. Former Renault F1 tester Franck Montagny impressed in the latest Sebring test, adding his name to a list that already includes Ryan Briscoe, Ryan Dalziel and Giorgio Pantano, as well as 2005 pilots Vasser and Cristiano da Matta, who have yet to reveal their plans for the coming season.
she's the modern day equivalent of Louise Aitken Walker. Someone with a modicum of talent but not a once and for all ability like a schumi, but has learnt the techniques of race driving. She'll always be good enough for tenth, but if it was a bloke he'd get sacked, if that's the best they could muster.
stockhatcher said:
she's the modern day equivalent of Louise Aitken Walker. Someone with a modicum of talent but not a once and for all ability like a schumi, but has learnt the techniques of race driving. She'll always be good enough for tenth, but if it was a bloke he'd get sacked, if that's the best they could muster.
She took on a great deal of so called 'talent' in indy lights (or whatever its name is now) last year and put the majority in the shade. As for your comment above, I seem to recall Louise Aitken-Walker putting several male World Rally Campionship drivers in the shade when Opel gave her a full drive too.
Yes, she'll get PR breaks that male drivers won't. Big deal. All the better for her and the sponsors, after all, she's racing in the states, which is a good thing.
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