Katherine Legge is set to return to the Indianapolis 500 for the fifth time. HMD Motorsports and AJ Foyt Racing have filed an entry for Legge to return driving the No. 11 Chevrolet, the teams announced Monday.
Legge is set to make her first appearance in the race since 2024, when she finished 29th for Dale Coyne Racing. Her highest finish came in her first Indy 500, when she was 22nd with Dragon Racing in 2012. Legge will be the only woman in this year’s field. Her primary sponsor will be e.l.f. Cosmetics, which was her primary sponsor in 2024.
“We worked incredibly hard to be back at this year’s Indianapolis 500, and I don’t take a single moment of it for granted,” Legge said in a news release. “I’m beyond grateful to e.l.f. Cosmetics for believing that women deserve to take up space in every arena — including this one. Together, we’re proving that when you invest in a woman’s dream, there’s no limit to what she can achieve.
“It honestly feels like Christmas being back at the 500. Every time I return, I gain a deeper appreciation for what it takes — not just to compete here, but to earn the opportunity to be here in the first place. I’m reminded that I’m a small part of this enormously storied event. To the AJ Foyt Racing organization, HMD, Chevrolet, IndyCar, and my team at BRANDed Management — thank you for fighting tirelessly to make this possible.”
Beginning her North American career in 2005, Legge has experience racing in IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA and WEC. The British driver most recently competed part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series last year, where her best finish in seven races was 17th at the Brickyard 400 at IMS.
This is the third Indy 500 for HMD Motorsports, which competes with four full-time drivers in Indy NXT. In 2022 and 2023, HMD Motorsports had a partnership with Dale Coyne Racing for David Malukas, current Team Penske driver and son of HMD Motorsports owner Henry Malukas, to race full-time. Malukas finished 16th and 29th in his two Indy 500s with HMD and Dale Coyne Racing.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for HMD Motorsports and an incredibly proud moment for everyone involved with our organization,” HMD Motorsports president Mike Maurini said. “We have worked hard to establish HMD as a leader in driver development, and to now be part of an Indianapolis 500 program alongside AJ Foyt Racing and Katherine Legge is something very special. Katherine brings a wealth of experience, AJ Foyt Racing brings unmatched history, and together we believe we have assembled a program that can make a strong impression throughout the Month of May.”
Legge’s addition to the race gets it to a full field of 33 drivers. The 45-year-old joins the crop of 500-only drivers with Jacob Abel (Abel Motorsports), Ryan Hunter-Reay (Arrow McLaren), Conor Daly (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing), Jack Harvey (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing), Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing), Helio Castroneves (Meyer Shank Racing) and Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing).
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
