DAYTONA BEACH — She resisted any urge to hold a left on the , in order that’s a optimistic for the longtime Rolex 24 common.
A greater optimistic got here shortly thereafter, when Katherine Legge posted the Tenth-fastest pace in Friday’s ARCA Sequence observe session at
Her No. 23, Joe Farré-owned Chevy feels snug and quick — “I believe I’ve a automotive able to successful” — however after watching replays of current ARCA races Legge is aware of it’ll take greater than that for her to have a shot Saturday afternoon. Sure, the Chevy is kind of succesful …
“If we keep out of hassle and we’re fortunate,” she mentioned Friday afternoon.
Legge was one of many 11 drivers with speeds between 180-181 mph in Friday’s observe, which changed ARCA’s scheduled qualifying after Thursday’s observe was washed out. Per ARCA’s Daytona guidelines, if observe is rained out, the lineup is about by proprietor factors (2024 last factors, on this occasion) and qualifying turns into a observe session as a substitute.
Legge will begin ninth when the annual 80-lap, 200-mile season opener takes the inexperienced flag shortly after midday Saturday. It’s a part of a doubleheader with the Xfinity Sequence race later within the afternoon.
Katherine Legge has dabbled in inventory vehicles earlier than
Legge, a former common in each sports-cars and IndyCar , shouldn’t be an entire stranger to NASCAR-style inventory vehicles. She ran 4 Xfinity Sequence races in 2018 and one in 2023. Her solely oval-track race was at Richmond, which, at three-quarters of a mile, is kind of totally different from the two.5-mile Daytona tri-oval.
“I wished to have the power to do extra NASCAR-related stuff and stock-car racing,” the England native mentioned. “And I spoke to Chevrolet, who put me in contact with this group.
“And this group, they’re so good. I’m past stoked to be driving the automotive and driving at my first superspeedway.”
Legge has competed in 12 Rolex 24s at Daytona and turned laps at higher than 230 mph on Indy’s 2.5-mile oval. What she’s by no means achieved, nevertheless, is cope with bump-drafting, both giving or receiving. She practiced in some site visitors Friday, however there was no bump-drafting. She’ll nearly certainly get a style of it Saturday.
“I believe it is an artwork kind, proper?” she mentioned. “As a result of it’s a must to hit any person in the correct place on the straight-away. So it is, simply, it’s a must to belief whoever is doing it with you.”
Confidence in Katherine Legge from atop the pit field
Her group proprietor favored what he noticed Friday and thinks Legge is able to studying rapidly and spending time within the lead pack.
“What I noticed from her at the moment was loads of self-discipline,” Farré mentioned. “When she got here again in, she mainly reported that she was like 40-50% throttle on the entire deal. So she actually confirmed the self-discipline to maintain the automotive the place she wished to.
“I believe if she demonstrates that type of stuff tomorrow, she’s gonna trip up there in that high 10, after which all bets are off in these previous couple of laps, proper?”
Completely proper, significantly at Daytona in February.
