One of the greatest women in racing recently got some recognition. While she may not be a household name, Katherine Legge has been in open-wheel racing for decades. She first rose to stardom in Champ Car back in 2006, moved into an IndyCar in 2012, drove the Delta Wing in IMSA in 2016 and this year finally returned to the Indianapolis 500.
Her return to IndyCar this season was thanks to new sponsor e.l.f. Cosmetics which recently won two Clio Awards for excellence in advertising. The company brought their product to the masses as e.l.f. (eyes, lips, face) brought a fan activation centre to Indianapolis, helping engaging female fans during the month of May. This was a first for a cosmetics company at the Indy 500.
Fans were overwhelmingly positive about e.l.f.’s “Indy 500 Lip Oil Change Campaign” which allowed fans to sample products while at the track. Also, the ambitious social media campaign finally gave Katherine, and the women of racing, the recognition they deserved.
“The e.l.f. Cosmetics collaboration was by far and away the most meaningful partnership I have ever seen in racing from a female perspective. I am beyond proud to represent a brand that cares so much about the same things that I do, and am very much looking forward to doing more great and meaningful things with them to change the landscape of racing.”
Katherine Legge to RACER
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Dang, Chris. I had no idea. What a GREAT story. I love the pink wrap. I love that e.l.f. (new to me) partnered with her in such a positive, uplifting way. This has to be one of my favorite posts you have done. 🌸
Lil’ Daniel and I met Katherine way back in the day (that’s US in the second or third picture) and she was just a wonderful person.
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Not a rich kid, she didn’t have the family funding to pay her way to the top, so she deserved every ride she got.
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And unlike several female racers (I’m not naming or shaming) who do what my wife calls ‘bikini girl’ pictures to promote their racing endeavors, Katherine Legge always remained a class act. That’s rare.
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The wonderful thing bout the e.l.f. campaign was that they really put their support behind her, and brought their products to the track. It breaks the stereotype of beer-belly rednecks as the only race fans in America.
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Katherine is a very positive roll model, and I am very glad that this little article brought you some joy.
Interesting she is only the 9th woman to be involved in racing at that level. How cool that you got to meet her. I respect her decision not to turn herself into pinup material.
Like any God-fearing, red-blooded, un-leaded (North) American male, I LIKE the pin-up girls. But they have nothing to do with racing. They have no place in racing. Not even the silly girls they hire to hold the number signs or umbrellas for the drivers. They’re like ring girls in boxing; pointless.
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I applaud Katherine for not taking the EZ route, and instead, maintained her decorum and the respect of her peers.
That is so cool. Wonderful write up.
Thanks, Tim. There’s so much negativity about women and racing, that whenever I see something positive that I can share .. I do!
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Hell, just this morning I watched a YT video about an up-and-coming young lady named Hailie Deegan who’s getting thrown under the bus by the good ol’ boys who just don’t want to see a woman succeed in racing.
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https://youtu.be/rqTRbUVipbM?si=-mTJiedWjCHI4J4M
That dude doesn’t like women racers. I remember Danica. I liked her.
I totally LOVED Danica. Especially when she was an IndyCar driver (because open-wheel is my thing). But I remember when she moved to NASCAR and went on Letterman, and it was like, she made it to the big time of North American racing. She was great.
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But that guy… the guy who made that video… he DOES hate women. It’s so obvious. Why can’t a person just be normal? Average? A developing driver? Why make an entire video dumping on a 23 year old woman!?
Makes no sense other than he is insecure and can’t deal with women being better than him.