Motorsports made big waves today, as NASCAR and IndyCar announced the Katherine Legge Double attempt. The Double is when one driver attempts both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on the Sunday before Memorial Day, making it a logistical feat as well as an athletic one (sorry, Stephen A. Smith). Legge is the first woman to attempt the Double, which is a significant accomplishment just to get that opportunity. She has a difficult challenge ahead of her, but it’s a challenge that is both historic and has implications on the future of motorsports.
Why The Katherine Legge Double Is A Big Deal
What makes Legge’s attempt at the Double a big deal is how rare an opportunity, and how difficult the feat is. Only five other drivers have tried racing both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, and Tony Stewart is the only one to finish both races on the lead lap, and the only one to finish all 1,100 miles.
The Double is so difficult to accomplish due to the fact that the lighter IndyCar drives so differently from the NASCAR Cup-level car; one would need a significant amount of on-track practice to get a feel for how the other car behaves. With NASCAR having less time practicing on track currently for more work during the week on simulators, Legge will likely have a small window to get reacquainted with stock cars.
This is not Legge’s first experience in a NASCAR Cup car. In 2025, she made a handful of appearances, with the highlight being a top-20 finish at the Chicago Street Course, and recently completed a test at Watkins Glen. She’s logged more time inside an IndyCar, as she holds the qualifying speed record for female drivers at the Indy 500. In a motorsports career that started in 2000, the Double represents one last challenge for the 45-year-old driver, who may not have many races left after Memorial Day weekend.
There are a number of obstacles that could keep Legge from completing the Double. On top of the aforementioned practice time issue, there’s the problem of equipment. She will be racing for A.J. Foyt Racing in the Indy 500, a team that hasn’t had an IndyCar win since 2013. Her race team for NASCAR, Live Fast Motorsports, has a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, meaning RCR supplies the equipment for both teams. RCR drivers have had a painfully slow start to the 2026 season, but Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch have had more speed and better finishes in the past couple of weeks, which bodes well for Legge.
The Double is a massive moment for women in motorsports. Legge has to bear the responsibility of attempting the 1,100-mile feat for all the female drivers that will follow her and all of the women and girls that will be tuning in to see her take on both tracks. She will also be dealing with all the hate that comes with being a female racer in the lead-up to the Double. There is progress being made, though.
There are currently ten women competing in NASCAR’s Truck and ARCA Series, in a sport where there have been only 11 female drivers with multiple races run at the Cup level ever. Even if she doesn’t complete every lap of the Double, Legge’s attempt is a massive win for the future of motorsports.
