Woman Driver - The Katherine Legge Story (2006)

Woman Driver: The Katherine Legge Story takes us on a roller-coaster ride through the trials and tribulations of Katherine Legge's journey to become the first female race car driver in the Champ Car World Series of Racing, taking us from her humble beginnings through the grueling mental and physical challenges of proving herself in a male-dominated sport.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• katherine legge
• champ car
• atlantics
• toyota atlantic
• woman race car driver
• danica patrick
• racing
• dayle coyne
• PKV
• jimmy vasser
• kevin kalkhoven
• speedway
• lynn st james
• sarah fisher
• susie stoddart
• amber cope
• angela cope
• Amber & Angela Cope
• track
• crash
• nascar
• health
• kart
• cup
• series
• motor
• raceway
• cars
• stock
• dp01
• bruno junqueira
• sam schmidt
• polestartoyota atlantic
• winner

[PhilipTheBigOne]

@Pendu068: Mostly if she gets a good ride... It's rumored that she has signed with Dreyer & Reinbold for 2 years or so... Let's hope that DRR can give her a solid car.

But yeah, I don't expect her to win (maybe like Simona, who WILL win a race this year, mark my words), but I'd DEFINITELY like to see her get good results, especially at tracks like Long Beach (where she has raced before)!!!

[Pendu068]

@PhilipTheBigOne Sure let's see what she can do in 2012. I think you get my point though. She doesn't need any more breaks as she's received more than most. From here on in she needs to do like her male counterparts. It's tough out there.

[posimosh]

How could she "dream of driving in CHAMPCAR (her) entire life"? It was only around for a few years.... Anyway, I wish a chic would get put in a decent car at the top level so we could finally put this sexist misconceptions to bed. With current regulations in F1, Indycar, and Prototypes, the fact that they allow power steering and use fly-by-wire controls SHOULD mean its possible. Considering the marketing coup it would be if a woman was at least decent, it is a bit of a mystery why it hasn't.

[PhilipTheBigOne]

@Pendu068: Look, we agree to disagree (partially). You have your opinion (and I respect it), I have my opinion (I hope you respect it)...

Fact is that if Katherine caught a few breaks here and there, her career would be more successful. There are rumors that she might be coming to IndyCar in 2012. THIS is where we'll find what she can do (especially since there are other women driving there, like Simona and Ana Beatriz)!!!

[PhilipTheBigOne]

@Pendu068: I didn't say that male drivers don't get good equipment sometimes (it happens quite often), I just said that Katherine not having the best car in her team is a fact (Servia in '06 and Junqueira in '07 had kinda better cars, although not by that much). I'm not saying that if Kathy had the same car as her team-mates, she'd win the championship, I'm just saying she'd have better results...

We do agree in something though: Kathy is more talented than Danica (and I like DP)!!!

[Pendu068]

Most racers experience "not the best cars" and qualifying difficulties at some stage in their career development. Personally I think katherine has better propects than say Danica but she still needs to do her time. It's called experience and that doesn't come by jumping the que because of being female. If she is smart she will also avoid the "sex sells" image that Danica flaunts and will concentrate on developing a professional racer image.

[PhilipTheBigOne]

@Pendu068: You are part-right. There are male drivers that go through the same difficulties as Katherine (or any female driver) to find a job. But there are also some drivers who get a ride only because they bring MILLIONS of money from their sponsors!!! They certainly get the job easier than others.

Also, her statistics were average because she didn't have the best cars (especially in '07) and because she was a BAD qualifier!!! She often started from the last 2 rows! But she had some top-10s.

[Pendu068]

@PhilipTheBigOne Every racer chasing their dream on a low budget goes through the same trials that katherine has had to face. I wish her every success but let's not forget that her race statistics remain very average and yet she is being given breaks that guys at her level couldn't even hope to dream of. Males and females have different journeys in life and I for one am sick and tired of listening to how women feel hard done by. They also get so much of life easier that guys as well.

[Pendu068]

I commend and respect your perseverence but please stop making excuses about how tough it is for women. That is just so typical of a whining woman. The reality is that you have had doors and opportunities opened to you that guys simply don't get. While you might complain about what you feel a woman has to deal with, in truth a guy with your race statistics would very likely not even be given a chance unless he could pay his way until he became good enough, Be a little more greatful is my advice.

[ceoaalp]

Let me correct that. Champ car is not the worlds fastest racing cars. Formula 1 is. That sport is yet see a female come into the sport. There was talks of Danica Patrick coming to the sport when Honda still has a Formula 1 team but that never happened.