Legge confirmed at PKV according to Speed

[Rockfan]

Great News for Katherine Legge (a local lass from my area). Good luck Katherine, we will be watching all year either on Eurosport or through Race Director, go show them, how good you are.

I saw Katherine in F3 , and she was superb, and also, she performed a back flip at Rockingham Motor Speadway, UK in 2003, she was unluck that day.

Still good luck in 2006, Champcar Girl Racer.

Rockfan
Northampton UK

[okeefe]

Here are some quotes that have caught my attention:

On January 24/06, her crash.net article quoted her saying "Being female has gone against me in the past so I'm going to use it to my advantage when it comes to finding money". Then, on February 14, 2006 she told TSN in an interview "I don't want to play the gender game".

Now she tells Crash.net "The team actually told me at the end of the year" on February 14, 2006. She told TSN on February 14, 2006 she was "shocked and overwhelmed" at the news of having a full-time ride.

But, it's the "media" who should stop looking at genetic disposition, and not notice any contrasting statements and flakiness, I'm guessing, right?

Actually, I wish they'd leave the racing to her - I think she is a good racer; but I do wish they would get her a publicist to keep the stories FOR the media straight and less flakey and phoney - so that flakey phoney media stage game aspect does not follow other future women racers yet to come.

[garcon]

It's sometimes difficult to get it absolutely right, especially when people are willing to trawl every published quote you've ever made.

Having met Katherine, I can tell you she is far from flakey or phoney - incredibly genuine in fact. Now's her chance to show whether she's worthy of such a great opportunity.

So do Katherine a favour - don't build her up too much (as the media is bound to do), but give her a chance to show what she can do before you slate her.

[gttouring]

Rushed or not- she had 3 atlantic wins, and outpaced many of the boys at the sebring test- strike while the Iron is hot, She is very likable anyway, and it is always good to have heroes-heroins in a series.
she'll be a rookie though, everyone should remmeber that, girl or boys the first year in champcar is tough, especially from a 240 hp Toyota Atlantic;A CC-775-800 hp is tough to handle

[okeefe]

"It would be good to have a team-mate who could help my programme along because I need someone who is going to help me, especially in this first year, rather than be all out for himself. I guess the team's decision will be made a little around that as well."
Well, that puts her team-mate's job into perspective doesn't it?
Another - "It's all part of a long-term plan - nobody's looking at this short-term".
Well, in my humble opinion, right down to the car she gets and the partner she gets - and of course, any wins she will get - well, her team is owned by the same man who is part owner of the whole series - when she wins he makes alot of dough; and he's got the control to make her win too - so that view is bound to be present into the future when people are already saying if she were a man, she'd be not there on the talent alone. I expect these are things I'm not supposed to notice; and even more, not supposed to comment on - but the whole thing is playing out to me a little bit too much like a WWF stage show - all FOR the media. In my opinion, it's not the media who's playing here - it's the media who is being played. She could have just raced with a lot less fan fare - she picked her path too, let's remember, and there was lot of media all along - not just now.

[luke]

Hmm it would silence her critics if you had a top five finish in her first race.

[macdaddy]

Transcript of teleconference with Legge and Kalkhoven.

[okeefe]

Thanks for that MacDaddy. In my humble opinion, she lays the gender card when it suits her; and trys to deny it when that suits her. She lays the media card when it suits her; and trys to deny that when it suits her. Now, again, I notice contrast I'm sure others would wish I did not - but HOW can one not notice:

About herself: "how you define well is not necessarily winning races and dominating or anything like that. It's just being consistent, learning, improving."

About other women: "Absolutely, I think it's only fair that they find out what women are capable of because nobody has done it in the past. There have been no successful female racing drivers. There have been some that have showed potential and promise just as I show right now. There have been no Champ Car champions. There have been none racing right at the forefront, and I think that was very important."

So, she's successful by being consistent, learning and improving. However, there have been no successful female racing drivers - no champions, none racing at the forefront? How is this measurement so different for her than for other women; but yet she is so "challenging" to herself?

Her wins - first they mean everything, then they mean nothing, then they mean everything again - and when she is on track not getting them, then they'll mean nothing again. Wow.

I certainly do not agree that there have been no successful female racing drivers (prior to her). I think she is very fortunate that the ones who were before her - were before her; very much including LynSt.J. and Guthrie, and guess what, Danica too.

[mac]

If it wasn't for Danica I doubt she would be lining up for PKV in 2006.

Maybe later on, but not this year.

[luke]

I don't know. Danica was still rushed into the IRL. (prays post won't get deleted as IRL was mentioned. )

[JNWRF01]

It must seem a long time since she got fired by Formula Woman for spinning a Mazda roadcar out of a 1st gear hairpin at all of 30mph......

I would be very surprised if she could get on the podium in Atlantics (or even Euro/Brit F3 come to mention it) if she had done it this season....

[luke]

For women in motorsport these days it doesn't matter what they did pre to where they are now. What did Danica do pre IRL? You know it doesn't really matter, the fact that they got this far into the top open wheel series in north America is a reward as it is and shows they are not that bad.
We have seen what she can do in atlantics so lets see what she can do in Champ Car. No one predicted she would win her first race and another two and consistent podiums...

[garcon]

Originally Posted by okeefe

In my humble opinion, she lays the gender card when it suits her; and trys to deny it when that suits her. She lays the media card when it suits her; and trys to deny that when it suits her.

Although I have to admit there's some truth in that, I really can't say I blame her. To be successful, any racing driver has to be utterly, brutally single-minded, and if that means playing certain things when it suits then they do. It's not always the most pleasant character trait in a person, but it is one that helps them get on. Motorsport history is littered with incredibly talented drivers who were just too nice to be ruthless when it mattered to get themselves the right drive.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

I agree Garcon, there's no harm in Legge playing the gender card as anyone else would too if there was a ChampCar, IRL or F1 drive on the line.

Besides, when it all boils down is it really so different to Honda hiring Japanese drivers to drum up more support and press coverage? That's something motorsport is littered with from top to bottom. She's just using her gender instead of nationality.

[okeefe]

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

I agree Garcon, there's no harm in Legge playing the gender card as anyone else would too if there was a ChampCar, IRL or F1 drive on the line.

Besides, when it all boils down is it really so different to Honda hiring Japanese drivers to drum up more support and press coverage? That's something motorsport is littered with from top to bottom. She's just using her gender instead of nationality.

Right - it's her card to play, but a card laid is a card played. Lay it and play it and be done and just race. Why keep harping about it OR trying to deny having laid it and played it OR blame the media for noticing? She's there where she wanted to be. Still, we are hearing about her "neediness". She needed extra this experience; she needed extra that experience; now she needs a hand picked partner who will help her and not be competitive for himself; and women before her have not been successful by not winning?? but yet she is by simply being consistent and improving and learning??. It's not too hard to see she is all out for herself and grabbing at the only limelight she can - and grabbing it however she can. Good whiskey--please Champ Car - get this lady a publicist before she sets the whole dynamic of women in this sport into retrograde and they are all viewed as whiney and needy staulkers. All I know is I'm going to hurl if I have to listen to all of these "needs" and watch Champ Car cater to them and stack the deck her way through the season while I'm simply trying to watch PT and Tags and some who actually "race" and we can "expect" to see "race". Isn't that the point of watching a "race" after all?

[racebusiness]

Katherine should definitely play the gender game, that's the only reason she's there. Look I''ve seen hundreds of drivers come and go and without a card to play, they're sunk. So if it's not the Brazlian card, or the Monaco card or the Daddy was an F1 champion card, it better be something interesting, and female in CART is interesting. Perhaps she should be upfront and brassy about it, it needs to be brassy in the US to cut through.

Here's fat to the fire for you guys; I have heard that Sarah Kavanagh is almost a cert for the 2nd seat. So someone is about to play the gender game BIG time.

Best of luck to both of them.

[okeefe]

Wow - thanks for that - here's a post I did a few weeks ago - I've done some research on her - it would be wonderful to see her have a shot at her dreams too!

Here's a link of a racer/writer I received which I really like. Look at what this lady had to go through for an F1 test in 2001 - they made her take physical fitness tests to prove she had the strength. She passed and was seriously considered in 2004 by Jag for F1, but where's her name now? Unfortunately, sponsorship and contractual issues prevented her sealing of her dreams at that time, but she's got my respect for holding true to herself and I hope she gets to where she wants to be in her own good time. I'm honoured to post the following link. http://www.sarahkavanagh.com.

[macdaddy]

okeefe:

Why keep harping about it?

[okeefe]

Well if Sarah joins here - I bet we'd see some racing!

[okeefe]

Less whining and more racing - now that would be something to look foward if Sarah comes to play!

[Sato san]

Originally Posted by okeefe

She's there where she wanted to be. Still, we are hearing about her "neediness". She needed extra this experience; she needed extra that experience; now she needs a hand picked partner who will help her and not be competitive for himself; and women before her have not been successful by not winning??

i really think your making a huge issue here out of pretty much nothing .. if you examine everything that most drivers have said over different times , then mosy drivers are pretty much out for themselfs arnt they ...the reason your hearing about what she is saying so much is that she is being interviewed by the press....its not like she's turning up at your door and then moaning about this or that is it ?....

she's being interviewed and what from ive heard and read , she is being pretty honest about it all ...she's not saying she knows it all , she is saying she has a lot to learn and hopes to have a teammate that she can learn a lot from ...

if you really listen to her , she is a very much down to earth with her feet firmly on the ground , she is no fool and seems to be very focused indeed .

As for previous mentions of her seasons in junior catagories in England before she moved to American racing not being that great , as far as im aware , she never had one full season in any series she competed in , so unlike many drivers who get to really learn different cars and understand them by racing them for a full season campaign or more , Katherine had to jump from series to series as and when she could get a drive .

Then , when she finally got a chance to have some stability and race one complete series for a whole season ( last year in Atlantics 2005 ) she grabbed the chance , not only Won Races , but Won the BBS rising star award , Made the most overtaking moves made by any driver in Atlantics last season , Voted as the winner of Most Promising Road Racer Award by RACER magazine etc etc ..

She's not just where she is just because she is a girl , she is there because she is a very quick racing driver who can race , overtake and think quickly in race situations . Just like many others on the Champ Car grid .

Who knows how far she will go ?...only time will tell i suppose ...so it will be good to see what were all writing in 1 or 2 years time .... but like other drivers , she needs to be given a chance , for instance : look at other drivers like Paul Tracy who is totally quick and very talented , he took about 12 years in Champ Cars to win a championship in probally the weakest field for years , where drivers like Mansell and Villeneuve made it in 1 or 2 years ? ..its quite hard to judge sometimes .

i think so much of the words that are getting chucked about because Katherine is female and not worthy of Champ Cars is the fear that this girl might actually shake things up a bit ....thats my thoughts anyway .

[BootsOntheSide]

I thought there had already been an F1 team called 'Token'.....

[okeefe]

Well thankfully K.Legge will be on track soon showing what she can do rather than talking about what she can't. And hopefully her team mate will be there to compete too, whoever her teammate will be. I've been hearing this morning it may be Briscoe. Would it be too late for an Easter theme presentation of Champ Car's announcement....maybe a nice white bunny jumping about carrying a basket announcing the teammate choice? Sorry, but I think there are many good racers out there - newcomers too - and I think they all deserve some media - not just splashy coverage about one. So, I've just been granted a column on a site - I'll do my best to give some to everyone.

[macdaddy]

As far as I'm concerned, this rule about "trolling" is being broken. I've done nothing to this point, but from now on:

Any posts that are not constructive to this topic will be removed, and warnings will be issued where applicable.

[okeefe]

Okay MacDaddy. Here's a bit of news though - apparently the source atodamakina.com is reporting that the team mate will be Michel Jourdain Jr. Anyone heard of that?