How do you rate Legge's chances of getting a CCWS Drive?

[codename_47]

Originally Posted by Mystery

Now that makes a lot of sense to me. Whichever the best publicized races are. Long Beach, Surfers, Vegas and a Candian round maybe.

Indeed, KK has said he expects a lot of third cars to be out in force from the mid point of the season onwards, just to use up all the spare lolas lying around while they can, so I wouldn't be too suprised to see Kat in one of them to gain her CC race experience....

Probably AFTER the Atlantic season is over though...

[luke]

Actually it wouldn't suprise me if we saw Legge do the final round of the year which seems to be popular grid wise over the past few years that of course is the Mexico City race entry wise. Also the Atlantic season will be over by then and I doubt she would go to the Korea race as that's new to everyone and maybe not Surfers Paradise is you see what I mean......just an interesting thought.

[Roninho]

Originally Posted by Raven

What I'm concerned about is this - with Atlantics set to become more competitive in 2006, there is perhaps a strong possibility that she won't enjoy as much success next year as she did this... Say she finishes outside the top 6 & never looks like challenging for a race win... That will surely leave a lot of people with the impression that she's not good enough to step up to CC in 07.

If she made the move now, she'd at least be doing it with 3 wins freshly under her belt. No one would really expect a lot from her in her first year of champcar anyway... So I actually think it could well be more beneficial for her long term future if she does indeed make the jump up to CC in 2006.

Totally agree with this. Imo the atlantics field will be way tougher in 2006 and anybody consistently running top 3 in it will have the talent to be very succesfull in champcar. I'm not that sure she will be running in top 3 consistently and if she doesn't people will look differently at her imo.

Looking at the back-end of the field in cc the past few years & how it will shape up next year (there will be a couple of no talent ride buyers as usual) and comparing her to zwolsman (who was competitive at the end of his first cc-weekend without any testing) imo legge won't be running dead last in cc but running at the back of the mid-pack. That's good enough for her as a rookie with limited experience and won't burn her reputation, as well as providing her very valuable experience.

[rustyfan]

SpeedTV has an article about Legge's first day in the PKV car at Sebring.

EDIT - From the sound of that article I get more and more confident she indeed will step up full time next year.

[indycool]

Yep, rf......

[Pete Fenelon]

Excellent times, although how much of the gap is down to PKV's greater level of competence and experience, how much is down to different track conditions and how much is down to the learning curve....?

I agree that times like that make it more likely that we'll see KL in Champcar next year but I still think her main focus will be Atlantics....

[norman-normal]

Pete, do you feel that they would have two complete cars and teams just waiting, to see whitch one she ,or others, might feel like racing on a given track?

Once the determination is made, she will remain in the chosen series for the season.

[blueflagger]

Before reading the article rf posted, I said "yes" thinking she'll only be in a couple of races at the end of the year. BUT, the article sounds very positive. If she feels ready, I hope she can go for it.

[rustyfan]

SpeedTV has a second article about the test now.

Some highlights:

She completed both long and short runs on the tough test track and posted a top unofficial lap time of 51.51 seconds, surpassing her quick mark from Tuesday of 52.04 seconds.

“She did a great job and she’s definitely not afraid to push the car to the limit,” said Champ Car driver and PKV Racing co-owner Jimmy Vasser, who was on hand to supervise Legge’s test in the #12 Gulfstream/PKV Racing machine. “We all watched Katherine race last year in Atlantics and we knew that she was a good driver. But until you work with someone you don’t truly know how determined they are. After these last two days, one thing I know for sure now is that she has a tremendous amount of determination. She has the talent to compete at this level.”

Vasser, the 1996 Champ Car series champion, said Legge will definitely be considered for PKV’s plans for the 2006 Champ Car season. “We’ll sit down as a team in mid January and look at all the data from the tests and make a decision from there,” said Vasser. “Katherine, along with the other drivers we’ve been looking at [Giorgio Pantano, Ryan Briscoe and Ryan Dalziel], will certainly be in the mix when we get to that point.”

Add to that the huge PR-value of having a female driver in a top series, as Danica proved this year, and Katherine Legge already has a clear advantage over the other candidates for one of the PKV seats.

[indycool]

Agree, rf. That Speed story comes from CC Communications. They're touting her in the off-season as much as possible. I have no doubt it's a lead-up to putting her in a CC seat and I imagine that's pretty well predetermined and sealed up at this point.

[Pete Fenelon]

Originally Posted by norman-normal

Pete, do you feel that they would have two complete cars and teams just waiting, to see whitch one she ,or others, might feel like racing on a given track?

Once the determination is made, she will remain in the chosen series for the season.

No, I believe Legge will do all the Atlantic rounds, and may appear in Champcar rounds that aren't paired with an Atlantic race.

[norman-normal]

Thanks Pete, I understand now.
PKV is attempting to make it look like they are putting much more thought in to this; but I think has been made, barring unforseen events, Kathrine will be in a Champ Car next year.

Considering the events in CC and F1, the next two years very exciting.

[Bluewolf]

Two things

1. On the one hand it would seem logical for her to spend another year in the cart ladder series --

But!!!

2. Do the powers that run CC feel that she could boost overall interest and TV ratings to the degree that they can't afford to wait another year????
If so ------> She's in whether she likes it or not.

[icemachine]

I definitely see KL startin with Atlantics, but if someone comes up with sponsorship difficulties it would not be surprising to see her go up to CC

[StickShift]

I'll join the general consensus. Considering all of the news reports from this last week it sounds like she will be in Champ Car in 2006. She shouldn't be, but she will.

[codename_47]

If Vasser's impressed, then I'm impressed, because that guy knows a good racer when he sees one.....

This still could all be one big training session to give her a head start in Atlantics next year though....think about it, the more experience she gets in a higher HP car, the more an Atlantic car will seem "easy" for her!

Still, I shouldn't decry it, two Brits in Champcar next year if everything falls into place...(well, more, if some of the others sniffing about get a shot!

For that fact....go KL!

[luke]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...39/1004/SPORTS

Quite an interesting link on the situation...

[indycool]

IMO, KK says he's "not doing it as a gimmick," because the gal's a pretty good racer, but they KNOW KL is going in a CC seat for '06 and they'll drag the announcement out for awhile to spark interest.

[Teretonga]

If she gets it over Briscoe and Pantano it will only because she is female. Another year in Atlanyics will do her the world of good, but PR would be better served by her being in CC series...

[luke]

That's all very weel saying she should do another year of Atlantics, everyone was saying the same about Danica when she was signed by Rahal for the IRL and she did nothing in TA.

[okeefe]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

If she gets it over Briscoe and Pantano it will only because she is female. Another year in Atlanyics will do her the world of good, but PR would be better served by her being in CC series...

I still say it would have been better for her to not have taken all the tests and media plays she did - but rather and simply just do another year in the Atlantics as was planned early on - she would have only improved and it would have showed such maturity and strength of character I think to her benefit later on in a serious career. I fear it's too late for her to turn back now and that her only move it to go into Champ Car, ready or not. That's a drag really, because she is a very talented racer, and quick, and good looking, and all of it -- but I think there's now a danger of that going more unnoticed and people being more preoccupied by her getting there simply because of being a woman. What's worse I think - is that it may be harder yet on women in the sport who will be following her after the way she's played her hand here. I guess hindesight may always be 20/20 - but I truly believe her best serious career move would have been to have stuck with Plan A and swollowed her ego and said no to the tests and media rush back when she even could have done so.

[norman-normal]

She allready has more "maturity and strength of character" than most of the drivers CC or any other open wheel "youth orented" motersports.
Don't apply the strategy from old boxing movies to racing; ( a boxer that is pushed too fast can suffer so much brain damage that, he "or she" will be reduced to sweeping floors for the rest of thier lives)....If she has the right stuff, she will learn much more in the big cars.
In my opinion, she will finnish the year in the top 12 and, lack of experence will no longer be an issue, of course a number of drivers (and fans) will find little to rejoice obout, in such an event. Things change.

[okeefe]

Wonder why it is then that fans are all ready talking about her getting where she is - and possibly getting into Champ Car - because of being a woman? Their imagination?

[norman-normal]

Originally Posted by okeefe

Wonder why it is then that fans are all ready talking about her getting where she is - and possibly getting into Champ Car - because of being a woman? Their imagination?

Do you really think men would never say anything prejudicial?

[okeefe]

Personally, I find the whole matter quite in contrast - which I hate to say it, but makes me view her a somewhat wishy washy. In Septemberish, she said she lacked experience, made mistakes, wasn't ready to move up, and planned on staying in the Atlantics. I thought that was absolutely wonderful of her to have the pride and confidence in herself to take such a realistic view and make those admissions. However, her very next actions were just the opposite of what she said she intended to do, but hey, I do admit - who could turn down an F1 test! However, I do find the "rush" to get her up to speed to even be able to test in Champ Car; then the test itself (her time being looked at after an extended time on track - compared with others' times after not even being on track for a long time) a bit slanted actually. In my opinion, the media, the series, and many fans want this lady in Champ Car because she is a woman. I think in reality, she has done nothing to prevent people from seeing the situation in exactly that light. Had she said no to some of these tests and media rush and stuck with what she initially said she would do -- I think then there would have been less people seeing it that way. I hope she gets into Champ Car in 2006 - she's worked hard for it, there's no disputing that - but in my opinion there's also no disputing the fair bit of help she's had getting there also, because she is female.