DAYTONA BEACH — She resisted any urge to hold a left on the , in order that’s a optimistic for the longtime Rolex 24 common.
A greater optimistic got here shortly thereafter, when Katherine Legge posted the Tenth-fastest velocity in Friday’s ARCA Sequence follow session at
Her No. 23, Joe Farré-owned Chevy feels snug and quick — “I believe I’ve a automotive able to successful” — however after watching replays of latest ARCA races Legge is aware of it’ll take greater than that for her to have a shot Saturday afternoon. Sure, the Chevy is sort of succesful …
“If we keep out of bother and we’re fortunate,” she stated Friday afternoon.
Legge was one of many 11 drivers with speeds between 180-181 mph in Friday’s follow, which changed ARCA’s scheduled qualifying after Thursday’s follow was washed out. Per ARCA’s Daytona guidelines, if follow is rained out, the lineup is ready by proprietor factors (2024 last factors, on this occasion) and qualifying turns into a follow session as a substitute.
Legge will begin ninth when the annual 80-lap, 200-mile season opener takes the inexperienced flag shortly after midday Saturday. It’s a part of a doubleheader with the Xfinity Sequence race later within the afternoon.
Katherine Legge has dabbled in inventory automobiles earlier than
Legge, a former common in each sports-cars and IndyCar , shouldn’t be an entire stranger to NASCAR-style inventory automobiles. She ran 4 Xfinity Sequence races in 2018 and one in 2023. Her solely oval-track race was at Richmond, which, at three-quarters of a mile, is sort of completely different from the two.5-mile Daytona tri-oval.
“I needed to have the flexibility to do extra NASCAR-related stuff and stock-car racing,” the England native stated. “And I spoke to Chevrolet, who put me in contact with this crew.
“And this crew, they’re so good. I’m past stoked to be driving the automotive and driving at my first superspeedway.”
Legge has competed in 12 Rolex 24s at Daytona and turned laps at higher than 230 mph on Indy’s 2.5-mile oval. What she’s by no means accomplished, nevertheless, is cope with bump-drafting, both giving or receiving. She practiced in some site visitors Friday, however there was no bump-drafting. She’ll virtually certainly get a style of it Saturday.
“I believe it is an artwork kind, proper?” she stated. “As a result of you must hit anyone in the best place on the straight-away. So it is, simply, you must belief whoever is doing it with you.”
Confidence in Katherine Legge from atop the pit field
Her crew proprietor appreciated what he noticed Friday and thinks Legge is able to studying rapidly and spending time within the lead pack.
“What I noticed from her in the present day was a whole lot of self-discipline,” Farré stated. “When she got here again in, she principally reported that she was like 40-50% throttle on the entire deal. So she actually confirmed the self-discipline to maintain the automotive the place she needed to.
“I believe if she demonstrates that sort of stuff tomorrow, she’s gonna trip up there in that prime 10, after which all bets are off in these previous few laps, proper?”
Completely proper, significantly at Daytona in February.
