by GRand Solutions
Katherine Legge considered the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test a success even before she recorded her first lap time March 8 at Sebring International Raceway.
Once Legge was strapped into her No. 6 Lotus Dragon Racing car and running through the gears on her first lap, she was back in a race car, living and learning. Mission accomplished.
Legge turned 111 overall laps in her TrueCar-sponsored machine March 8-9 during the Open Test. Her best lap was 53.8161 seconds, 111.714 mph on the 11-turn, 1.67-mile circuit, just one-half second behind her teammate, four-time Champ Car World Series champion and Formula One veteran Sebastien Bourdais.
But times and speeds were secondary to Legge, who was back in an open-wheel car for the first time since driving in Champ Car in 2007. The journey toward her long-sought IZOD IndyCar Series debut in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 25 was underway.
“It was great to get back in the car after four years of not driving open-wheel and over a year of not driving anything,” Legge said. “I feel much more comfortable in the car now. We have a lot of work to do, but we all are 110 percent committed. And I am sure with the people we have, it will only improve through the course of the year.”
The Lotus Dragon Racing team already passed one test of its resolve and skill at Sebring. The team’s Lotus engine arrived late March 7 in central Florida, and the crew stayed up all night to install the engine into its Dallara DW12 chassis.
“The team did a great job working through the night to prepare the car,” Legge said. “Thanks to them for all their hard work. The team is coming together. We have lots of great people.”
Teamwork also was evident when Legge combed Bourdais’ brain for tips throughout the test. Bourdais comes to Lotus Dragon with immense experience from his varied career in Champ Car, Formula One and Le Mans prototypes.
“I feel like I’m getting back in the swing of things and improving with every outing,” Legge said. “My goal remains to learn as much as I can from the team, and especially Seb on the driving side. I want to get as close to him this year, time-wise, as possible.”
Legge will participate in her first IZOD IndyCar Series event during the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, March 23-25.
About TrueCar, Inc.
TrueCar is dedicated to helping you save time and money on your next car purchase. With TrueCar, you can discover what other people in your area really paid for the car you want before you visit the dealership. TrueCar customers also enjoy a fast, easy, no-hassle car buying experience from a trusted Certified Dealer in the TrueCar network.
TrueCar, Inc. is an automotive solutions provider focused on changing how cars are sold by providing a significantly better consumer experience while helping qualified dealer partners gain incremental market share and reduce costs. TrueCar is a visual publisher of new and used car transaction data. TrueCar price reports help both dealers and consumers to agree on the parameters of a fair deal by providing an accurate, comprehensive and simple understanding of what others actually paid recently for an identically-equipped vehicle both locally and nationally. TrueCar works with a national network of dealers that provide a no-hassle car buying experience. In addition, TrueCar assists some of the nation’s largest and most well respected membership and service organizations to meet the auto buying needs of their members and customers. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA and has offices in San Francisco, CA and Austin, TX. Since 2006, TrueCar has connected hundreds of thousands of consumers with dealers nationwide resulting in dealers selling over 400,000 vehicles and is developing a suite of products and services centered on radical clarity through the comprehensive analysis of market data and information.
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About Dragon Racing
Dragon Racing is an IndyCar Series team owned by Jay Penske, the Chairman and CEO of Penske Media Corporation (PMC). Dragon Racing began under the original banner of Luczo Dragon Racing founded by both Penske and Steve Luczo, the Chairman and CEO of Seagate Technologies. The team debuted in 2007 at the Indianapolis 500 with driver Ryan Briscoe and finished fifth. In 2009, during the team’s first complete season, it won Rookie of the Year honors with driver Raphael Matos. In 2012, Dragon Racing has forged an alliance with Lotus to become the Lotus Factory Team, along with lead strategic sponsors Microsoft, TrueCar, and McAfee. Dragon Racing has operations in Indianapolis, Indiana and Los Angeles, California. For more information on Dragon Racing or its drivers please contact press@dragonracing.com.