Katherine Legge wants to keep it simple in her first extended time behind the wheel of the No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing car since late June. So the morning session of an Aug. 17 test at Sonoma will be rote: Learn the reconfigured layout, develop a baseline car set-up, get comfortable and gradually build up speed.
Then enjoy. Time, for once, is an ally.
Legge is scheduled to join 19 other drivers from 11 teams on the road course in preparation for the Aug. 24-26 GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma that will feature a 27-car lineup. Spectators are invited to the free session from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., which includes an open paddock and the opportunity to attend driver news conferences.
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Tickets for race weekend will be available for purchase or get tickets HERE.
The raceway unveiled the modified track layout, which features changes to Turns 7, 9 and 11 designed to enhance overtaking, after consulting with IZOD IndyCar Series officials, drivers and team representatives. With the modifications, the track will be 12 turns and 2.31 miles and race distance will increase from 75 to 85 laps.
Legge got in about 20 laps before the alterations July 12 when Dragon Racing teammate Sebastien Bourdais tested. It was her first time on a road/street circuit since competing in the Brazil race in late April and she's been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to race again.
“I’ve just been training physically to get ready for (testing and the race),” said Legge, who was added to the roster when Chevrolet dedicated a second engine to the team for the eighth IZOD IndyCar Series race at the circuit. “I’ve been driving on the simulator. I’ve been watching YouTube videos. I asked the team to send me some data. I mean, I’m doing everything outside of the car that I can possibly do. There’s no substitute for actually driving the car.”
A positive race result would be important for Legge and the No. 6 car’s primary sponsor, TrueCar, which is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., and has an office in San Francisco. The online car dealership is supporting six female racing drivers, including Legge, in their respective careers through its Women Empowered initiative. She'll also compete in the season finale Sept. 15 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
“I just need to be as close to Sebastien in times as I can because we’re pretty much going to be driving the same set-up with the same car,” she said of the Sonoma race. “I think top 12 would be awesome, but I haven’t been in the car for so long. A top 12 would be a really good result.”
She watched from pit lane Aug. 5 as Bourdais, driving the No. 7 TrueCar Dragon Racing entry, posted a season-best fourth place in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. The result is another building block in the program – for the drivers and team.
“We’re building, improving, and hopefully we can do the same at Sonoma and look forward to next year,” said Legge, who has a best finish of 15th (Texas, Iowa) in eight races. “That's what we're working on already.
“This year’s been a lesson in patience for me and I’ve definitely grown as a person. You have to look at the bigger picture and realize the opportunities you’ve been given and how to make yourself the best you can possibly be moving forward. Yeah, it’s a battle inside emotionally. You just have to get control of that.”
Last August, Will Power led a Team Penske podium sweep. Power, the current series championship points leader, won from the pole, with Helio Castroneves the runner-up and Ryan Briscoe placing third. In fact, a Team Penske driver has won three of the past four races at Sonoma (Power also won from the pole in 2010; Castroneves won from the pole in ’08).
The race weekend will include Brasil IT+ Pole Day on Aug. 25, featuring the three rounds of qualifications.