UPDATE (10:35 a.m. ET): Katherine Legge will have a chance to qualify for this year’s Indianapolis 500 after all. She’ll take the reins of the third entry under the Sam Schmidt Motorsports stable, the second with the Schmidt Peterson designation along with rookie Tristan Vautier in the No. 55 car. Simon Pagenaud is in the Schmidt Hamilton No. 77 car.
Per a tweet from Indianapolis Star reporter Curt Cavin, Legge will roll out in the renumbered No. 81 car. The attempt will be Legge’s second at the Indianapolis 500, and provide a 34th entry to the field of 33 – which means there will be bumping on Bump Day.
Raining. But @katherinelegge has been confirmed to the No. 81 car. Yep, Schmidt’s car is changing from its No. 99. #Indy500
— Curt Cavin (@curtcavin) May 18, 2013
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From the “things that make you go hmmm…” department, Katherine Legge might have a last minute chance with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports to hop in the currently TBA No. 99 Honda the team has entered for the Indianapolis 500.
Legge is a viable option for a last-minute entry because as a driver who raced the new Dallara DW12 at Indianapolis last year, she would not need to take a refresher course. Buddy Lazier and Pippa Mann have had to do that this week. Dragon Racing dropped Legge on the fortnight before the 2013 season opener for Sebastian Saavedra.
Legge has spent the week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway pounding the pavement with helmet in hand, looking for any opportunity to find a ride for what would be her second 500 start. She sent tweets out Thursday night of a positive degree regarding her Indianapolis prospects.
“I will go to sleep tonight with everything crossed for some good news tomorrow re my 500 chances!…,” she wrote. “I am doing all I can, and I am super grateful for the help and support of some great people I am proud to call friends…”
On Friday morning, it shifted to, “Killed my workout this am and now heading to the track #FastFriday #imready #goodnewsplease”
And this Saturday morning, on pole day, Indianapolis Star reporter Curt Cavin tweeted this:
Car 99 being assembled in garage A 10. Looks like 34th entry for Bump Day. Tracking to @katherinelegge #Indy500
— Curt Cavin (@curtcavin) May 18, 2013
The vacant entry is the only conceivable 34th car, and would be a 17th Honda powerplant to match the 17 Chevrolets. Legge spent last weekend racing the DeltaWing car in the American Le Mans Series in Monterey, Calif. Former Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Rice has been linked to the ride, but has turned it down.
