MONTEREY, CALIF. (AP) - Katherine Legge has driven everything from open-wheel to DTM and a Grand-Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototype.
On Saturday, the British driver was set to make her American Le Mans Series debut at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca driving the revolutionary _ and easily recognizable _ DeltaWing LM12 prototype.
It’s just the third event in the U.S. for the DeltaWing, which debuted last year in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and its first race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The DeltaWing is a revolutionary prototype that runs at half the weight, half the fuel and half the horsepower of a normal prototype.
“I’ve driven a lot of different types of cars in the past and this is unlike any of them,” said Legge, who last year raced in IndyCar. “It creates a lot of controversy because people either love it or they hate it, but they all talk about it. I think the preconceived ideas you have getting in the car after looking at it are completely wrong, it is really a great car to drive.”
Legge was scheduled to be the DeltaWing’s starting driver in the four-hour race in Monterey. Her co-driver is fellow Briton Andy Meyrick.
Legge is the only female driver in the ALMS field. She tested the car at Road Atlanta in April and got her first experience driving in traffic during Thursday’s unofficial test session at Mazda Raceway.
“It’s interesting being around other cars because you have to remember the rear of the car is so much wider than the front,” she said. “For me it was just like jumping into any other race car, after a couple of laps I was completely comfortable with it.”
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