“It’s gonna be an experience”: IndyCar’s Katherine Legge shares her first thoughts on dirt racing ahead of Chili Bowl

As the annual Chili Bowl race night approaches, Katherine Legge announced her enthusiasm to take part in the same. With some preliminary practice done, the 44-year-old is ecstatic to race her dirt midget car at Tulsa.

Known as the Super Bowl of midget racing, the Chili Bowl Nationals have been a staple in dirt racing. The race often attracts over 300 drivers each year to try their hand at racing the midget cars. Winning the elated crown of skill-based racing on low-traction has been a goal of multiple drivers.

Joining the field with similar expectations, British driver Katherine Legge is set to take part in the Chili Bowl. Moreover, she was exhilarated by the uncertainty that the race would present and said:

"So, we did a bunch of laps and I got really comfortable by myself. Now, it's going to be a whole different ball game with the other cars out there you know, and getting comfortable being uncomfortable right up against the other cars that are moving as well as the wall and everything else. It's gonna be an experience but it's one that I'm very excited about." [0:22 onwards]

On the other hand, she is not the first female driver to attempt the race. Kaylee Bryson took part in the 2022 edition and became the first female to make it to the premier A-main event in the 2023 Chili Bowl.

The 44-year-old has joined hands with Abacus Racing, where she will be partnering with Bryson. She will be driving the No.12 midget around the quarter-mile dirt track and trying to etch her name in the history books but winning the first prize would definitely be a welcome bonus for her.

Katherine Legge envisions joining the Indy 500 field

Katherine Legge at the NTT IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Qualifying - Source: Getty

While Katherine Legge is currently focused on making the most of her Chili Bowl debut, her heart is still drawn towards the lucrative world of IndyCar. The premier open-wheel racing series in America has earned fame worldwide. Subsequently, this pushed the British driver to her return to the Indy 500 grid, as she said:

"I'm hoping to do the (Indy) 500 again. We actually have some really, really cool plans that I can't discuss with you at the moment. But it's gonna be a big year. It's gonna be exciting." [15:15 onwards]

However, Katherine Legge driver has not had successful ventures around the Superspeedway. Her four attempts have largely been in vain as she has been unable to breach the top 20 positions, making her eventual return to the Indy 500 a decisive one after her stint in the last edition.