Katherine Legge to drive for PKV Racing in 2006

[mlittle]

It's official; after a successful 2005 Atlantic Championship season which saw her win three races and finish third in the points table, PKV Racing made it official tonight, confirming that indeed, she will be racing for the team in the 2006 Champ Car World Series season. How momentous was this announcement? As many observers noted(and as I have mentioned elsewhere...) while she is only the fourth woman to compete in the series since 1979, joining Janet Guthrie, Desire Wilson and Lyn St. James on that list, there's one difference......they drove near-obsolecesent equipment during their time in the series; Legge will be driving championship-caliber equipment during the 2006 season and beyond. Here are some quotes from the event.....

Katherine Legge, PKV Racing:

I am extremely proud to become a part of the PKV Racing team. It is a great honor to work with people like Jimmy Vasser, Jim McGee and all the members of the team. I want to especially thank Kevin Kalkhoven, Dan Pettit, and Jimmy for giving me this opportunity. I know that it will be a challenge to make the transition from Atlantics to Champ Cars. The Champ Car World Series is the most competitive series in the world and I am looking forward to the journey.

Kevin Kalkhoven, Co-Owner, Champ Car World Series & Co-Owner, PKV Racing:

Katherine did a fantastic job last year in Atlantics and has been impressive in her tests this off-season. Based on her Atlantic results, her Champ Car tests, and frankly, her Formula 1 test, we believe Katherine is ready to make the jump to Champ Cars. We recognize that, as with any young driver, there is a large learning curve in making the jump from Atlantics to Champ Cars, but we are firm in our conviction that Katherine's skill and determination will be up to the task. The 2006 season will be a learning and developmental year for Katherine; however, we are confident that she will continue to grow and improve as a driver, which will make her very competitive in 2007 when there will be a new Champ Car chassis.

Steve Johnson, President, Champ Car World Series:

We watched Katherine become one of the rising stars in all of racing last year, and are very excited about her prospects for success in Champ Car. Today's announcement is significant not only for Champ Car, but for all forms of motorsports and we look forward to Katherine competing in the series for many years to come.

All I can say is this......Congratulations, Katherine, and good luck in 2006!!

[JayVee]

Go Katherine