Katherine Legge has officially joined the lineup for the 110th Indianapolis 500, completing the field of 33 cars for the race on May 24, 2026. She will drive the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics sponsored Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Racing and HMD Motorsports.
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Katherine Legge's entry fills the field of 33 cars for the 110th Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2026.
AJ Foyt Racing Photo
It was 50 years ago that legendary racing driver AJ Foyt gave the first woman driver in the history of the Indianapolis 500, Janet Guthrie, her big break. Foyt gave Guthrie one of his cars to attempt to qualify for the field in 1976. Although she didnât make the 33-car starting lineup until the following year, Foytâs support helped create an historic moment in the history of the worldâs biggest race.
A half-century later, Foytâs IndyCar team along with HMD Motorsports has entered Katherine Legge in the 110th Indianapolis 500 as the driver of the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics sponsored Chevrolet.
The entry fills the field of 33 cars for the 110th Indianapolis 500, set for May 24, 2026, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
âWe worked incredibly hard to be back at this yearâs Indianapolis 500, and I donât take a single moment of it for granted,â Legge said. âIâm beyond grateful to e.l.f. Cosmetics for believing that women deserve to take up space in every arenaâincluding this one.
âTogether, weâre proving that when you invest in a womanâs dream, thereâs no limit to what she can achieve.
âIt honestly feels like Christmas being back at the 500. Every time I return, I gain a deeper appreciation for what it takesânot just to compete here, but to earn the opportunity to be here in the first place. Iâm reminded that Iâm a small part of this enormously storied event.
âTo the AJ Foyt Racing organization, HMD, Chevrolet, IndyCar, and my team at BRANDed Managementâthank you for fighting tirelessly to make this possible.â.
Itâs a full circle moment for AJ Foyt Racing that dates all the way back to an earlier era when only men were allowed to compete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
That was before Janet Guthrie broke the gender barrier in 1977, one year after getting a chance to run in an AJ Foyt car.
After facing skepticism and extraordinary scrutiny, Guthrie was given a pivotal opportunity when A.J. Foyt allowed her to test one of his backup cars â a moment widely credited with changing perceptions of what women could achieve in motorsport.
One year later, Guthrie became the first woman to qualify for and compete in the Indy 500, the same race in which Foyt won his record-setting fourth 500.
Katherine Legge is a racing driver who will compete in the 110th Indianapolis 500, driving the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics sponsored Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Racing and HMD Motorsports.
Katherine Legge's entry marks a historic moment as she joins the field of 33 cars, continuing the legacy of women in the Indianapolis 500, which began with Janet Guthrie in 1976.
The 110th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 24, 2026.
Katherine Legge is racing for AJ Foyt Racing in collaboration with HMD Motorsports.
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Janet Guthrie in her car for a test drive before the Trentonian 200, Trenton, New Jersey, May 1976. (Photo by Bettye Lane/Photo Researchers History/Getty Images)
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Now, in a full-circle moment, Foytâs team will field Leggeâs entry â marking a powerful continuation of that legacy.
âAJ Foyt Racing has always been about giving racers a real shot,â team president Larry Foyt said. âThe collaboration with our partners at HMD and e.l.f. Cosmetics has helped bring this program to the grid. Katherine has earned this opportunity, and weâre committed to giving her a strong, competitive platform.â
Legge is looking to make her fifth Indy 500 start in the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet, after becoming just the ninth woman to qualify for the race in 2012.
The entry is a collaboration between AJ Foyt Racing and HMD Motorsports.
Foytâs partnership with HMD Motorsports began in 2025 in the junior formula ranks, fielding multiple entries in the INDY INDY NXT by Firestone championship. Since entering the series in 2019, HMD has established itself as a powerhouse programâearning a team championship, two driver titles, multiple Rookie of the Year honors, and advancing several drivers to the NTT IndyCar Series.
âThis is a tremendous opportunity for HMD Motorsports and an incredibly proud moment for everyone involved with our organization,â said HMD Motorsports President Mike Maurini. âWe have worked hard to establish HMD as a leader in driver development, and to now be part of an Indianapolis 500 program alongside AJ Foyt Racing and Katherine Legge is something very special.
âKatherine brings a wealth of experience, AJ Foyt Racing brings unmatched history, and together we believe we have assembled a program that can make a strong impression throughout the Month of May.â
In 2023, she became the fastest woman to ever qualify for the race, posting an average speed of 231.07 mph. She remains one of the most accomplished female drivers in global motorsportâincluding being the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America, the first to lead laps in Champ Car, and the first to lead the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Katherine Legge during qualifications for the NTT IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 on May 18, 2024 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The British driver enters the 2026 race following a 2025 campaign in NASCAR, where she became the first woman to qualify for a NASCAR Cup Series race since Danica Patrickâs 2012 debut, and the first woman in seven years to start a Cup race. Across 14 events spanning ARCA, the Xfinity Series (now OâReilly), and the Cup Series, Legge recorded two top 20 finishes at the Cup level and the highest finishing position among rookie drivers in her debut race.
The effort is getting strong backing from a cosmetics company with a message.
âTogether with Katherine Legge, weâre fueling a movement for the next generation of dreamers. eyes.lips.fuel. isn't just a tagline - it's our commitment to every eye, lip and face watching who needs to see that they belong on that track, behind that wheel, and in any arena, they choose,â said Patrick OâKeefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer, e.l.f. Beauty. âWe are democratizing access to sports by showing our community exactly what's possible when someone believes in you and fuels your journey.â
The company plans full-scale activation at this yearâs Indianapolis 500 by bringing eyes.lips.fuel. to Indy, showing up in a big way both on the track and in the Fan Zone at the largest single-day sporting event in the world.
Inspired by e.l.f.âs Glow Reviver Lip Oil Stick, the eyes.lips.fuel activation will be featured trackside at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The experience reimagines the garage â a space that has historically belonged to the men â and making it a space for every eye, lip, and face.
The activation includes:
A full-size replica of Leggeâs race car, giving fans an up-close, in-person look at the machine sheâll drive on track.
A museum-style showcase of real artifacts from Leggeâs career â from her first race suit to her helmet and earliest karting trophies â celebrating the milestones of a trailblazer in the making.
A âKiss the Bricksâ wall, allowing fans to participate in one of motorsportâs most iconic traditions and send Legge their well wishes.
A personalization station where fans can customize e.l.f. products and receive exclusive e.l.f. merchandise.
Legge was e.l.f.âs first empowered.legendary.female leading the way for a growing group of women athletes including Billie Jean King, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Ally Sentnor, Jaedyn Shaw, Jess Carter, Loâeau LaBonta, and Flau'jae Johnson, all united by their shared commitment to positivity, inclusivity, and accessibility, and their refusal to let anyone tell them where they don't belong.
AJ Foyt Racing, one of the most iconic teams in the history of American motorsport, has played a defining role in shaping the sport across generations. The team continues to carry forward a legacy of grit and opportunity, fielding two full-time entries in the NTT IndyCar Series with veteran Santino Ferrucci and rookie Caio Colletâgiving Legge two teammates to work alongside during âThe Greatest Spectacle in Racing.â
Four time Indy 500 winner AJ Foyt poses with the Borg Warner Trophy before practice for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 19, 2021 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This article was originally published on Forbes.com