How do you rate Legge's chances of getting a CCWS Drive?

[pink69]

How does everyone rate Katherine Legge's chances of landing a race seat in the CCWS next season. She's been testing with 2 teams this week to see if she would be capable of withstanding the performance of the car and I reckon she's done a decent job. But will it be enough to land her a race seat?

[extreme]

I dont think that she will race champcar in the up comming year, but i do think that she will probablly see action the following year.

[Tim Northcutt]

I agree with extreme...and I don't think she should be rushed into it....she has the talent...

let her get one more year of Atlantics under her belt...

then 2007 will be her time to shine...and I have little doubt that she will shine very brightly...

[Kicking-back]

She's said herself she doesn't want a ChampCar seat for 2006

[sr230772]

i think she will be racing champ cars this year,they are gonna get the danica factor and arent going to risk losing her,she has talent i think she could go further the danica and shes english what more can you ask for

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

She's said herself she doesn't want a ChampCar seat for 2006

She hasn't said that recently though, and I don't think for a second that she would reject an offer if KK put it on the table after her next test.

[SALEEN S7R]

Personally I think that we could well see Legge in champ cars next year, if the deal is right. If however the deal isnt 100% to Legge's liking I could well see her staying in Atlantics for another season, if she does come into Champ cars in 2006 I dont expect her to struggle but I do feel that she will be a mid field runner and not a outright front runner.

[sr230772]

i agree she wont struggle but definetly a midfeld runner for this year at least which isnt a bad thing

[D.R.T.]

I dont really expect her to be racing in CC in 06. Katherine will get plenty of testing miles next season and I feel her current CC testing blitz is just to piggyback the positive news stories coming out of her F1 testing.

[BootsOntheSide]

Probably true DRT - they need to snatch some of the Danica attention, as female drivers are really helping motor racing get mainstream attention. With Atlatnics likely to me much mroe competitive in 2006, Katherine can learn a lot from another season, and would be a better ChampCar driver for it.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Probably true DRT - they need to snatch some of the Danica attention, as female drivers are really helping motor racing get mainstream attention.

I have to wonder whether there is a risk of Legge (and her management) being blinded by the attention though - it seemed a lot more certain she would do two years in Formula Atlantics earlier this year, before the 'frenzy' started for real. Right now, however, it doesn't seem as certain at all.

[luke]

She wants anotehr year of Atlantics which is good, 2007 will be the year. No point rushing straight in if she doesn't feel comfortable.

[codename_47]

It's not about rivaling Danica, it's about seeing if Katherine is ready....

She's been getting a lot of experience in high powered cars over the winter......(And an A1GP car too! *ducks* ) so she may be more aclimatised to top level racing that she expected to be.

However, I still think she'll be in Atlantics next year......though up against some much stiffer competittion by the look of it!

[Raven]

What I'm concerned about is this - with Atlantics set to become more competitive in 2006, there is perhaps a strong possibility that she won't enjoy as much success next year as she did this... Say she finishes outside the top 6 & never looks like challenging for a race win... That will surely leave a lot of people with the impression that she's not good enough to step up to CC in 07.

If she made the move now, she'd at least be doing it with 3 wins freshly under her belt. No one would really expect a lot from her in her first year of champcar anyway... So I actually think it could well be more beneficial for her long term future if she does indeed make the jump up to CC in 2006.

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by Raven

What I'm concerned about is this - with Atlantics set to become more competitive in 2006, there is perhaps a strong possibility that she won't enjoy as much success next year as she did this... Say she finishes outside the top 6 & never looks like challenging for a race win... That will surely leave a lot of people with the impression that she's not good enough to step up to CC in 07.

Well if that happens it would show she's not good enough.

Her wins this year came in a poor field.

[indycool]

With apologies to what KK has said, I think he'll put her in a CC in '06. All this running around testing F1 cars and CCs and playing with A1GP has been afforded to few, if any, other Atlantic drivers through the years. Like rustyfan, think it's probably more important to CC to try to counter Danicamania now than sometime in the future and that'll be the overriding decision. Raven and K-B make good points, too....it's very possible her stock would drop against a GOOD Atlantic field.

[macdaddy]

Her stock would also drop if she came into CC too early...

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by macdaddy

Her stock would also drop if she came into CC too early...

True but Danicamania was based only on a handful of very good performances (including the starring role at Indy) and then undeserved overexposure during the rest. I'm not sure performance necessarily will have an impact on Katherine's value to the series as long as she was at least half decent and early signs are that she is at least that.

[rustyfan]

The PKV test will decide everything. If it's a good, solid test I think Legge will be in Champ Car next year - the possible PR-gains of moving her up, even if it is too soon, to Champ Car probably outweighs the possible PR-backlash of not moving her up and the risk of her struggling in Formula Atlantics.

When is the PKV test anyway?

[macdaddy]

Sometime this week.

[norman-normal]

Some drivers are better at setting good lap times then racing; Legge is a racer!
Anyone who wins their first race in a strange car on a track they have never seen before, is one very good racer. It simply cannot be dismised by saying the Atlantics wasn't very strong last year.

[codename_47]

Originally Posted by norman-normal

Some drivers are better at setting good lap times then racing; Legge is a racer!
Anyone who wins their first race in a strange car on a track they have never seen before, is one very good racer. It simply cannot be dismised by saying the Atlantics wasn't very strong last year.

Exactly, the cream always rises to the top, and while the Atlantics may have been thin on numbers last year, there were still some tough cookies to beat at the sharp end.

And it's also the way in which you win races which is important, and Katherine overtook her way to her victories, which is impressive! (and a skill she'll need if she wants to jump to Champcar! )

[Pete Fenelon]

I think KL will appear in Champcar in '06 but almost certainly not doing a full season. I think she'll concentrate on Atlantics (remember, she still has very little racing experience...) and make the odd 'guest' appearance in Champcar.

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by Pete Fenelon

I think KL will appear in Champcar in '06 but almost certainly not doing a full season. I think she'll concentrate on Atlantics (remember, she still has very little racing experience...) and make the odd 'guest' appearance in Champcar.

Now that makes a lot of sense to me. Whichever the best publicized races are. Long Beach, Surfers, Vegas and a Candian round maybe.

[norman-normal]

If she races Atlantics she will be going for the title.
If she races Champ Car KK will make sure she does it right, with a good team; anything else would be silly.