Indianapolis moves differently during race week.
Drivers cycle through media appearances and sponsor events while creators, fans, athletes, and brands fill downtown spaces ahead of the Indianapolis 500. Around the Speedway, the culture surrounding racing feels bigger than it used to. More public. More connected. More visible.
That shift shows up clearly with Katherine Legge.
This year, Legge returns to the Indy 500 with A.J. Foyt Racing and HMD Motorsports as the only woman in the 2026 field. Her partnership with e.l.f. Cosmetics also reflects how motorsports culture continues evolving beyond traditional racing audiences.
Women are increasingly shaping the atmosphere around the sport itself through media, content, fashion, hospitality, and brand partnerships tied to race month in Indianapolis.
You can see it throughout the city this week. Female creators filming content outside the track. Women leading interviews across media row. Brands building activations that feel culturally connected to younger audiences engaging with racing differently than previous generations.
Legge sits at the center of much of that momentum.
In 2023, she became the fastest woman ever to qualify for the Indy 500 with a four-lap average above 231 miles per hour. This weekend, she is also attempting “The Double,” competing in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
But beyond the statistics, her presence during race month represents something larger happening around the sport itself.
The culture surrounding motorsports is expanding. And throughout Indianapolis this week, that shift feels impossible to miss.
