Rookie Andreas Wirth was trying to win his first Toyota Atlantic Championship race. Fellow newcomer Katherine Legge, who was the first woman to win a major open-wheel event in North America, was aiming to build on her historic run with a third consecutive victory.
But after turn one on the streets of Denver, Legge’s legs were swept from under her after contact between her car and one driven by Charles Zwolsman.
Legge was forced to make a pit stop to fix her hobbled front left tire, and Wirth went on to claim his first checkered flag.
“I hoped I was going to win a race this year. My team told me I would,” said Wirth, who had five third-place finishes and one second.
Zwolsman was unscathed, finishing second for a 34-point lead over Wirth for the series championship.
The cause of the crash that ended Legge’s hopes was open for debate.
Legge said she was on the inside and had no room. Zwolsman said he was trying to hold his line as he was pinned between Legge and Tonis Kasemets. Legge, a 24-year-old native of Northampton, England, saw it differently – and was fuming.
“Charles completely wiped me out. I’m honest when it’s my fault and when (the race) gets taken away from you by someone else, it’s really frustrating,” Legge said.
While in the pits, Legge continued to shake her head in anger. By the time she was back on course, she was 5 laps behind Wirth. Legge is fifth in the series, 51 points behind.
“I wanted to go back and get revenge,” Legge said. “You have to take a deep breath and realize you have to think a little more about these things. What goes around comes around.”
Said David Martinez, who was behind both drivers: “(Legge) went too deep. It was her fault.”
Toyota Atlantic race director K.C. VanNiman viewed tape of the incident several times and agreed with Martinez.
“Unfortunately, you can’t be on the inside like that because there’s just not enough room,” VanNiman said. “She hit him. She shouldn’t have gone in that deep. She made a mistake. He had to turn in.”
Zwolsman concurred.
“She kept pushing, and she hit me on my rear wheel,” he said. “It nearly cost me the race.”
