Indianapolis, IN—While competing in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, IZOD IndyCar Series driver Katherine Legge will honor millions of Girl Scouts by wearing the Girl Scout logo on her helmet during the 96th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Legge, who attributes much of her success to the confidence and character she developed while growing up as a Girl Guide in the United Kingdom, will become the ninth woman to race in the Indianapolis 500.

The logo will be worn to call attention to Girl Scouts’ ToGetHerThere campaign, and Legge’s partnership with the Girl Scouts will continue beyond Sunday’s race as she becomes Girl Scouts’ inaugural STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) Ambassador and Girl Scouts’ first motorsports athlete as a national spokesperson.

“Without a strong belief in myself, I would not be one of the few women to compete at the highest level in the male-dominated world of motorsports,” said Legge. “Carrying Girl Scouts’ logo on my helmet reminds me of what got me here. When I was a young girl, Girl Guides inspired me to believe that if I set my mind to it, nothing could prevent me from achieving my dreams.”

Girl Scouts of the USA is celebrating its centennial this year and is using this moment to engage all members of society—mothers, fathers, all adults and IndyCar fans, corporations, government and nonprofits—to help girls reach their leadership potential. To support this effort, Girl Scouts has launched the ToGetHerThere cause campaign, the boldest advocacy initiative dedicated to girls’ leadership issues in history. The goal of the campaign is to create balanced leadership in one generation.

“At Girl Scouts of the USA, we want all girls to have the opportunity to be leaders in their own lives and realize their full potential,” said Chief Executive Officer, Anna Maria Chávez. “But girls can’t get there alone. We’re thrilled Katherine will carry Girl Scouts’ logo with her during her first Indianapolis 500 race because it draws much needed attention to the cause of girls’ leadership. It also shows girls that if you have a dream, and if you believe in yourself and work hard to accomplish that dream, you can do anything.”

Girl Scouts of the USA has been helping girls break career barriers for 100 years. In 1913, Girl Scouts encouraged girls to consider becoming professional aviators. Today, the organization is focused entirely on giving girls the skills they need to become leaders in their own lives.

One of the ways Girl Scouts is helping encourage leadership skills is by supporting girls who wish to pursue a STEM career. Girl Scout Research Institute’s recent study, Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, found that girls are aware that gender barriers persist in today’s society. The study found that 57 percent of girls agreed that if they were to pursue a STEM career, they would “have to work harder than a man to be taken seriously.” The study also found that 89 percent of all girls agree that “obstacles make me stronger.”

The Girl Scouts named Legge the inaugural STEM Ambassador because she exemplifies the qualities needed to succeed in a STEM field by succeeding in the male-dominated sport of racing. These qualities include having a strong understanding of math and the sciences, being team-oriented, and working diligently toward a defined goal.

Legge is the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America. She leads the TrueCar Racing Team, the only all-female race team focused on empowering high-potential women to become championship racecar drivers. The team’s primary goal, however, is the same as every other team in auto racing: winning.

About Girl Scouts of the USA

Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, with 3.2 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts is the leading authority on girls’ healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer or reconnect with, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 800-GSUSA-4-U (212-852-8000) or visit www.girlscouts.org.

You can have achance to be a part of that history by naming Katherine’s car for this race. Don’t get us wrong, she’s very proud of the name “TrueCar-Dragon Racing Chevrolet” on the official entry form, but she would like something a little more personal as a name for her car, and she wants it to come from you.

Here’s how to enter:

Click here to go to the TrueCar website.

Find your favorite Chevrolet model in your area.

Now click on that model and locate the Market Average price, which reflects the anticipated average price paid this week for the selected vehicle in your area.

Last step – go to Katherine’s Twitter or Facebook page and enter the following information – your favorite Chevrolet model, Market Average price (in your area), and your entry for the name of her car.

Example: “TrueCar.com lists the Corvette Market Average as $48,286 in my area. I think you should name the car Lightning.”

That’s it! Katherine and her TrueCar Racing team will sort through the entries and pick their favorite. AND, Katherine will give you ashout out on social media for naming her car for race day, by using the carname during race updates.

But wait!! Katherine will also film a personalized video thanking the winner, which will be posted online immortalizing you as the winner of the Pick a Name contest for Katherine’s TrueCar-Dragon Racing Chevrolet.

ENTER TODAY! CUTOFF IS MIDNIGHT MAY 26^TH.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120520/INDYCAR/120529992#ixzz1vXgqb08Q

But drama would continue until she was able to clear the approval by INDYCAR officials necessary for her to be allowed to practice with the rest of the teams…teams that were some six full days ahead of her in readying themselves for tomorrow’s qualification runs. It would be teammate and four-time champion Sebastien Bourdais that would take Legge’s car out on track first for a setup run.

“It was nice to see them push it out of the pit box and we all cheered when he was pulling out,” Legge said after Bourdais shook down her car early Thursday. “It was definitely a step in the right direction.”

Handling issues left the UK driver with some doubt as she completed phase 1 of the rookie orientation yesterday. Her TrueCar Racing team addressed those concerns and was given the all clear last night at 6pm to let her back on track to attempt phase 2. With another brief setup check by Bourdais, Katherine was left with a mere 20 minutes to prove to officials that she could lay down 15 consistent laps in the 205-210 mph range.

With numerous media, photographers, videographers, and fans looking on, the driver of the No. 6 entry did not disappoint. Quickly up to speed, she was warned to slow it down a bit to stay in the window required for the test. And, as the sun began to set on the famed oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Legge and her TrueCar Racing team had cleared phase 2.

Today’s practice session was Katherine’s last good look at the “Yard of Bricks” before tomorrow’s qualifications. Passing those bricks some 44 times today, she posted a best lap of 219.430 mph with her Chevy bow tie proudly on display. She and her team have had little time to prepare for tomorrow, but that is of little concern right now.

“We’re not even worried about qualifying,” Legge said. “If we just get it in the field, we’ll get ready for the race.”

And get ready she will…for her first Indianapolis 500. And like the song says, “No more tears, No more fears, No drama.” Just Katherine Legge, TrueCar Racing, and 200 laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27th.

Pole Day Qualifying For The 2012 Indianapolis 500 – May 19

Schedule of Events

6:30 am – Public Gates Open -

8 am – Practice Begins – Track

8:30 am – Breakfast at the Brickyard – Brickyard Crossing Golf Course

10:15 am – Q&A with Parnelli Jones – Coke Stage, Plaza

10:45 am – American Dairy Association Pin Distribution – Pagoda Plaza

10:55 am – Live Music by Time For Three – Yard of Bricks

11 am – Qualifications Begin – Track

4 pm – Ceremonial Lap Honoring 50th Anniversary of Parnelli Jones’ 150-mph Lap – Track

4:30 pm – Fast Nine Qualifications Begin – Track

6 pm – Pole Award Presentation – Yard of Bricks

6:15 pm – Live Music by Here Come The Mummies – Coke Stage, Plaza

6 pm – Public Gates Close

Armed Forces Bump Day – May 20

Schedule of Events

7:30 am – Public Gates Open -

8 am – 6:00 pm – Armed Forces Military Equipment on Display – Pagoda Plaza, MotoGP Course Turns 7 and 9

9 am – 10:00 am – Indianapolis 500 Practice – Track

11:10 am – Armed Forces Enlistment Ceremony Begins – Pagoda

11 am – 1:00 pm – Kids Club Event – Pavilion 1A

12 pm – Qualifications Begin – Track

1 pm – Q&A with Mel Kenyon – Coke Stage, Plaza

6 pm – Public Gates Close -

SAO PAULO, April 29, 2012 – The first thing IZOD IndyCar Series driver Katherine Legge does when she steps out of her TrueCar Racing Dallara is seek out her race engineer, Brandon Thomas. As the rookie has shown in every session this season, she craves dialogue with her team in an effort to improve her results. And with a background that includes being Chief Design and Development Engineer at Red Bull Racing, Brandon knows a thing or two about improving cars and results.

Throughout a dry Saturday, the UK-native and her team worked on improving the DW12’s setup while she got comfortable around the 2.536-mile temporary street circuit. Even with brake repairs on pit lane, the Dragon Racing crew was able to serve up 38 laps of practice for their TrueCar Racing driver before qualifying. Only getting in six laps in the session, Legge qualified 24th for today’s Sao Paulo Indy 300.

“The Lotus teams were struggling to find speed down the long straightaways here, so we were simply focusing on the areas of the car we can control,” said Legge about her day of practice and qualifying. “We managed to fix a braking issue that’s been plaguing us, as well as some other improvements to keep us competitive with the other Lotus teams. We are working well together as a team and really starting to gel. I am very happy to be working with Brandon and the rest of my crew.”

Never a surprise in “Sampa” or “Cidade da Garoa” (city of drizzle), Firehawk wet-condition tires were required for a rainy start to Sunday. Unfortunately, today’s morning warmup would leave the No. 6 team with even more to improve. At only a couple of laps in, Legge’s Lotus would leave her stranded and in need of a tow by the Holmatro Safety Team.

“We suffered a failure on the alternator and water pump drive,” said Thomas. “And while it’s just accessory components on the front of the engine, it does require the car to be split in half. It was a lot of work, so it certainly made for a rough start to our Sunday.”

However, Legge’s TrueCar/Dragon Racing Lotus showed up for work in plenty of time for her to take the cockpit before the start of the 75-lap event. Firestone Firehawk primary tires awaited her, since conditions had cleared and the track was dry.

Almost immediately at the drop of the green flag, Katherine and the other Lotus drivers were overtaken by the Honda-powered machines of Justin Wilson and Takuma Sato who had started behind them. Legge was relegated to 26th position, but posting times on pace or quicker than fellow Lotus drivers who were running just ahead.

“For the first time this year, we were actually faster than a few of the cars in front of us,” Katherine said. “I was on a similar pace to Sebastien [Bourdais], but I couldn’t overtake Oriol [Servia] or Simona [de Silvestro]. We then had a slight engine problem coming out of the hairpin on lap 14, which cost us some time.”

After pitting for fresh alternate tires on lap 17, Katherine headed back out with a mission of improving her position. However, contact with the wall coming out of turn 10 would mean an early end to her day on lap 20, leaving her in 26th.

“Everything was going fine,” said Legge. “We were racing with some other cars and I clipped the rear against the wall coming onto the rear straight. Normally, that wouldn’t cause much damage, but it depends on the angle of the impact. I thought it was just a flat tire, but we came in and found out it was a bit more than that.”

“I feel like the limited running we did today was still positive,” stated Legge. “It’s unfortunate our day ended early, because we are all learning something every lap we are out there. I am really looking forward to Indy and having a week on track, so I am hoping it doesn’t rain much. We really need the practice and testing time.”

Legge and her TrueCar Racing team now head to Indianapolis for the famed “Month of May” leading up to the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500-mile Race. With four weeks available prior to the race, Katherine and her team will have a bit of time to catch their breath and continue their improvement.

INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, April 25, 2012 – The challenge is nearly vertical forIZOD IndyCar Series rookie Katherine Legge entering the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle on Sunday, April 29.

She’s raced at numerous circuits worldwide, but she has never raced in Brazil, let alone visited the country. She looks at the map of the 2.536-mile temporary circuit and sees two long straightaways, including the famous concrete Sambadrome that serves as the front straight. That’s not an ideal scenario for her No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing car, which is powered by a Lotus engine that’s still searching for more horsepower while working through teething pains.

But Legge refuses to see the downside. She’s upbeat heading into the fourth race of the season and the first outside of the United States.

“I am looking forward to Brazil,” Legge said. “I have never been to South America, and I am excited about it.

“The track looks fantastic. I have driven it on my home simulator and watched in-car videos and past races to try to learn it. I can’t wait to actually drive it, though!”

Lack of familiarity has been a common theme this season for rookie Legge, who is tied for 25th in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings. She’s had less than a day of testing since joining Lotus-Dragon Racing due to Lotus’ late start in the series and continued gremlins during engine development.

Every event has thrown a series of challenges at British rookie Legge, whether it’s track unfamiliarity, engine troubles or lack of testing. She has continued to rely on her hardy resilience and mental toughness that served her well during her auto racing career.

Legge and her team recently suffered through engine changes and other problems at a familiar Long Beach circuit, yet still took the green flag for 85 laps Sunday. Engine management issues arose during the race, and she was unable to avoid debris from another car on track, which damaged her TrueCar machine.

Still, Legge managed to advance seven positions to earn a season-best finish of 19^th, demonstrating the patience of a seasoned professional.

The Lotus-Dragon Racing team is coming to grips quickly with the new 2012 Dallara DW12 chassis. That’s a big plus heading to Sao Paulo, as the circuit combines the bumpy, rough asphalt of city streets and the slippery concrete of the Anhembi Sambadrome, which hosts the world-famous Carnival every year.

Another interesting wrinkle of the circuit is that it’s one of only two in the IZOD IndyCar Series in which the pit lane is not located on the start-finish straight. It’s positioned after Turn 4.

Legge hopes the team’s accelerated learning curve with the chassis and her experience at racing on temporary road circuits in Atlantics, Champ Car and the DTM will help her achieve a strong result in the final race before the 96th Indianapolis 500 on May 27.

“The two long straights are a little concerning from the engine side,” Legge said. “I know Lotus have been working hard, so I hope we can be more competitive this weekend and make TrueCar proud!”

NOTES

Katherine joins Team SCF: Katherine Legge has joined The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Team SCF campaign, an effort to promote sun safe behaviors among active people.

Skin cancer is primarily a lifestyle disease, which is why The Skin Cancer Foundation emphasizes public awareness and education campaigns. Team SCF was developed after a variety of professional athletes approached the Foundation with the common goal of raising skin cancer awareness.

“I am happy and honored to represent The Skin Cancer Foundation, and I want to make a difference,” Legge said. “If only one person gets this message and it prevents them from getting skin cancer, it will have been time well spent.”

After having a suspicious mole removed from her leg as a child, Legge committed herself to leading a sun-safe lifestyle.

British native Legge has joined a team of athletes from a variety of outdoor fields to share one common mission: skin cancer prevention. Fellow Team SCF members include PGA Tour golfer Brian Davis, bass angler Preston Clark, professional snowboarder Shayne Pospisil, top-ranked surfer Mick Fanning and U.S. Women’s Soccer Olympic gold-medalists Christie Rampone and Lindsey Tarpley.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness month, which is also the most exciting month for the IZOD IndyCar Series due to the 96th Indianapolis 500 on May 27. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime due to overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. For more information, please visit www.SkinCancer.org

Fans can win spot on Katherine’s crew: Fans can enter the 2012 TrueCar Racing VIP Sweepstakes for a chance to become an honorary pit crew member for Katherine Legge and the No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing car at an upcoming IZOD IndyCar Series event.

The winner will receive two honorary TrueCar pit crew team credentials for the race, hotel accommodations for two nights and round-trip airfare for the winner and a guest, an approximate retail value of $3,000.

Fans can choose to see the excitement of IZOD IndyCar Series racing from Katherine’s pit at Indianapolis or races in Detroit, Fort Worth, Texas, Sonoma, Calif., Baltimore or Fontana, Calif.

Enter now on Facebook at by clicking here.

TrueCar empowers car lovers and car buyers by providing the information needed to make smart car-buying decisions. Katherine is a member of the TrueCar “Women Empowered” Racing Team, the first all-female racing team in history.

TWEET OF THE WEEK from @katherinelegge

“Wondered why the dishwasher smelt of burning then realized a wooden spoon had escaped onto the heating element. #dontworryemergencyaverted”

ABOUT SAO PAULO INDY 300

Date: Sunday, April 29

Time: 11 a.m. (ET)

TV/Radio: NBC Sports Channel. Qualifying, 6 p.m. (ET) Saturday, April 28; Race, 11 a.m. (ET) Sunday, April 29.

Laps: 75

Track: Anhembi Circuit, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Defending champion: Will Power, Team Penske

Series points leader: Will Power, Team Penske

ABOUT KATHERINE LEGGE

Birthdate: July 12, 1980

Hometown: Guildford, England

Residence: Indianapolis

Marital Status: Engaged

Website: www.katherinelegge.com

Twitter: @katherinelegge (personal) and @KatOnTrack (for on-track updates)

Career Highlights

Skin cancer is primarily a lifestyle disease, which is why The Skin Cancer Foundation emphasizes public awareness and education campaigns. Team SCF was developed after a variety of professional athletes approached the Foundation with the common goal of raising skin cancer awareness.

“I am happy and honored to represent The Skin Cancer Foundation and I want to make a difference,” said Legge. “If only one person gets this message and it prevents them from getting skin cancer, it will have been time well spent.”

After having a suspicious mole removed from her leg as a child, Legge committed herself to leading a sun-safe lifestyle.

The UK-native has joined a team of athletes from a variety of outdoor fields to share one common mission: skin cancer prevention. Fellow Team SCF members include PGA Tour golfer Brian Davis, bass angler Preston Clark, professional snowboarder Shayne Pospisil, top-ranked surfer Mick Fanning and U.S. Women’s Soccer Olympic Gold-medalists Christie Rampone and Lindsey Tarpley.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness month, which is also IndyCar’s most exciting month for racing. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime due to overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. For more information, please visit www.SkinCancer.org.

About The Skin Cancer Foundation

The Skin Cancer Foundation is the only global organization solely devoted to the prevention, early detection and treatment of skin cancer. The mission of the Foundation is to decrease the incidence of skin cancer through public and professional education and research. For more information, visit www.SkinCancer.org.

It’s not uncommon for an athlete to hear, “just tough it out,” when it comes to sports-related injuries, but TrueCar race car driver Katherine Legge took the phrase to another level at last weekend’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach where she powered through the 85-lap course, driving at speeds upwards of 200-mph with an injured thumb, a faulty engine and car-damaging road debris. Despite these major roadblocks (and the pain), the British racer driving the No. 6 TrueCar Lotus Dallara DW12 as part of TrueCar’s “Women Empowered” initiative, not only finished the race, but also managed to advance six positions.

“The race was disappointing because we had a number of issues,” said Legge, “but we’ll be better prepared for the next event in Sao Paulo.”

“The issues started from the beginning – It turns out I injured my thumb in an accident during practice on Sunday morning,” explained Legge after the race. “We had problems right out of the box with the engine management. Then we ran over some debris on track, which ended up costing us a front wing. So, it just wasn’t the day we wanted.”

About that thumb: During morning practice on Sunday, Legge hit the curbing in Turn 5, which caused her to nose into the tire barrier (along with five or six other drivers throughout the weekend). IndyCar racecars have no power steering, so when the steering wheel snaps, it snaps hard, and often can cause injury.  In fact, Legge did injure her thumb in that incident, but her desire to compete was so strong that she kept it on ice until the race — and then proceeded to steer hard for two hours while dealing with the pain. An examination after the race indicated it was badly injured with torn ligaments and bruising, but after another doctor’s visit it was determined that surgery was not needed. Legge’s thumb is now in a splint and she will be able to race at Sao Paulo.

Problems with her Lotus engine, from its late arrival to its unpredictable performance, have plagued Legge throughout her season. Because of the engine’s delayed delivery, Legge did not have a test engine available to practice with at either Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval test or the Infineon Raceway Sears Point road course test prior to her Long Beach race. In fact, her first chance to drive with her own engine was at the recent Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg, where she spent the majority of the event dealing with the engine’s unpredictable behavior, which — even though it was subsequently sent back to be re-tuned by Lotus — continued through this weekend’s Long Beach Grand Prix.

“The engine has had management issues. We’ve had problems where it would shut off every time we came into the pit lane. There was a problem with the boost. We have a lot of different problems to contend with,” laments Legge. “We haven’t had engines and we haven’t had time to go testing in the car, so we’re learning on race weekends. My team is still working on it and they know what most of the issues are now.”

Because her team had to change the engine the night before the race, Legge was penalized 10 places on the starting grid, putting her in the 13th row at the start of the race. The Jay Penske Dragon Racing team was not the only one affected by engine problems: Chevrolet also swapped engines from all 11 cars of its IndyCar team. As a result, the back of the racing pack was as full of superior racers — including St. Pete winner Helio Castroneves and Barber winner Will Power — as the front of the pack; all of them charging for the lead.

Legge’s race was relatively calm until the 22nd lap, when drivers Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal made contact and spread debris across the track near Turn 8. Legge was unable to avoid some of the debris and after running over a stray part, collided with the tire wall in Turn 9. The Dragon Racing mechanics had to replace the front wing of the car and the incident cost her five laps.

Despite changing the engine, the team still had engine management issues and did not run optimally at all times. Legge’s car also had problems with the mechanism that allows the car to be started, so it had to be push-started by the team after the wing was repaired.

“We had a good car but the reason we were losing so much time was just the drivability of the engine. It was sporadic. Sometimes it would be clear and sometimes it would be coughing and spluttering. I think we weren’t the only car with this problem – and Lotus is very focused on working hard to get it fixed. I have every faith that they will get this resolved soon.”

Legge’s finish is not what she had hoped for; the 11-turn temporary street circuit is one where she had considerable success in the past. It was here that she became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America, when she won the Toyota Atlantic Championship in 2005.

While Legge may be disappointed by her race results at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the fact that she was able to endure the 85-lap course for two hours at speeds of 200 mph, steering the 11-turn street circuit with a badly injured thumb proves that Katherine Legge is just plain tough.

Next up, Legge will compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series event on Sunday, April 29th, at the Sao Paulo Indy 300.

“Today was really disappointing because we had a number of issues,” said Legge.  “So, I really don’t know what to say. The issues started from the beginning – we had some sort of problem right out of the box with the engine management. Then we ran over some debris on track, which ended up costing us a front wing. So, it just wasn’t the day we wanted.”

Legge started the race from the 13^th row on the grid; with the team having changed the engine the night before, Legge was penalized 10 places on the starting grid.  Her race was relatively calm until the 22^nd lap, when drivers Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal made contact and spread debris across the track near turn eight.  Legge was unable to avoid some of the debris and after running over a stray part, ended up colliding with the tire wall in turn nine.  The Dragon Racing mechanics had to replace the front wing of the car and the incident cost her five laps.  The 85-lap, 167.3-mile race was won by Will Power – his second victory in a row – which puts him in the lead in the point standings.

Despite changing the engine, the team still had engine management issues as the race car did not run optimally at all times.  Legge’s car also had problems with the mechanism that allows the car to be started, so it had to be push-started by the team after the wing was repaired.

“The RPMs were dropping as I took off and I couldn’t pull out of the box,” explained Legge.  “Then they couldn’t restart the car.  One of the problems we cleared up by changing the (engine) map so then it wasn’t hitting the hard limiter due to over-boost.  Our guys got that fixed but the engine still hesitated at times.

“We had a good car on the red Firestone tires; we struggled a bit on the blacks but the reason we were losing so much time more than anything, was just the drivability of the engine.  It was sporadic.  Sometimes it would be clear and sometimes it would be coughing and spluttering.  Lotus and Judd are aware of this – I think we weren’t the only car with this problem – and they are very focused on working hard to get it fixed.  I have every faith that they will get this resolved soon.”

Her finish is not at all one Legge had hoped for; the 11-turn temporary street circuit is one that she had considerable success at in the past.  It was here that she became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America, in the Toyota Atlantic Championship in 2005.

About TrueCar, Inc.

TrueCar, Inc. is an online automotive information and communications platform focused on creating a better car buying experience for dealers and consumers.  Consumers want a hassle-free car buying experience and dealers want high-quality sales velocity.  TrueCar helps achieve these goals by providing unbiased market information on new car transactions and by supplying an online communications platform through which dealers and consumers can communicate with each other.  TrueCar’s market-based information provides both consumers and dealers with an accurate and comprehensive understanding of what others actually paid recently for similar vehicles, both locally and nationally.  TrueCar’s communications platform then allows informed, ready-to-buy consumers to communicate directly with participating dealers.  Some of the nation’s largest and most well respected membership and service organizations rely on websites powered by TrueCar to help educate their members and customers who are in the automotive market.  TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, and has offices in San Francisco, CA, and Austin, TX.  After experiencing dramatic growth since 2006, TrueCar is developing a suite of products and services centered on radical clarity through the comprehensive analysis of market data and information.  TrueCar’s participating dealer partners have sold over 500,000 new vehicles to TrueCar users nationwide.

You can follow TrueCar on Twitter (@TrueCar) and become a fan of TrueCar on Facebook and Google+.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 14, 2012 – The ladies of the TrueCar Racing team will be on hand this Sunday, April 15 from 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. PDT at the INDYCAR Fan Village of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Katherine Legge, Ashley Freiberg, Shannon McIntosh, Shea Holbrook and Verena Mei will be signing autographs and participating in a short question and answer session prior to the headlining IZOD IndyCar Series event.

“I’m glad to have my teammates on hand to support me here,” said Legge.  “Even though I am the only one competing here this weekend, their insight is helpful – Shea Holbrook also won here last year in the Pirelli World Challenge – and we can learn from each other.  It’s overall a better experience with us together here.”

Katherine Legge, driver of the No. 6 TrueCar Lotus Dallara DW12, will be driving in the 85-lap INDYCAR event while the rest of the women (with the exception of Emilee Tominovich, who could not be present this weekend) will be cheering Legge on, analyzing the race and making themselves available for media requests.  The young women, all part of TrueCar’s “Women Empowered” initiative, compete in six different professional racing series throughout North America. Legge and Holbrook are both previous race winners here: Legge became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America – in Champ Car in 2005 – while Holbrook became the second woman to ever win a World Challenge race and the first female to win in the Touring Car class of that series last year.

The TrueCar Racing Team is comprised of the following members:

• Katherine Legge, No. 6 TrueCar Lotus Dallara DW12 – IZOD IndyCar Series
• Ashley Freiberg, #91 Star Mazda – Star Mazda Series
• Shea Holbrook, #67 2012 Honda Civic Si – Pirelli World Challenge
• Shannon McIntosh, #18 Van Diemen DP08 Mazda – USF2000
• Verena Mei, #335 2011 Ford Fiesta – Rally America
• Emilee Tominovich, #19 Mazda MX-5, Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup SCAA Pro Series

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will take place tomorrow at 1:15 p.m. PDT and will be televised live on the NBC Sports Network.

About TrueCar, Inc.

TrueCar, Inc. is an online automotive information and communications platform focused on creating a better car buying experience for dealers and consumers.  Consumers want a hassle-free car buying experience and dealers want high-quality sales velocity.  TrueCar helps achieve these goals by providing unbiased market information on new car transactions and by supplying an online communications platform through which dealers and consumers can communicate with each other.  TrueCar’s market-based information provides both consumers and dealers with an accurate and comprehensive understanding of what others actually paid recently for similar vehicles, both locally and nationally.  TrueCar’s communications platform then allows informed, ready-to-buy consumers to communicate directly with participating dealers.  Some of the nation’s largest and most well respected membership and service organizations rely on websites powered by TrueCar to help educate their members and customers who are in the automotive market.  TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, and has offices in San Francisco, CA, and Austin, TX.  After experiencing dramatic growth since 2006, TrueCar is developing a suite of products and services centered on radical clarity through the comprehensive analysis of market data and information.  TrueCar’s participating dealer partners have sold over 500,000 new vehicles to TrueCar users nationwide.

You can follow TrueCar on Twitter (@TrueCar) and become a fan of TrueCar on Facebook and Google+.