Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame to Induct Legge and Sato

Rev up your engines, racing fans, because the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is less than a few weeks away! The fast-paced racing event will be celebrating its 49th Anniversary, as the streets of Long Beach play host to the longest-running major street race in North America, featuring competitive drivers from, including but not limited to, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Along with the annual racing event, the Grand Prix will also be adding two more racers to the historic Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame. And according to an official announcement made by the Long Beach Grand Prix, the two drivers being honored this year are IMSA Sportscar Driver Katherine Legge and IndyCar Driver Takuma Sato.

“We are honored to welcome Katherine Legge and Takuma Sato to the Long Beach Walk of Fame,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “Our Motorsports Walk of Fame serves as a lasting tribute to the legends who have left a memorable mark on Long Beach and the racing community. We look forward to celebrating their remarkable careers during the induction ceremony.”

Katherine Legge is a British professional auto racing driver who competes full-time in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, driving the No. 66 Acura NSX GT3 for Gradient Racing. Legge is widely recognized as one of the world’s fastest female drivers, achieving several “firsts” throughout her career, including:

• Becoming the fastest woman qualifier for the Indianapolis 500 in 2023 – setting a new record in the race’s 107-year history.
• Being the first woman to lead a Champ Car race in 2006.
• Becoming the first woman to win a major North American open-wheel race in 2005.

During her long career, Legge has also secured three championships, six race wins, and 15 podium results in her professional driving career, among many other accolades. And now, Legge will be making history as the first woman to be inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame.

“I am beyond honored to be inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame. My professional racing career started here in 2005, and that win on these iconic streets remains one of the best lifetime memories that I get to carry with me,” said Legge. “I’m humbled to be alongside such legends of our sport, and I can’t express how much this means to me.”

As previously mentioned, Takuma Sato will also be inducted into the Motorsports Walk of Fame. Sato is a Japanese professional racing driver, competing in the IndyCar Series as the driver of the No. 75 Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Prior to his career in IndyCar, Sato has also competed in the Formula 1 Series.

Sato has accomplished many things during his racing career, including becoming a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner having won in both 2017 and 2020 – and the first Japanese driver to win the Indianapolis 500. Sato also won the 2013 Long Beach Grand Prix, where he became the first-ever Japanese-born driver to win an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.

“The tradition, history and heritage of Long Beach, and what it means to be a winner here, are such an honor,” said Sato. “The Walk of Fame at the Grand Prix of Long Beach is a privilege, especially because it is always a race and a track that I love to compete on. Winning the race here was such a significant moment for me, and I would like to once again extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire AJ Foyt Racing team and the fantastic No.14 car crew for their incredible work. Lastly, I feel honored to be inscribed as one of those who could add a page to Japanese motorsport history.”

The induction ceremony for Katherine Legge and Takuma Sato will take place on Thursday, April 18. The ceremony will be open to the public at 11 a.m., in front of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center on South Pine Avenue. During the ceremony, each honoree will unveil a 22-inch bronze medallion featuring renditions of their iconic cars, as well as descriptions of their major achievements, enshrining their contributions to motorsports on the Walk of Fame.

“We are thrilled to recognize Katherine and Takuma for their outstanding contributions to the world of motorsports,” said First District Councilwoman Mary Zendejas. “It is a true honor to have their accolades, engraved on exquisite medallions embedded on the sidewalks of our beautiful Downtown shoreline, which will be seen by racing fans from all over the world for many years to come.”

After the ceremony, Legge and Sato will sign autographs for those in attendance. Afterward, the Acura Long Beach Grand Prix will officially begin, taking place on April 19-21.

For more information on the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame, you can visit their official website at lbmotorsportswof.com. For more information on the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, including how to get tickets, you can visit gplb.com.