Tough Houston outing for Legge.

PKV Racing rookie and Crash.Net columnist Katherine Legge had her bid for a second consecutive top ten finish derailed on Saturday night in Houston when a brush with the tyre barriers cost her 15 laps.

From 15th on the grid, the British driver took a sensible approach to the start of what was originally scheduled to be a 115-lap race, shortened to 100-laps on race morning - and subsequently shortened by a further four tours due to the number of caution flags needed during the race.

Thanks in part to some shuffling ahead of her that resulted in her compatriots Justin Wilson and Dan Clarke both losing time, Legge completed the first lap of the incredibly bumpy 1.69-mile Reliant Park street circuit in 14th position and then set about building up a rhythm in her #20 Optium-backed Lola-Ford.

After swapping places several times with series debutant Nicky Pastorelli in the early laps, Legge briefly moved up to twelfth place when Nelson Philippe ran off course and was running a fuel-saving strategy in 13th position when disaster struck on lap 43 as she clouted the tyre barriers in turn seven following contact with fellow Briton Clarke, who was running some 14 laps down at the time.

The impact dislodged her rear wing in the process and cost 15 laps in the pits while her team made repairs, but Legge returned to the track and set her personal best laps of the race in the closing stages, consistently lapping in the high 61-second bracket.

Despite also struggling with electrical problems, Legge was able to pick up one place in the closing stages after Charles Zwolsman crashed and took the chequered flag in 14th position overall, third in the class of six rookies.