Legge hangs tough in 'most difficult race'.

Katherine Legge battled her way to a ninth place finish in the Grand Prix of Denver, but admitted that the race had been one to keep her on her toes throughout.

While there was drama up front, PKV racer Legge started 15th, but had the #20 Bell Micro?EUR"sponsored Lola-Cosworth on the move from the opening lap. Taking advantage of mistakes elsewhere, and driving a steady and patient race between outstanding pit-work from her crew, she clawed her way into the top ten, and battled with rookie of the year rivals Dan Clarke and Will Power for much of the race.

Traditional street race attrition saw the 25-year old move into the top ten as early as lap 19, and she resisted pressure from fellow rookie Nicky Pastorelli to not drop back. Dispensing with Jan Heylen, she continued to battle for position until midway through the final stint of the 97-lap contest, when Clarke and Power proved just a little to strong

"The race went well, and I was running with Dan and Will for a long time, but I just couldn't stay with them during the last stint," Legge noted, "Obviously, things could have gone a lot better but, for the first time in a long time, we finished all three stints of the race without too many mistakes."

After disappointing mid-season outings in Toronto, Edmonton and San Jose, the top ten result was the best for Legge in several races, and bettered her showing in last year's Toyota Atlantic event at the same circuit. Despite notching up her fourth such result in ten rounds this year, however, the Briton admitted that it had been a tough afternoon in the Mile High City.

"Trust me, that was one of the most difficult races I have ever run, because it was so slippery out there," she explained, "The crew did a great job in the pits and we hung in there the whole race - and that is what some of these races are about."

Legge's solid reliability record sees her lying third in terms of laps completed - having run 946 of 1008 so far this season - and she holds a similar position in the standings that mean most to her, trailing leading rookie Power by 37 points and Clarke - who was gifted a late podium in Denver - by 15.