PEOPLE and e.l.f. Cosmetics teamed up to kick off Indy 500 race weekend with a party honoring driver Katherine Legge in Indianapolis, Indiana
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The party, hosted by PEOPLE's Janine Rubenstein, was attended by the cast of Tell Me Lies and the Colts cheerleaders, as well as e.l.f.’s Chief Integrated Marketing Officer, Patrick O’Keefe
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Legge, 45 — the only woman competing in the Indy 500 — plans to make history as the first woman ever to attempt “The Double”—racing in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Charlotte Coca-Cola 600 on the same day
PEOPLE and e.l.f. Cosmetics are racing full speed ahead into theIndy 500weekend!
On Friday, May 22, PEOPLE and e.l.f. Cosmetics hosted a high-energy Indy 500 kick-off celebration honoringKatherine Legge, who is theonly woman competing in this year’s race in Indianapolis.
Legge, 45, also aims to make history as the only woman to ever attempt “The Double,” racing a total of 1,100 miles in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Charlotte Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, Sunday, May 24.
She will race behind the wheel of the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet in the Indy 500 and then the No. 78 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet for the Coca-Cola 600 later in the day.
The PEOPLE and e.l.f. Cosmetics party, held at Dusk Lounge in downtown Indianapolis, was hosted by PEOPLE’s Janine Rubenstein.
Guests were immersed in a variety of race-inspired party moments, from photo ops modeled after Katherine’s bold, pink-and-chrome e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet race car, to signature race day cocktails and mocktails.
DJ Mae kept the energy high, incorporating songs frome.l.f. Cosmetics’ GRWM album.
The evening celebrated Katherine’s groundbreaking racing career with a display of memorabilia and career-defining moments.
Highlights included an INDYCAR helmet from 2024 painted by Miles “Goose” Gooser, her 2023 Indy 500 credential, racing boots and starter’s ring honoring her record-setting qualification as the fastest woman in Indy 500 history with a four-lap average speed of 231.070 mph.
Also featured was her official No. 51 e.l.f. Cosmetics fire suit worn during the 2024 Indy 500. (That same year,e.l.f. Cosmetics became the first beauty brand to serve as a primary sponsorin the race’s 108-year history.)
Patrick O'Keefe, e.l.f. Cosmetics' Chief Integrated Marketing Officer, along with PEOPLE editor-at-large Rubenstein, welcomed guests and toasted Legge's success. Legge then addressed the attendees with an inspiring message.
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Guests left the party with swag, including a custom-engraved chrome e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil Stick, to get engines revving off the track too.
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During her speech, Legge said, "I want to say thank you very much to PEOPLE for having me here, and, of course, thank you so much to e.l.f. cosmetics for believing in me four years ago and creating this solidarity and this girl power movement that they have managed to create in racing."
"They've changed the face of racing, and all of the women at the racetrack will tell you the same thing," she continued. "They finally feel represented, they feel seen."
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to be here. I mean, the opportunity to do the Indy 500 is incredible in itself, the opportunity to do the Charlotte is incredible in itself," added Legge.
Nodding to her historic role in racing, she concluded, "Hopefully there will be many other women coming up behind me thanks to PEOPLE, thanks to e.l.f., because if you see it, you can be it. And hopefully, all those little girls that you'll see running around this weekend with e.l.f. jerseys on — even if they don't want to be race car drivers, which they should, let's be honest — they will see us, and they will believe that they can be anything that they want to be."
Looking back at the event experience, PEOPLE's Rubenstein says, “I didn’t know what to expect from the party, given it’s my first time in Indianapolis and at the Indy500, but this night did not disappoint."
"First off, everyone was on time, which blew my mind! From the smoldering cast ofTell Me Liesto the Colts cheerleaders, people turned up early and in style to cheer on history-maker Katherine Legge," she continues. "When she got there, I instantly got a little nervous knowing I was tasked with kicking off the celebration and sharing with the crowd her litany of accomplishments. But those jitters quickly subsided as I realized all I had to do was tell a room full of great people how awesome this one woman is."
"I did just that before introducing e.l.f.’s Chief Integrated Marketing Officer, Patrick O’Keefe, to share how and why they put women like Legge first. I got to snap a few photos with the woman of the hour, and then after that, it was party time," adds Rubenstein.
The highlight of the night? Rubenstein says it came "when Lyn St. James, one of the first women ever to compete in the Indy500, stopped me to say thank you for PEOPLE’s support of female drivers, to which I said, 'Are you kidding me? Thankyou! None of this would be happening were it not for trailblazers like you and the sacrifices you made.' That interaction just took an already incredible night across the finish line.”
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