AVONDALE, Ariz. — Katherine Legge, a seasoned veteran in professional motorsports, achieved a milestone by driving in the NASCAR Cup Series, a dream she pursued for 25 years. Her debut, however, didn’t unfold as smoothly as she had hoped.
In her first NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway, Legge faced challenges. She became the first woman to compete in a Cup car in seven years but spun twice during the race and was unable to finish.
“It was baptism by fire,” Legge expressed to Fox Sports. Despite the tough day, she focused on the positives, acknowledging some errors but emphasizing the valuable experience gained. “Hopefully, I get to come back,” she added.
Legge, who has competed in various vehicles from dirt bikes to IndyCars, only learned about her NASCAR opportunity about 10 days prior to the event. Adapting to the unfamiliar oval tracks, she utilized simulator training in North Carolina, marking her return as the first female driver in the series since Danica Patrick’s appearance at the Daytona 500 in 2018.
Qualifying posed a challenge for her at the mile-long oval track, leading Legge and her Live Fast Motorsports team to make several adjustments to her No. 78 Chevrolet overnight.
The changes, unfortunately, did not translate to an improved performance. Legge struggled from the race’s outset, spinning on lap 4 of the 312-mile competition. Despite hopes for recovery, she encountered another spin late in the race after a collision that also took out Daniel Suarez, leading to her premature exit and a 30th-place finish.
Reflecting on her performance, Legge commented, “I was so loose. I was hanging onto it. We kept making adjustments to stabilize the car. By the end, we were relatively quick. It wasn’t bad. I wish we hadn’t made the earlier changes. It was a rough start.”
