It’s been almost two weeks since Katherine Legge arrived at Phoenix Raceway to make her NASCAR Cup Series debut, yet the fallout from her tough outing is still making news. Legge’s status as the first woman driver in the series since 2018 brought a wave of attention on race weekend. Unfortunately for Legge, that story had a bad ending. She spun twice and failed to finish the event. One of those spins collected frontrunner Daniel Suárez. Perhaps surprisingly, Suárez did not blame Legge, but instead pointed the finger at NASCAR for not ensuring the 44-year-old racing veteran had enough stock-car racing experience. And others in the NASCAR world concurred, including broadcasters Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Harvick said Legge “was thrown to the wolves.” Legge addressed the controversy in an interview with Racer.com last week, apologizing and thanking those who had supported her.
With any other inexperienced driver who struggled in a debut, this issue would have faded away by now. But Legge’s status as the “first woman to compete in the NASCAR Cup racing since 2018” has kept the story in the limelight. CNN spoke with Legge this week, and while she hit all the angles already covered by the racing media, she also had some interesting thoughts on being held up by the media as a role model for women in racing.
“I never set out to be the representative for women in motorsports. I think that each and every one of us are individuals and we should all be judged on our own individual merit,” Legge said. “But it comes with a responsibility, and so I try to do the very best job with that that I can.”
Legge pointed out the real role models for women in racing competed long ago. “Back in the day, the Janet Guthrie’s and the Lyn St. James’ of the world, they were the ones who were really breaking barriers,” Legge said. “There was no female restroom in the pits back then. Right now, I’m just trying to be a racecar driver. It’s not like I feel like I’m any different.”
Still, Legge realizes young girls and women have been following her exploits. She reposted a video of girls watching her race on social media. After the tough race at Phoenix, followed by the media analysis, Legge just wants to get back to racing. She still believes she can make it in NASCAR’s elite series. “I didn’t showcase the talent that I feel that I have, and I wish it had gone differently,” Legge said. “I think the naysayers are wrong, so I’m definitely going to go back and try again. I love the NASCAR paddock, and I see a future there — and anyway I need redemption now, right?”
“I’m the best girl race car driver you’ll ever see,” Katherine Legge wrote as a kid to IndyCar’s Lyn St. James. She’s proved it with four Indy 500 starts, a 2023 women’s qualifying speed record at 231.070 mph, and now the first woman in the Cup since Danica Patrick in 2018. But Katherine Legge’s NASCAR Cup Series debut at Phoenix on March 9, 2025, became a marketing disaster for NASCAR in an instant! It was hurtful to watch her No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevy spin twice, taking out Daniel Suárez on lap 215, and she finished 30th. It got messy quickly. Legge was devastated by her performance. “It got a lot of negative attention” she revealed about the crash.
She’s got 25 years of racing IndyCar, Formula E, and more, but NASCAR threw her in with almost no prep. Legge needed track time, not a simulator rush. She stated, “I’ve been told various different things going into the weekend that it drives like a GT car. It does not. Whoever said that, you’re wrong. It does drive like an Xfinity car or an ARCA car, even, by the way.” She added that the Cup car has unique driving qualities compared to what she has driven before.
Legge’s performance ignited a discussion about NASCAR’s approval process, which has come under criticism. Denny Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, voiced his support for Legge, stating he was impressed that she was only a second off in qualifying. He emphasized, “I hate it for her, and it’s not fair to her that she’s getting the brunt of all the scrutiny.”
Drivers and broadcasters alike, including Harvick, noted that NASCAR's restrictions on practice time and experience hurt new drivers. Harvick remarked that Legge was thrown to the wolves, a sentiment echoed by many in the racing community.
In the aftermath, NASCAR officials are already reviewing their practices for approving drivers into the Cup Series. Many drivers, including Kyle Larson and Joey Logano, raised concerns about the system, questioning whether it adequately prepares newcomers for the challenges of racing at such a high level.
Legge has made it clear she remains committed to the sport, insisting this tough race won’t define her career. “I love the NASCAR paddock, and I see a future there,” she said. As she eyes her next opportunity, Legge is determined to prove her doubters wrong with a renewed focus on what she considers her true potential as a driver.
The winds of change may be sweeping through NASCAR as the experiences of drivers like Katherine Legge come under scrutiny. It remains to be seen how the organization will respond to the calls for a more structured and supportive approach for new talent. With Legge keen to redeem herself, the NASCAR community awaits the next chapter in her story with anticipation.
