Katherine Legge became the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race since Danica Patrick in the 2018 DAYTONA 500. (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)
AVONDALE, Ariz. —Katherine Legge faced a steep learning curve as she finished 30th in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway, becoming the first woman to contest in the NASCAR Cup Series since Danica Patrick seven years ago in the 2018 DAYTONA 500.
Legge, who comes from a sports car and open wheel racing background, is no stranger to competing in various prestigious racing series and events such as the Indianapolis 500 and ROLEX 24 at Daytona, to name a few.
Prior to Sunday’s duel in the desert, Legge has contested in six total stock car racing events, including five starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with SS Greenlight Racing and the now defunct JD Motorsports, posting a career-best finish of 14th at Road America in 2018. She also contested in February’s ARCA Menards Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, unfortunately wrecking out of the race in 39th.
The Guildford, United Kingdom born driver had qualified 37th in Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session in the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports ahead of Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500.
Legge took the green flag in the 19th row on the inside lane as she was ready to take on the 312-lap dash at the one-mile dogleg oval.
Legge brought out the first caution of the day on Lap 4 after spinning off the exit of Turn 2, suffering no damage as she slid down the frontstretch towards Turn 3. She was able to continue after the incident.
Legge kept her composure, making her way across the one-mile facility unscathed for the remainder of the opening stage and would cross the stripe in 37th after the first 60 laps had been completed.
Katherine Legge took on a huge learning curve during the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway. (Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)
Despite suffering a speeding penalty onto pit road during the stage break, Legge rallied back and would hover inside the top 30 for the first time of the day after a massive crash in Stage 2, involving 11 cars putting several out of the race.
Legge’s promising day came to an unfortunate end when she was running in 28th place. With 97 laps remaining in the race, she exited Turn 2 and came up the racetrack in front of Josh Berry’s No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. This resulted in contact between the two cars, causing Legge to spin out. She slid into the path of Daniel Suárez, who struck her on the driver’s side door. Legge managed to steer her No. 78 Chevrolet to the garage but didn’t return to the track.
Legge was tagged with a 30th place finish after all was said and done in Phoenix, completing 210 of the 312 scheduled laps on Sunday afternoon.
“Yeah, it was a rough start.” Said Legge after a turnaround day that came to an unfortunate end.
“We made some changes to the car overnight, and I was hanging on the first green flag stint, and then we kept making adjustments to the car and became more stable. And then at the end, we were relatively quick, but it wasn’t bad. We tried to find some pace and found it throughout the race, but it was a rough start.”
“Get some golf clubs or a tennis racket. I say, make sure it’s what you want to do because it will have to be to the detriment of everything else. And then never give up.”The question in motorsports often arises about whether women face more adversity than men in their pursuit of success.
