Robust begin to her Cup Sequence profession.
You will not be conversant in Katherine Legge in the event you solely watch NASCAR, however the veteran of the IndyCar and IMSA SportsCar has an extended resume in motorsports.
Again in 2005 she grew to become the primary girl to win a serious open-wheel race in North America when she scored a victory in her first begin within the Atlantic Championship Sequence, and she or he additionally set the file for the quickest qualifying lap by a feminine driver within the Indy 500 again in 2023.
Legge has made a handful of begins within the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence over the previous few years, however as we speak the veteran driver is making her NASCAR Cup Sequence debut, driving the #78 automobile for Reside Quick Motorsports and proprietor BJ McLeod.
The group scaled again to half time in 2024, and usually struggles to search out pace even with McLeod behind the wheel. So it was anticipated that Legge would battle in her debut, as a result of let’s face it, she’s not in one of the best gear. However she appeared to achieve pace throughout qualifying, and forward of the race expressed her pleasure to get out on the observe:
She turns into the primary girl to make a NASCAR Cup Sequence begin in seven years.@katherinelegge talks with @JamieLittleTV earlier than climbing in at Phoenix. #NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/WMkk1XJvez
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 9, 2025
However sadly issues bought off to a tough begin for Legge nearly as quickly because the inexperienced flag dropped.
4 laps into the race, Legge spun out and introduced out the primary warning of the day, telling her group that her automobile was simply manner too tight:
Lap 4: Early hassle for Katherine Legge. pic.twitter.com/z29cu6bcWt
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 9, 2025
First warning of the day is for Katherine Legge. Self-spun off Flip 2 in her first laps in a Cup race.
Did not hit something and she or he retains going. pic.twitter.com/e5wjJuAqWf
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) March 9, 2025
Fortunately she didn’t hit something, however after the early spin, social media instantly erupted with a debate over whether or not she ought to have been within the race to start with:
i spend all morning defending katherine legge and she or he spins it on her personal bro i am fucking carried out
— Tyler Coners (@TylerConers) March 9, 2025
katherine legge simply set womens rights again like 70000 years with that one
— Cobalt🦨 🔜 AC (@CobaltSkunk) March 9, 2025
Katherine Legge on lap 4 pic.twitter.com/1dIOHWPaR9
— Wolfgang Gangwolf (@WolfgangGwolf) March 9, 2025
We didn’t let Mike Wallace drive a automobile at Daytona but we let Katherine Legge get in a cup race…
— Dank Nascar Memes (@dank_nascar) March 9, 2025
Katherine Legge is already having the worst debut in NASCAR historical past
— Gamestop Booty (@GStopBooty) March 9, 2025
Katherine Legge is manner worse than Danica.
— Herb Nicholl Jr (@MiWXChaserHN) March 9, 2025
Man NASCAR followers actually simply are anti-women. Katherine Legge has carried out actually no unsuitable and already has haters who permit her the privilege of residing of their heads hire free. 😆 #NASCAR
— Emil Borchert (@EmilBorchert) March 9, 2025
I gave Katherine Legge 40 laps. It ended up being 4.
— Ky (@okkayky) March 9, 2025
For the reason that spin, it appears that evidently Legge and her group have labored to enhance the automobile and she or he’s really operating a fairly respectable race proper now. She’s at present operating twenty eighth and solely three laps down after an enormous wreck took out a number of drivers a couple of laps in the past.
(Replace: As quickly as I posted this she wrecked once more and took out two different drivers).
Along with her debut as we speak, Legge grew to become solely the seventeenth feminine driver to make a begin within the NASCAR Cup Sequence. The final girl to race within the Cup Sequence was Danica Patrick, who has probably the most begins by a feminine driver with 191 after making her closing begin in 2018.
The primary girl to compete in NASCAR was Sara Christian all the best way again in 1949, and in 1977 Janet Guthrie grew to become the primary girl to steer a Cup Sequence race.
Extra just lately, a number of feminine drivers have competed in NASCAR’s decrease sequence, together with Hailie Deegan, Toni Breidinger and Natalie Decker. At present, Breidinger is the one full-time feminine in any of the game’s high three sequence, competing full time within the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sequence for Tricon Storage. Deegan, who began final 12 months driving full-time within the Xfinity Sequence, misplaced her experience halfway via the season and is now competing full time within the IndyCar Sequence.
There’s no phrase but on whether or not Legge will try and make another races within the Cup Sequence this season, or whether or not this will probably be her solely begin in 2025. Along with her Reside Quick Motorsports group operating a restricted schedule and missing the funding of the larger groups, it looks as if the one alternatives she must return to the game can be at both a street course or a brief observe ought to the group select to enter these races.
And now that she’s already bought her first race (and her first spin) underneath her belt, possibly she’ll be extra comfy the subsequent time she will get behind the wheel.
