Katherine Legge’s storied racing career spans over two decades and multiple disciplines. She began racing at the age of nine, progressing through Formula Ford, Formula Renault, and Formula Three in Britain. Her groundbreaking achievements include being the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America and setting the fastest qualifying effort by a woman in Indianapolis 500 history in 2023.
Katherine Legge described her first NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway as a “baptism of fire,” acknowledging the steep learning curve she faced in transitioning to stock car racing. Despite her extensive experience across multiple disciplines, including IndyCar and IMSA, the unique challenges of NASCAR’s Next-Gen car were evident during her debut. Legge’s debut at Phoenix Raceway was marked by controversy following a collision with Daniel Suárez.
The incident ended both drivers’ races prematurely. In the aftermath, Legge’s approach to making amends and addressing the incident revealed her professionalism and determination to learn from the experience. However, she did not refrain from pointing out the pitfalls of being the center of attention.
Katherine Legge reflects on the coverage of her incident
On Lap 215 of the Shriners Children’s 400, Katherine Legge, who was running in 28th place, spun out after making contact with Josh Berry’s car at Turn 2. As her car continued to spin in the high lane, Suárez, who was running in sixth position and unable to avoid her, collided with the left rear quarter panel of her car. While Suárez managed to continue briefly, his day was ultimately ruined.
This incident led to widespread media backlash towards NASCAR’s approval process, with Katherine Legge being the spotlight of the conversation. Daniel Suarez also chimed in, saying, “Nothing against her…cannot allow somebody with no experience to run in the Cup Series. Plain and simple.” While none of the discourse attacked Legge, being in the spotlight for one race for a negative reason is not an experience most cherish. Certainly not Legge.
Speaking on the Racing Writer’s podcast, Katherine Legge pointed out that even seasoned drivers face challenges when adapting to new series, and that she’s not the first to experience this. “Driving the car was fine. I think it puts the spotlight on the fact that Helio goes in, and he has some missteps as well. Kimi Räikkönen goes in, he has missteps… You can’t judge me on that. That would be massively unfair. It definitely puts the spotlight on the sport. They say there’s no such thing as ‘bad press’ but after this week I beg to differ,” Legge said.
Well, let’s inspect Katherine Legge’s claims. Helio Castroneves was awarded a seat at the Daytona 500 for his Cup Series debut for Trackhouse Racing. The 4x Indy500 champion was expected to dazzle amongst the stars, but he struggled. Despite running the ARCA Daytona race, Castroneves could not seem to keep up with the rigors of the Next-Gen car, crashing out on Lap 71 during a restart. 2007 Formula One Champion Kimi Raikkonen also faced a similar fate in 2022.
Driving for Project91, a Trackhouse Racing initiative, Raikkonen strapped in for the Watkins Glen race in August. He made it to the final stage, but after contact his teammate Ross Chastain bumped Austin Dillon. Raikkonen was caught in the pile-up of cars braking, and spun into the retaining wall, ending his race. So this proves Katherine Legge’s point. She wasn’t the first to go through this and if NASCAR doesn’t tweak its approval process to stop racers with a lack of experience to run in the Cup Series, she won’t be the last. While she was disheartened at the coverage this got, she was gracious in defeat.
She took full responsibility for the collision and made efforts to address the situation with all involved parties. “I called Daniel, and I spoke to the NASCAR folks, and I spoke to BJ [McLeod] in the team and Kaulig,” she said. Suárez, despite being directly impacted, responded with understanding. “Daniel was very sweet actually. Very kind and understanding,” Katherine Legge explained.
Despite the challenges of her debut, Katherine Legge remains optimistic about her future in NASCAR. “Obviously, there were mistakes made, but I learned so much. Hopefully, I get to come back,” she told ESPN. As she continues to adapt to stock car racing, Legge’s journey serves as a reminder of both the difficulties and rewards of stepping into unfamiliar territory at the highest level of competition.
Drivers call for reform in NASCAR’s approval process
Joey Logano, a three-time Cup Series champion, has raised concerns about NASCAR’s driver approval process, advocating for more structure to balance entertainment and safety. “There’s a line between entertainment and safety,” Logano stated in Las Vegas. He suggested that drivers should run Xfinity races before debuting in the Cup Series. “A little bit of structure behind it would be nice,” he further added. While Katherine Legge had run in the Xfinity Series in the past, her last appearance was on a road course 2 years ago, and she ran just five races over 3 years.
Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, echoed his long-time rival Logano’s sentiments and proposed involving active drivers in the approval process. “I also do feel as though it shouldn’t be ‘suit and ties’ making the decisions always,” Busch said. The Nevada native feels that NASCAR has the wrong people in positions of power making calls on who can race and who can’t. Busch also reflected on his time as an owner in the Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports, adding, “Being an owner in the Truck Series and seeing some young drivers get opportunities at different tracks versus my drivers that I was trying to get opportunities on some of the same tracks getting denied.”
NASCAR has made efforts to tighten its approval process but continues to face criticism for inconsistencies. Some, like Shane van Gisbergen, suggest implementing minimum testing requirements or completing full seasons in lower series before advancing to the Cup Series. As calls for reform grow louder, balancing inclusivity with safety remains a critical challenge for NASCAR officials. So, what do you think? Was NASCAR wrong to let Katherine Legge race at Phoenix? Let us know in the comments!
The post NASCAR’s Female Trailblazer Calls Out “Bad Press”, Hands Harsh Reality Check Amidst ‘Approval’ Attacks appeared first on EssentiallySports.