KATHERINE LEGGE Makes NASCAR Cup Series Debut, First Woman Since 2018

March 4, 2025

by Alex Harrington // from www.newsweek.com

GRRL! SUMMARY:

KATHERINE LEGGE is making history this weekend as the first woman to start a NASCAR Cup Series race since DANICA PATRICK in 2018, driving the #78 Live Fast Motorsports DROPLiGHT Chevrolet Camaro at Phoenix Raceway. With only 37 cars on the entry list, she’s guaranteed a starting spot – no last-chance qualifying drama to worry about.
While PATRICK blazed the trail with a pole position at the 2013 Daytona 500 and four years in Cup Series competition, LEGGE brings her own impressive road course credentials to stock car racing. She’s approaching the debut with refreshing honesty about expectations, acknowledging she needs to prove competence first before chasing competitiveness in “the most competitive championship in the world.”
LEGGE’s realistic but determined approach shows the evolution of how women enter NASCAR – she’s not here for publicity stunts but genuine competition. Her quote about not wanting to “look silly or look incapable” reflects the extra pressure women face, but her excitement about stock cars giving her “renewed sense of vigor” suggests she’s found something special in this new challenge.