KATHERINE LEGGE Makes History as First Woman in NASCAR Cup Since DANICA PATRICK

March 3, 2025

by Mike Gavin // from www.nbcmiami.com

GRRL! SUMMARY:

KATHERINE LEGGE is breaking a six-year drought this Sunday, becoming the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race since DANICA PATRICK’s 2018 Daytona 500 appearance. The 44-year-old British veteran will pilot the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports at Phoenix Raceway, making her the 17th woman ever to compete at NASCAR’s top level and the first woman born outside the US to do so since 1977.
This isn’t just a feel-good story – LEGGE brings serious credentials to the stock car, including four IMSA class victories and multiple Indianapolis 500 appearances. In 2023, she set two qualifying records for women at Indy, posting the fastest one-lap (231.627 mph) and four-lap speeds ever recorded by a female driver. Her resume spans IndyCar, IMSA sports cars, and now NASCAR Xfinity Series experience with five starts.
LEGGE joins an exclusive club as only the third woman to compete in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR Cup Series, alongside PATRICK and trailblazer JANET GUTHRIE. While we’re still waiting for that first Cup Series win by a woman – SARA CHRISTIAN’s 1949 fifth-place finish remains the highest by any female driver – LEGGE’s extensive motorsports background positions her as someone who earned this shot through talent, not novelty.