KATHERINE LEGGE’s Shoe Melts to Throttle in Wild Mexico City NASCAR Debut

July 5, 2025

by Pratham Gurung // from www.essentiallysports.com

• KATHERINE LEGGE’s NASCAR Cup debut in Mexico City turned into a literal hot mess when blistering cockpit heat melted her racing shoe’s sole, fusing it to the throttle pedal. The British veteran, who’s conquered everything from Champ Car to Formula E, was running strong in the top 20 before poor insulation around the pedal box created this bizarre mechanical nightmare, ultimately dropping her to 32nd place—five laps behind winner Shane van Gisbergen.
• Despite the chaotic debut, LEGGE is completely hooked on NASCAR’s raw brutality, describing it as “Mortal Kombat on the track.” After years wrestling high-tech prototypes with endless driver aids, she’s found her calling in NASCAR’s 3,200-pound beasts that demand pure muscle and instinct. No push-button pit limiters, no traction control—just you, an H-pattern gearbox, and whatever fight you’ve got left in 120°F cockpit temperatures.
• LEGGE faces another uphill battle heading into Chicago’s street course, where she’ll need to qualify her way into a field with only four open spots for five hopeful drivers. After getting caught up in Atlanta’s “Big One” despite having fun behind the wheel, she’s banking on street course experience from her Long Beach victory to finally catch that elusive break and show what she can really do when the racing gods aren’t actively working against her.

autódromo hermanos rodríguez, nascar cup series, nascar xfinity series, next gen cars