KATHERINE LEGGE Survives 150+ Laps in Historic NASCAR Cup Series Debut

March 9, 2025

by David Suggs // from www.sportingnews.com

GRRL! SUMMARY:

KATHERINE LEGGE joined the exclusive club of women to compete in NASCAR’s top series, starting dead last at Phoenix but proving she belonged on track. Despite an early spin on lap 4 that brought out the first caution, the 44-year-old Brit kept her composure and methodically worked her way up the grid, gaining valuable track position when a seven-car wreck eliminated several competitors ahead of her.
The Live Fast Motorsports No. 78 car wasn’t exactly a rocket ship, but LEGGE made the most of what she had, climbing to the P28-P29 range and running competitively for over 150 laps. Her team kept making adjustments throughout the race, with LEGGE noting they made the car “way more stable” as the day progressed. She was actually posting faster lap times than several more established drivers including Chase Briscoe and Shane van Gisbergen.
Unfortunately, LEGGE’s promising debut ended with a late-race incident when she tried to move to the apron to stay out of the leaders’ way but instead spun and collected Daniel Suarez. Still, her performance over the bulk of the race showed she can handle Cup Series competition, and she expressed hope for another opportunity to “sport Cup Series colors once more.” Given how she handled the grueling Phoenix test, that next chance seems well-deserved.