AVONDALE, Ariz. — Katherine Legge has raced in just about every series possible during her 25-year journey in professional motorsports, ranging from dirt tracks to IndyCar.
Even so, she doesn’t mind admitting to being nervous about potentially rubbing fenders with the likes of Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano in her first NASCAR Cup Series event Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.
“It’s like if you’re starting a new job,” the 44-year-old Legge said. “You’re doing the job you’ve been doing a long time, but it’s in a new environment. So you have to figure out who your coworkers are, make friends.”
Legge is set to become the first woman in a Cup Series race since Danica Patrick made her final start in the Daytona 500 seven years ago.
It’s been a whirlwind of preparation for the England native, who said she found out about 10 days ago that she’d be racing at Phoenix in the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports. She has limited experience on oval tracks and has spent much of the past week in North Carolina, a hub for NASCAR teams, working on a simulator.
“I feel super well supported and as prepared as I possibly can be, having never driven on an oval like this with a NextGen car,” Legge said of NASCAR’s model that was introduced in 2022. “I’ve done a handful of stock-car races in my career, so I feel like I’m either going to sink or swim, but everyone’s giving me the best opportunity possible to go out there and do a good job.”
Legge’s resumé is impressive, particularly in its variety, and includes five career starts in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series, with one of those in 2023. She ran the ARCA Menards race last month at Daytona International Speedway and had seven starts last season in IndyCar, the top level of open-wheel racing in the United States.
She also has four career starts in the Indianapolis 500, and in 2023 she set a record for fastest qualifying time by a woman.
On Sunday, her expectations at Phoenix are realistic, given the challenging circumstances. The main goal is to learn a lot and earn more experiences in the Cup Series down the road.
“I want to finish all of the laps, I want to do a good job minimizing mistakes, and I want to stay out of trouble, show respect and prove I belong,” she said.
Legge later added: “If I finish anything but last, it’ll be a win for us, honestly. I don’t have the experience that any of these guys have. I don’t have the car, at the moment, that’s capable of running up front. So hopefully we can develop me, the car, everything else, and we can get there.”
Legge is well aware of her status as one of the few women in high-level racing. She called it “disappointing” that there has been a lull in female drivers since the 2000s and 2010s, when several made their mark on the sport, including Simona de Silvestro, Sarah Fisher and Patrick.
Legge is one of nine women who have raced in the Indy 500. She has four career victories in sports car racing, has participated in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and even competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
“When I stop racing, I’d love to bring up the next generation,” Legge said. “I think there’s only a handful of us who have the shared, lived experiences. And I think my experience might be valuable in helping them navigate it.”
For now, her focus remains on the track and to soak in the moment. She said several people have told her Phoenix — which will also host the season finale in November, when the field of Cup Series contenders will be down to its final four — is a great place to learn the nuances of NASCAR racing, thanks to its unique dogleg and wide track for a one-mile layout.
“I’ve had a hell of a life and a hell of a career so far,” Legge said. “Now I’m sitting here about to run a Cup race. I’m such a dork, I took a picture of the garage with my name on it. It’s so cool.”