Katherine Legge Becomes First Woman in NASCAR Cup Series Since 2018

Legge's historic debut at Phoenix Raceway ends in a crash, but she remains optimistic about future opportunities in the sport.

Katherine Legge, a 44-year-old British driver, competed in the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time at the Shriners Children's 500 in Phoenix, marking the first female participation in the series since Danica Patrick in 2018.
Legge faced challenges throughout the race, spinning out on lap 4 and again on lap 216, the latter incident involving Daniel Suárez and ending her race in 30th place.
Driving the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports, Legge struggled with car adjustments made overnight, which she described as making the vehicle difficult to control early in the race.
Despite the setbacks, Legge emphasized the positives, noting the experience as a learning opportunity and expressing hope for more chances to race in the Cup Series.
The debut coincided with International Women's Day weekend, drawing attention to the ongoing underrepresentation of women in professional motorsports.