Natalie Decker, Toni Breidinger, and Katherine Legge represent the maximum number of female drivers simultaneously active in NASCAR. Legge stands out further as the second woman, following Danica Patrick, to compete in the sport’s top tier, marking a milestone for female participation in stock car racing.
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The 44-year-old who will be seen driving at Phoenix this Sunday recently voiced her concerns about the scarcity of women in top-tier racing. She expressed disappointment over the gender disparity, highlighting a missed opportunity for broader representation. However, she also acknowledged a fact rarely touched on by the fairer sex.
Reflecting on the history of women in motorsports, Legge noted a break following the era dominated by drivers such as Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick, Simona de Silvestro, and herself. That’s why Legge is intent on dedicating herself to mentoring the next lot of female racers once her days behind the wheel come to an end. She sees her experiences as crucial tools to help emerging drivers chart their course.
Discussing the contrasting paths of male and female racers, Legge remarked, “Everybody says, ‘What’s it like to be a girl in racing?’ and I don’t know, because I only have my own experience. I don’t know what it’s like to be a boy in racing.”
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Legge acknowledged the disadvantages of being a woman in the racing world, recognizing the inherent challenges and the mental fortitude required to surmount them. But she aspires to be recognized for her skills alone, lamenting, “I think, to me, it just is I would much rather people just saw me as another racecar driver on merit. But that’s not reality.”
Yet, the latest female Cup driver did not merely dwell on the hardships. She admitted, “I’m not immune or blind to the fact it has helped me in ways too. I’m just going to go out there and be Katherine and do the very best that I can.”
What Legge touched on is the opportunity someone like herself has, with teams looking at them as not merely drivers but tools to market themselves.
The best example for this phenomenon is Danica Patrick. Despite Patrick’s hardships in NASCAR with Stewart-Haas Racing, the former IndyCar driver remained on the team, a feat that a male driver might not be able to pull off, especially considering Danica’s wide array of marketing and promotional connections, which ultimately benefitted not only SHR but the sport as a whole.
Legge’s future plans in NASCAR
Before her Phoenix Cup debut this weekend, where Katherine Legge will take the helm of the #78 Chevrolet fielded by Live Fast Motorsports, her NASCAR stint was relatively brief, featuring a single race in the ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway this season. She has also had periodic appearances in the Xfinity Series during 2018 and 2023.
When probed about her aspirations for future engagements in the Cup Series post-Phoenix, Legge conveyed her enthusiasm albeit with tempered expectations about her immediate impact in the field, stating, “That would be awesome, yeah. I would love to do that. I don’t think that we have any expectation that we’re going to go out and be competitive.”
With all the transparency, Legge expressed her modest goal for the Phoenix race: to avoid finishing last, which she considers would be a personal victory given her nascent familiarity with Next Gen cars and oval tracks.
Furthermore, she acknowledged the current limitations, including the absence of a competitive car. That’s why her primary focus remains on the ongoing development of her skills, her vehicle, and her team’s collective capabilities, aiming for gradual enhancements in their performance.
