The collision involving Katherine Legge and Daniel Suarez at Phoenix garnered considerable attention, not for the typical scrutiny over who was at fault or the measures that could have prevented the wreck, but due to Suarez’s direct criticism of NASCAR’s policy of integrating globally renowned drivers — albeit novices in stock cars or Next Gen vehicles — into the NASCAR Cup Series. But did Suarez’s comments cause a strain between the two drivers? When queried about her association with Suarez, particularly following the Phoenix incident, Legge openly discussed their post-race exchange.
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Legge remarked, “Daniel was very sweet, actually, very kind and understanding. He was like, ‘Listen, I don’t blame you. Of course, what happened was less than ideal for me,’ which I said, ‘Listen, it was not intention. I know that doesn’t make that any better, but I was trying my best to stay out of trouble, actually, and it was just a mistake.”
She elaborated, highlighting that Suarez and others have raised questions about the fairness of newcomers being catapulted directly into the top tier of the series without sufficient preparatory experience.
From her own background across multiple motorsports disciplines, Legge confirmed that drivers usually engage in some form of testing or preparatory activities before competing, and she noted that these vehicles are definitely challenging to handle. Consequently, the practice sheds light on the demands and intricacies of the sport.
Nevertheless, she did critique the media for exacerbating the issue, remarking, “They say, there’s no such thing as bad press, but after this week, I beg to differ.”
At Phoenix, Suarez was well-positioned for a top-five finish, holding sixth place, before Legge’s collision with Josh Berry derailed his effort. Although Suarez recovered to finish 23rd, the incident undeniably compromised what could have been a standout performance for the Trackhouse Racing driver.
Despite that, following his remarks about Legge, Suarez himself faced significant scrutiny from fans, who criticized him for his inconsistency on the track. They argued that Suarez, whose recent outings have not been very impressive, lacks the standing to criticize Legge’s qualifications.
Kevin Harvick supports Suarez’s stance
Kevin Harvick recently reiterated Daniel Suarez’s concerns regarding NASCAR’s policy of permitting drivers with insufficient experience in stock cars, particularly the Next Gen models, to compete.
Harvick expressed apprehension that such policy changes, which welcome “world-class drivers” unacquainted with Next Gen vehicles, not only endanger these novices but also pose additional risks to seasoned competitors, as demonstrated by Suarez’s recent setback at Phoenix.
Voicing his opinion on his podcast Happy Hour, Harvick stated, “[Legge] showing up to Phoenix in a cup car that she’s never driven, not a lot of NASCAR Experience, and I know that we want people from different series to be able to come into the cup series. But we got to get back to some accountability of making sure that the people that are driving… These cup cars are hard to drive; you can’t just let everybody drive it.”
It remains to be seen, though, which next world-class driver will join the Cup races. Notably, both Helio Castroneves and Katherine Legge, who entered the NASCAR Cup Series as open entries, have experienced crashes at Daytona and Phoenix, respectively, and ended their races with DNF.
