Katherine Legge, ready to become only the second woman after Danica Patrick to compete in the Cup Series, is all set for the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix, driving the #78 Chevy sponsored by DROPLiGHT for Live Fast Motorsports. During a media day, she discussed her burgeoning Cup Series aspirations.
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This season, before her Cup debut in the upcoming weekend, Legge’s NASCAR involvement was limited to just one race in the ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway, where she secured a ninth-place finish. However, she also brings experience from the Xfinity Series, having participated in five races across 2018 and 2023, with her standout performance at Road America.
When queried about her prospects for future participation in the Cup Series, Legge shared her excitement but moderated expectations regarding her immediate competitiveness.
“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,” she stated. She openly acknowledged her learning curve, adding, “I think if we finish anything but last, that would be a win for us honestly because I don’t have the experience that any of these guys have.”
Legge also noted the current limitations of her equipment, admitting, “I don’t have the car at the moment that’s capable of going and running up in front, so hopefully we can develop me and the car and everything else at the same time and we can get there.” Her focus remains on concurrent development — herself, her car, and her team’s overall capabilities — hoping for progressive improvements.
Despite these challenges, Legge is secure in her race entry, as her #78 car is registered as an open entry and will face no qualification hurdles due to the entry cap.
Outside of NASCAR, Legge also raced in other motorsports series this year. For instance, over the winter, she participated in the Chili Bowl Nationals.
Besides that, in 2024, she participated in seven NTT IndyCar Series races for Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, including a stint at the Indianapolis 500 — marking her fourth appearance. Plans for her return to the 2025 Indy 500 are still pending.
Is Legge not happy with making a debut at the Oval?
Legge, who has a seasoned background in road course racing spanning Indy, IMSA, and Formula E, recently expressed a preference for her NASCAR Cup debut to have occurred on a familiar circuit like COTA rather than the oval at Phoenix. Reflecting on the transition, she noted:
“Yes. I think I would’ve felt a whole different level of comfort if I had been at COTA this past weekend. We spoke about it; it was just really tough to get it done in the timeframe. So, we were in Atlanta, and NASCAR said you could do COTA or Phoenix. I was like COTA, COTA would be great, but there was just no way to get everything done and get the car ready for COTA.”
Despite the logistical challenges and her initial reservations, Legge remains appreciative of the chance to compete at NASCAR’s pinnacle.
