Seven years after Danica Patrick last raced in the Daytona 500 for Premium Motorsports, Katherine Legge took the wheel for the Shriners Children’s 500. The 44-year-old became the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series event since 2018. One NASCAR Hall of Famer took to social media to share his thoughts on Legge’s Cup Series debut.
Katherine Legge Gets a Nod From NASCAR Legend
After a 25-year journey through the ranks of professional motorsports, Legge finally earned her opportunity in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Her debut on stock car racing's biggest stage happens today. @katherinelegge | @teamlivefast pic.twitter.com/6qkh9148qb
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 9, 2025
Hailing from Guildford, England, Legge has competed in various racing series, including seven IndyCar Series starts last year. She also boasts four career appearances in the Indianapolis 500 and made history in 2023 with the fastest qualifying time ever recorded by a woman.
Legge’s first NASCAR Cup Series experience, however, was anything but smooth. She spun out twice and did not finish the race at Phoenix Raceway.
“It was a baptism by fire,” Legge told Fox Sports. “I think there’s a lot of positives to take from it. Obviously, there were mistakes made, but I learned so much. Hopefully, I get to come back.”
Despite the setback, Legge left a lasting impression on NASCAR legend Mark Martin with her bold personality. In a post on X, the Roush Racing legend praised Legge for her candid use of profanity before her Cup Series debut.
Starting 37th in the #NASCAR Cup race @phoenixraceway today – is @katherinelegge
She is super impressive up close in interviews I've had with her over the years.She's the first women since February 2018 to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. She wants simply to complete the… pic.twitter.com/4cel8q20mJ
— Claire B Lang (@ClaireBLang) March 9, 2025
“I’ve always respected her ability, but when she said s*** in this interview, @katherinelegge (Katherine Legge) made me a fan for life. We need personality in @NASCAR,” Martin’s post read.
Legge revealed in the interview that she hadn’t considered Women’s History Month when planning her Cup Series debut.
“I probably shouldn’t use these words, but I’m going to anyway. I said, ‘I’m [going to] fly under the radar for my first Cup race.’ Nobody’s [going to] notice. We’ll just be in the back, we will chill, we will get NASCAR’s permission. And then somebody was like, ‘You know it’s International Women’s Day on Saturday?'” she revealed.
“I thought, ‘Oh s***. There’s no way I’m flying under the radar,’” Legge added.
As some X users took issue with Legge’s swearing, Martin stepped in to support her, responding to a post that defended her authenticity.
The poster argued, “I mean, that’s just your opinion though. My opinion is that cursing makes you seem more authentic and not afraid to ‘stick it to the man.’ And studies have shown there’s a link between cursing and higher intelligence. Which I think is pretty f****** cool.”
Martin agreed and replied, “I must be a genius.”
