Katherine Legge, NASCAR’s first Cup Series female debutant since Danica Patrick, hoped for a relatively uneventful outing in her first race. All she wanted was to learn as much as possible and finish.
However, an unfortunate spin and a crash with Daniel Suárez made her the topic of discussion for the wrong reasons. Legge later revealed that she reached out to Suárez after her debut, and the No. 99 driver held no grudges against the rookie.
Daniel Suárez Holds No Hard Feelings Against Katherine Legge
Reflecting on what happened at Phoenix Raceway during the race, Legge said she made several phone calls. One of those was to Suárez, as she wanted to apologize for ruining his race. Despite the setback he faced due to the crash, Suárez understood that it wasn’t entirely Legge’s fault.
“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,'” Legge said via Racer.com.
Legge responded by saying it was never her intention to crash into Suárez. She did her best to avoid contact but made a mistake.
Suárez, however, focused on NASCAR’s decision to put a rookie in a top-level race with little practice. Given how difficult stock cars are to handle, the No. 99 driver questioned the sport’s choice to have a newcomer compete in such a fast-paced event.
Notably, Suárez has maintained this stance since the incident. He believes NASCAR was at fault for allowing Legge to race in Phoenix, a high-speed track.
Meanwhile, Legge, who has faced heavy criticism since her debut, remains motivated to keep racing. She completed 210 laps in Phoenix and finished P30. The 44-year-old aimed to finish the race but fell short.
Embarrassed by how things played out, Legge wants to prove her doubters wrong. Calling the incident a “blip in the matrix,” she hopes to return and prove herself as a stock car driver.
NASCAR has approved Legge to race on road courses and short oval tracks, meaning her comeback may not be far off. While a Cup Series return might not happen soon, she understands that NASCAR wants her to gain more experience in the Xfinity Series.