Live Fast Motorsports has a new driver for their NASCAR STAPS car, and it is a veteran car runner and a woman.
Katherine LEGGE, 44, will make her debut in the series this Sunday at Phoenix Raceway in the 500 Children’s 500, becoming the 17th woman to participate in a cup race. LEGGE will lead the Droplight Chevrolet Camaro n ° 78.
It will also be the first time in seven years that a woman participated in the Nascar Cup series, with Danica Patrick for the last time in 2018.
“I don’t want to be just a driver to check a diversity box, right?” said LeGge. “I want to be there in merit, and I want to be a good example for all those who come behind me.” She continued: “I have to prove the competence at the end of the day, right? Do not think that nobody expects what I am putting the world the world and being competitive because it is the world’s most competitive championship. I do not want to have experience.”
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Live Fast Motorsports, co -owner by the driver BJ McLeod and his wife Jessica McLeod, on the part -time field in the CUP series. BJ McLeod finished 22nd driving car n ° 78 in Atlanta, but he failed to qualify for the opening of the Daytona 500 season and did not participate in the Most recent breed at Circuit of the Americas. With only 37 entries planned for Phoenix, LEGGE is assured of a starting point on Sunday.
What to know about the LEGGE automotive sports career and women in NASCAR:
Katherine LEGGE’s motor racing career
LeGge, born in Guildford, England, has five departures in the Nascar Xfinity series, more recently in 2023 when she recorded her best finish: 14th in Road America to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. In February, she finished 39th in the Arca Menards series, Ride The ‘Dente Race in Daytona International Speedway.
LEGGE is however better known, however, as an Indycar pilot, in competition in 19 races of the NTT Indycar series in Four Seasons (2012, 2013, 2023 and 2024) and 28 in Cart (2006 and 2007), obtained a combined top 10.
She ran in the legendary Indianapolis 500 on four times, and in 2023, she set the record for the fastest qualification time of a woman.
The biggest success in Legge came as a sports car driver. She participated in 92 Sportscar ISSA Weathertech Sine 2014 championship races, winning four times and marking 11 podiums.
Nascar cited LEGGE’s recent participation on “high -speed oval” By approving him to run in the cut series.
When was the last time a woman participated in the NASCAR CUP series?
Danica Patrick was the last woman to participate in the Nascar Cup series.
Her last race was the 2018 Daytona 500, where she finished 35th. In total, Patrick made departures of the 191 Cup between 2012 and 2018, amazing seven Top-10 in this period. Twice, Patrick finished the TOP-25 in the NASCAR series ranking, finishing 24th in 2015 and 2016.
Sixteen pilots participated at least one race in the Cup series, including the renowned temple Janet Guthrie, which led 33 races between 1976 and 1980. The Nascar Hall of Fame awarded Guthrie the Landmark Prize in 2024.
This article originally appeared on USA Today: Katherine LEGGE to make her NASCAR Cup debut, first woman runs in 7 years
