It’s been almost two weeks since Katherine Legge arrived at Phoenix Raceway to make her NASCAR Cup Series debut, yet the fallout from her tough outing is still making news.
Legge’s status as the first woman driver in the series since 2018 brought a wave of attention on race weekend. Unfortunately for Legge, that story had a bad ending. She spun twice and failed to finish the event. One of those spins collected frontrunner Daniel Suárez.
Perhaps surprisingly, Suárez did not blame Legge, but instead pointed the finger at NASCAR for not ensuring the 44-year-old racing veteran had enough stock-car racing experience. And others in the NASCAR world concurred, including broadcasters Kevin Harvick ad Dale Earnhardt Jr. Harvick said Legge “was thrown to the wolves.”
Legge addressed the controversy in an interview with Racer.com last week, apologizing and thanking those who had supported her. With any other inexperienced driver who struggled in a debut, this issue would have faded away by now. But Legge’s status as the “first woman to compete in the NASCAR Cup racing since 2018” has kept the story in the limelight.
CNN spoke with Legge this week, and while she hit all the angles already covered by the racing media, she also had some interesting thoughts on being held up by the media as a role model for women in racing.
“I never set out to be the representative for women in motorsports. I think that each and every one of us are individuals and we should all be judged on our own individual merit,” Legge said. “But it comes with a responsibility, and so I try to do the very best job with that that I can.
“I see videos of young girls watching the race and thinking they can be anything they want to be when they grow up because they see a girl driving a race car and that’s what makes it worthwhile, making an impact on those lives is really special and means the world to me.”
Legge pointed out the real role models for women in racing competed long ago.
“Back in the day, the Janet Guthrie’s and the Lyn St. James’ of the world, they were the ones who were really breaking barriers,” Legge said. “There was no female restroom in the pits back then. Right now, I’m just trying to be a racecar driver. It’s not like I feel like I’m any different.”
Still, Legge realizes young girls and women have been following her exploits. She reposted a video of girls watching her race on social media.
After the tough race at Phoenix, followed by the media analysis, Legge just wants to get back to racing. She still believes she can make it in NASCAR’s elite series.
“I didn’t showcase the talent that I feel that I have, and I wish it had gone differently,” Legge said. “I think the naysayers are wrong, so I’m definitely going to go back and try again. I love the NASCAR paddock, and I see a future there — and anyway I need redemption now, right?”
