NASCAR’s controversial newcomer sends a crystal clear message: “It cost me my reputation, which I intend to get back”
NASCAR's controversial newcomer Katherine Legge stole the spotlight for all the wrong reasons during her Cup Series debut at the Phoenix Raceway. The British Motorsports driver, who has noteworthy accolades in IMSA, IndyCar, and more, spun twice in Phoenix due to her inexperience in piloting the NextGen car, attracting backlash from the community over NASCAR's controversial approval process.
Legge debuted with Live Fast Motorsports. Though the first spin went uneventful, the second one proved costly, not only for her but also for the Trackhouse Racing rival Daniel Suarez. The #99 Chevy driver was chasing the pack when Legge spun and collected the former in the mess. As a result, Suarez also questioned the sanctioning body's decision to let her race.
Nonetheless, amid her recent announcement about expanding her NASCAR schedule to 12 races this year, Legge expressed she'd never given up on anything in her 20 years of professional motorsports. She admitted that her "mistake" at Phoenix and the run-in with Suarez cost her reputation, which she intends to get back.
"I know (Phoenix) wasn’t my best work. I made a mistake, right? I made a lot of mistakes during the race, tried to minimize them. … And then there was that one mistake that obviously ended Daniel’s race and cost me my reputation, which I intend to get back. But it was a mistake," Legge told NBC Sports.
She added that being harshly criticized for "one mistake" was "unfair" to her, claiming she is an outstanding driver.
"You see these guys making mistakes even when they’ve been doing it for decades. So to be vilified on one mistake, I feel like was really unfair. I am a damn good race car driver, and I will come back and prove that was just a blip on the radar."
Legge will be seen at the Rockingham Speedway for her first Xfinity race this season, and sixth overall.
Bubba Wallace's spotter called out NASCAR for approving Katherine Legge's Cup debut
Bubba Wallace's spotter, Freddie Kraft, slammed NASCAR for allowing Katherine Legge to debut at the Phoenix Raceway. Her five-race experience in the Xfinity Series was insufficient to tame the challenging NextGen machine without due practice.
It's worth mentioning that NASCAR denied Mike Wallace a chance to run in the 2025 Daytona 500 despite his resume boasting immense experience in the Xfinity and Cup Series. He was declared ineligible because he hadn't participated in a NASCAR-sanctioned event since 2020.
Wallace's spotter iterated that though Legge made mistakes, the sanctioning body shall be held accountable because they "put her in a position where she wasn't going to succeed."
"Katherine made her mistakes, whatever it is, I'm not going to harp on her because I feel like they put her in a position where she wasn't going to succeed you know, they set her up for failure because she should have never been approved to run this race," Kraft said via Door Bumper Clear.
Legge will participate in seven Xfinity races with Jordan Anderson Racing and five Cup Series races, beginning at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico.