NASCAR team owner slams William Sawalich over Rockingham wreck that caused Katherine Legge's early exitÂ
NASCAR team owner Joey Gase took to social media to call out William Sawalich after his incident with Katherine Legge took her out of contention at Rockingham Speedway. Legge's return to the Xfinity Series after two years ended on a disappointing note after the Joe Gibbs Racing driver clipped her No.53 Chevrolet, triggering a chain reaction that resulted in her retirement.
On Saturday, April 19, Legge began her race with Joey Gase Motorsports after failing to qualify with Jordan Anderson Racing. She took the wheel of J.J Yeley, who'd placed his No.53 Chevrolet in the 31st spot on the grid.
Near the end of Stage 1, Sawalich made contact with Legge's left rear while lapping her. Consequently, Legge spun sideways and collided with Kasey Kahne, before slamming into the wall.
Reacting to the incident, NASCAR team owner Joey Gase shared an X post condemning Sawalich's actions, stating,
"And this is why this Joe Gibbs driver is 24th in owner points. Sad. @katherinelegge was doing a hell of a job."
Willliam Sawalich went on to finish outside the top-20, while Katherine Legge retired to the tail end. The result dropped Sawalich two spots in the driver's standings, placing him at 25th.
"There was not much I can do": Katherine Legge shares her frustration after crashing out in Rockingham
Katherine Legge has not had the best of starts to her 2025 NASCAR season. Beginning with a Cup Series debut earlier this year at Phoenix Raceway, Legge spun out twice to ultimately retire after 210 laps. Notably, Trackhouse Racing driver Daniel Suarez fell victim to her second spin, much like her crash with Kasey Kahne at Rockingham Speedway.
The disastrous debut drew criticism from fans and drivers alike, with Suarez blaming NASCAR's vetting process for bringing inexperienced drivers to the sport. With yet another retirement in the Xfinity Series, Legge opened up about her misfortunes post-race.
"I'm just exacerbated, you know, I think I must've been really bad in a previous life or something because a bit unlucky. I mean there was not much I can do then, I just got taken out by Sawalich," Katherine Legge told via Fox Sports.
"We were just hanging with the pack there and I was thinking okay, i'm getting experience and my goal is just to finish, right. So when you get taken out like that there's literally nothing you can do. I don't have a disappear button on my steering wheel," she added.
Katherin Legge is set to compete in seven Xfinity Series races with Jordan Anderson Racing, along with five Cup series starts with Live Fast Motorsports, the team she originally competed in her debut at Phoenix. Her next outing in the Xfinity Series happens at Talladega Super Speedway on April 26, 2025.