Katherine Legge to become first woman in 7 years to race in NASCAR's Cup Series
A woman will race in the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday for the first time in more than seven years.
Katherine Legge, the 44-year-old British sports car and open-wheel driver, will race the No. 78 car for the part-time Live Fast Motorsports team at Phoenix Raceway. In making her Cup Series debut, Legge will become the first woman to appear in a Cup race since Danica Patrick concluded her career in the 2018 Daytona 500.
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'Entering the NASCAR Cup Series is a dream come true,' Legge said. 'Racing stock cars has been an incredibly fun and new challenge that's given me a renewed sense of vigor for this sport. As always, I'm grateful for the opportunity to do what I love and am inspired by all of the effort, preparation and behind the scenes work it takes to get here.'
We are thrilled to announce that @katherinelegge will be driving the No. 78 DROPLiGHT Chevy Camaro this week in Phoenix!
This will be Katherine's debut in the NASCAR Cup series.#nascar #cupseries pic.twitter.com/w9zdc3clac
— Live Fast Motorsports (@teamlivefast) March 3, 2025
Legge has extensive experience in sports cars and IndyCar, where she has made four starts in the Indianapolis 500. Her NASCAR starts have been limited to five races in the second-tier Xfinity Series, including four on road courses (which is her background).
A 1-mile oval in the Cup Series will certainly be a challenge, particularly in a car that is not expected to be competitive even with a veteran driver in the seat. But for Legge, it's an opportunity to add to her diverse motorsports racing resume.
'The opportunity to have such a versatile and dynamic championship-winning driver join our program is exciting for everyone on our team,' said Live Fast co-owner Jessica McLeod, who owns the team with driver husband B.J. McLeod. 'This partnership reflects our commitment to providing opportunities for drivers making their way into the NASCAR Cup series in the Next Gen Era.'
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