NASCAR teams pitch in to help Katherine Legge ahead of her Cup debut at Phoenix
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Multiple NASCAR teams have helped Katherine Legge prepare for her first Cup start this weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
'Everybody has given me the best opportunity to go out there and do a good job,' Legge said Friday.
The 44-year-old driver from England will become the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Cup race since Danica Patrick drove in the 2018 Daytona 500. Legge will pilot the No. 78 for Live Fast Motorsports, which is running a limited Cup schedule this season.
Nate Ryan,
Legge's Cup debut came together quickly. She talked to NASCAR two weeks ago at Atlanta on what she needed to do to compete in a Cup race. She was told that a road course or short track was where she needed to start.
Legge said not everything could be put together fast enough for her to make her debut last weekend at Circuit of the Americas, so Phoenix became the next best option.
'It's been a very intense lead-up,' Legge said.
She has been busy this week.
Richard Childress Racing provided a static sim for her to run laps on the Phoenix track. Chevrolet gave her time in one its Driver-in-the-Loop simulators. She worked on pit stops by driving the car for Hendrick Motorsports' pit practice. Kaulig Racing also has provided support, she said, along with AJ Allmendinger and former Cup driver Andy Lally, the president of the Trans Am Series.
'I feel super well-supported and as prepared as I possibly can be, having never, never driven on an oval like this (with) a Next Gen car,' Legge said.
Legge, who has won in IMSA and competed in four Indianapolis 500s, is realistic about the challenges she faces this weekend.
'I don't think that we have any expectation that we're going to go out and be competitive,' Legge said. 'I think if I finish anything but last, it would be a win for us, honestly, because I don't have the experience that any of these guys have. I don't have the car at the moment that's capable of going and running up in front, so hopefully we can develop me and the car and everything else at the same time and we can get there.'
Legge said her goals for Sunday are simple.
'Basically finish all of the laps,' she said. 'I want to do a good job and minimizing mistakes because everybody makes mistakes, but I really want to minimize them. I want to stay out of trouble and show respect and prove that I belong. I think if I do those things, I think I will get the opportunity to do more.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Stanley Cup Final: Florida Panthers pound Edmonton Oilers to win Game 3
SUNRISE — Home sweet home. The Florida Panthers returned home in style after two tense Stanley Cup Final games in Edmonton to blast the Oilers 6-1 at Amerant Bank Arena. All three Florida lines scored in the Cup's most one-sided affair thus far, chasing Edmonton Oilers goalkeeper Stuart Skinner in the third period with a power play goal from Aaron Ekblad for an emphatic exclamation point. Advertisement Florida Panthers game score: 'All heck breaks loose' in 3rd period after major scrum Brad Marchand strikes again in Panthers' big first period Brad Marchand #63 celebrates with Seth Jones #3 of the Florida Panthers after scoring against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period in Game Three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 09, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. The Florida Panthers' veteran newcomer continued his playoff heater during Game 3. The only difference was that the 37 year old didn't wait until the tense final seconds of the game to light the lamp. This time, he needed less than a minute to give Florida a 1-0 lead, pouncing on Edmonton's net to beat Stuart Skinner at the 56 second mark of the game. The first period was wrought with penalties — a common theme in the series thus far — with the teams splitting nine power plays in the first 20 minutes. Advertisement Carter Verhaeghe took advantage with 2:15 remaining in the first, finding net with a slap shot following build-up by Evan Rodrigues and Nate Schmidt to give the Panthers a 2-0 edge before the first intermission. Same Reinhart breaks mini-slump with second period strike For all of the goals scored across the first two games of Stanley Cup action, one name that was unusually absent from the scoring sheet was Sam Reinhart. That changed three minutes into the second period when he converted a pass from Verhaeghe to beat Skinner. It was his first shot of the game, following nine shots on goal across Games 1 and 2. Advertisement Reinhart's strike provided the Panthers with some breathing room after Corey Perry scored on the power play at 18:20 in the period, restoring a two-goal lead. That breathing room expanded with Sam Bennett's breakaway goal less than five minutes later, prompting the home fans to channel their energy into a sarcastic chant targeting Skinner. Across the first 30 minutes of the game, the Panthers managed four goals on just 16 shots. Tensions boil over after Panthers chase Skinner Aaron Ekblad's power play goal in the third period signaled the end of a demoralizing night for Stuart Skinner, as Edmonton turned to backup goalkeeper Calvin Pickard to finish out Game 3. Advertisement In the one-sided game, a number of small scuffles finally boiled over into a full-fledged brawl on the ice, with virtually all players dropping the gloves. The fight quickly centered around Florida's Jonah Gadjovich and Edmonton's Darnell Nurse, who each landed several big blows during the prolonged melee. Florida's A.J. Greer and Sam Bennett and Edmonton's Trent Frederic and Corey Perry, in addition to Gadjovich and Nurse, all received two-minute minors. 2025 Stanley Cup Final schedule Game 1: Edmonton 4, Florida 3 (OT) [Edmonton leads series, 1-0] Game 2: Florida 5, Edmonton 4 (2OT) [Series tied, 1-1] Advertisement Game 3: Florida 6, Edmonton 1 [Florida leads series, 2-1] Game 4: June 12 in Sunrise, 8 p.m. ET *Game 5: June 14 in Edmonton, 8 p.m. ET *Game 6: June 17 in Sunrise, 8 p.m. ET *Game 7: June 20 in Edmonton, 8 p.m. ET *if necessary How to watch Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers Where: Amerant Bank Arena Time: 8 p.m., Thursday TV: TNT/truTV Stream: HBO Max and Sling TV Alex Peterman covers sports for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Stanley Cup Final: Florida Panthers trounce Edmonton Oilers in Game 3
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
From a massive hit to a breakaway goal: Sam Bennett's unforgettable moment in the Stanley Cup Final
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — In a single shift, Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett showed why he's been one of the most unstoppable players in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final , Bennett knocked Vasily Podkolzin off his feet with a huge hit in the defensive zone, then buried a breakaway goal on the other end moments later. After the goal, which put the Florida Panthers up 4-1 in the second period against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, Bennett pumped his fist and hugged teammate Matthew Tkachuk, whose mouth was wide open, as if neither could believe what had just happened. That's who Bennett has been throughout out the postseason — a hard-hitting, goal-guzzling centerpiece to Florida's third straight run to the Stanley Cup Final. His 20 points lead the Panthers. He has more goals — 14 — than any other player in the playoffs and has scored in each of the first three games of the Cup final. He scored twice in Florida's 4-3 overtime loss at Edmonton in the series opener and opened scoring just two minutes into the Panthers' 5-4 double overtime win in Game 2. Bennett's breakaway goal, which came on an assist from Eetu Luostarinen on Monday, stretched his goal streak to four games, which is a Panthers' postseason record. His playoff scoring surge couldn't have come at a better time, with Bennett set to hit free agency at the end of the season. Panthers coach Paul Maurice, fully aware of Bennett's pending free agency, made sure to issue a warning to any teams interested in his squad's leading postseason scorer. 'Horrible attitude,' Maurice quipped during a midgame television interview. 'I think he's got bubonic plague. Dengue fever. He's got a whole bunch of things. We're not sure he can be cured.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
From a massive hit to a breakaway goal: Sam Bennett's unforgettable moment in the Stanley Cup Final
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — In a single shift, Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett showed why he's been one of the most unstoppable players in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, Bennett knocked Vasily Podkolzin off his feet with a huge hit in the defensive zone, then buried a breakaway goal on the other end moments later. After the goal, which put the Florida Panthers up 4-1 in the second period against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, Bennett pumped his fist and hugged teammate Matthew Tkachuk, whose mouth was wide open, as if neither could believe what had just happened. That's who Bennett has been throughout out the postseason — a hard-hitting, goal-guzzling centerpiece to Florida's third straight run to the Stanley Cup Final. His 20 points lead the Panthers. He has more goals — 14 — than any other player in the playoffs and has scored in each of the first three games of the Cup final. He scored twice in Florida's 4-3 overtime loss at Edmonton in the series opener and opened scoring just two minutes into the Panthers' 5-4 double overtime win in Game 2. Bennett's breakaway goal, which came on an assist from Eetu Luostarinen on Monday, stretched his goal streak to four games, which is a Panthers' postseason record. His playoff scoring surge couldn't have come at a better time, with Bennett set to hit free agency at the end of the season. Panthers coach Paul Maurice, fully aware of Bennett's pending free agency, made sure to issue a warning to any teams interested in his squad's leading postseason scorer. 'Horrible attitude,' Maurice quipped during a midgame television interview. 'I think he's got bubonic plague. Dengue fever. He's got a whole bunch of things. We're not sure he can be cured.' ___
