Latest news with #No.78
NBC Sports
08-03-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
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.'
USA Today
04-03-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Katherine Legge to become first woman in 7 years to race in NASCAR Cup Series
Katherine Legge to become first woman in 7 years to race in NASCAR Cup Series Show Caption Hide Caption What is it like to race in the Indy 500? Indy car driver Katherine Legge gives a very honest take on the feelings drivers have as they prepare for the Indy 500. Sports Seriously Live Fast Motorsports has a new driver for their NASCAR Cup Series car, and it's a veteran motor sports racer and a woman. Katherine Legge, 44, will make her debut in the series this Sunday at Phoenix Raceway in the Shriners Children's 500, becoming the 17th woman ever to compete in a Cup race. Legge will drive the No. 78 DROPLiGHT Chevrolet Camaro. This will also be the first time in seven years that a woman has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, with Danica Patrick last making an appearance in 2018. "I don't want to just be a female driver for the sake of ticking a diversity box, right?" said Legge. "I want to be there on merit, and I want to be a good example for everybody that's coming up behind me." She continued, "I have to prove competence at the end of the day, right? Don't think anybody expects me to go out and set the world on fire and be competitive because it's the most competitive championship in the world. I just don't want to make any mistakes and look silly or look incapable. I think the competitiveness will come with experience." NASCAR: Christopher Bell triumphs at COTA for second straight win of 2025 Live Fast Motorsports, co-owned by driver B.J. McLeod and wife Jessica McLeod, field a part-time entry in the Cup Series. B.J. McLeod finished 22nd driving the No. 78 car at Atlanta, but he failed to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500 and did not compete in the most recent race at Circuit of the Americas. With only 37 entries slated for Phoenix, Legge is assured of a starting spot on Sunday. What to know about Legge's motor sports career and women in NASCAR: Katherine Legge's auto racing career Legge, who was born in Guildford, England, has five starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, most recently in 2023 when she recorded her best finish: 14th at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. In February, she finished 39th in the ARCA Menards Series' Ride the 'Dente race at Daytona International Speedway. Legge is most well-known, however, as an IndyCar driver, competing in 19 races in the NTT IndyCar Series across four seasons (2012, 2013, 2023 and 2024) and 28 in CART (2006 and 2007), earned a combined seven top-10s. She has raced in the legendary Indianapolis 500 four times, and in 2023, she set the record for the fastest-ever qualifying time by a woman. Katherine Legge on being only female driver in the 2023 Indy 500 Katherine Legge is only one of nine drivers to ever race in the Indy 500. We ask her what it will take to get more females to be part of the sport in the future. Sports Seriously Legge's biggest success has come as a sports car driver. She has competed in 92 IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship races sine 2014, winning four times and scoring 11 podium finishes. NASCAR cited Legge's recent participation on "high-speed ovals" in approving her to race in the Cup Series. When was the last time a woman competed in NASCAR Cup Series? Danica Patrick was the last woman to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. Her final race was the 2018 Daytona 500, where she finished 35th. In total, Patrick made 191 Cup starts between 2012 and 2018, amassing seven top-10 finishes in that span. Twice, Patrick finished top-25 in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, finishing 24th in both 2015 and 2016. Sixteen female drivers have run at least one race in the Cup Series, including Hall of Famer Janet Guthrie, who drove in 33 races between 1976-80. The NASCAR Hall of Fame awarded Guthrie the Landmark Award in 2024.
New York Times
03-03-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
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. Advertisement '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 — 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.'
