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Katherine Legge finishes 32nd in NASCAR Mexico City debut even after extreme heat melted her shoe
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Katherine Legge's long-awaited NASCAR Cup Series debut in Mexico City went slightly askew when the extreme heat in her cockpit melted the sole of her racing shoe. Legge was running in the top 20 in her first NASCAR race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday when the unusual mishap occurred, forcing her to hit the brakes.
She eventually finished 32nd, five laps behind the race winner.
Extreme heat causes Katherine Legge's unusual pedal box malfunction
During this race, the constant hammering heat in the 2.7-mile road course caused Legge's shoe sole to start melting and adhere to the throttle pedal. Radio transmissions between her and the pit crew showed how serious the problem was, with Legge saying her shoe was 'literally fused to the pedal.'
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Her team thought the lack of insulation around the pedal box deformed the rubber sole.
The crew successfully helped her get the foot free at some point during the race, but she lost time and had compromised control of the car as a result.
Katherine Legge's return to the Cup Series and future races
It was Katherine Legge's second start of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series, the first being in Phoenix earlier this season, where she finished in 30th place. Having had a successful career in open wheel and a more recent venture into sports cars, the 44-year-old has had the backing of e.l.f.,
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Expectations were high for her in this International Cup Series race.
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However, it's still not all doom and gloom with Legge. She noted in a post-race statement that moving into NASCAR had not been easy, and it was 'one of the hardest championships to chase in the world.'
Team owner BJ McLeod said the same thing, noting the massive undertaking of the Gen-7 stock cars.
Looking ahead despite the setback
While Legge was disappointed that she came in the 32nd position, she will continue her Cup Series as per the schedule. This includes races in Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and Richmond, which will be tough tracks. Thanks to her resilience and a stout lineup of sponsors, Legge will continue to learn as much as possible from each race and refine her stock-car driving craft.
A random glitch could have spoiled her weekend in Mexico City, but she seems determined to push to the absolute limit. It will be interesting to see how she develops into a contender in NASCAR's road course races as she accumulates more seat time.
