Katherine Legge's Cup Series debut at Phoenix was a "baptism of fire," but approving her to race was the right call by NASCAR.

Katherine Legge spent 25 years working her way through professional motorsports before getting her shot at driving a NASCAR Cup Series car.

Katherine Legge didn’t accomplish her goal of finishing the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway, but she still made history as the first woman to pilot NASCAR’s Next Gen car introduced in 2022.

At the Shriners Children’s 500, Katherine Legge became the first woman to compete at NASCAR’s top level since Danica Patrick nearly a decade ago. The English driver is the 17th woman to race in the Cup Series and one of only two to drive in the Indy 500.

Katherine Legge discusses her first NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway in March 2025. Legge became the first woman driver in Cup since 2018.

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.

Katherine Legge’s highly anticipated NASCAR Cup Series debut at Phoenix Raceway was anything but easy. The British driver, known for her success in open-wheel and other racing formats, stepped into the world of stock cars hoping to make an impact.

Daniel Suarez blasts NASCAR for its outdated system and lack of support for drivers, while clarifying that he holds no grudges against Katherine Legge. Suarez’s outspoken criticism highlights the need for change in the sport,

Katherine Legge’s return to NASCAR’s Cup Series was supposed to be a historic moment. As the first woman to compete in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick retired in 2018, there was plenty of excitement surrounding her debut at Phoenix Raceway.