Katherine Legge returned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series hoping to reset her season and leave behind a difficult Cup Series debut. After years racing in IndyCar, IMSA, and Formula E, Legge finally got her shot in the premier NASCAR series this March at Phoenix Raceway. She was the first woman to start a Cup Series race since Danica Patrick in 2018. It was a major moment—not just for her, but for women in motorsports. But things went south fast.

Legge spun twice during the race, first on her own, then again while collecting Daniel Suarez. She also entered pit road when it was closed, earning a penalty. The result? A 30th-place finish, social media backlash, and more criticism than she’d expected. “I know Phoenix wasn’t my best work. But I haven’t been around in motorsports for 20 years professionally by giving up on anything,” Legge said. With 12 more races combined ahead in both Xfinity and Cup, Legge planned to bounce back. However, her Xfinity return at Rockingham didn’t go as planned, and the backlash on social media was swift and unforgiving.

Things got so bad that Marco Andretti had to step in and defend the British driver. “It’s wild to me how many grown men talk badly about bad ass girls like this,” posted Andretti. “Does it make them feel more manly from the couch or something?” Xfinity Series driver Ryan Vargas also tried to join in Andretti’s stance, but for some reason, his message was twisted out of context, forcing him to respond and clear any confusion.

Katherine Legge faced massive trolling after Rockingham!

Rockingham was supposed to be Legge’s clean slate. She qualified on speed, but officials initially left her off the grid due to ownership points.  Eventually, she started the race in J.J. Yeley’s No. 53 for Joey Gase Motorsports. But on race day, trouble found her again. William Sawalich tagged her entering Turn 1, spinning her into Kasey Kahne’s car. The crash triggered harsh criticism online, with many fans blaming Legge unfairly.

That’s when NASCAR driver Ryan Vargas stepped in. He made a post on X sharing a picture of Legge and her IndyCar record. He even put out a single word caption, “unproven”, but things spiraled. His words were misinterpreted, and soon he was dealing with threats himself. Vargas had to clarify, “This needs to be stated, I am defending Katherine here. Please do not threaten or harass me.” Attached was a screenshot of a disturbing email. It mocked Vargas, questioned his career, and included a rant that ended with, “Maybe your daughter should just let her men in her life drive so she can just sit there like a good little girl.”

A show of support quickly turned into a new firestorm. Vargas didn’t back down, but his message was clear: defending someone shouldn’t make you a target. Notably, Vargas is no stranger to the spotlight or pressure. He built a diverse and gritty career across multiple NASCAR-sanctioned series, including the Xfinity Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and a full season in the NASCAR Euro Series.

In 2025, he made history as the first full-time American competitor in the NASCAR Canada Series since 2001, driving the No. 28 Dodge Challenger for DJK Racing. He also competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series with Maples Motorsports. Meanwhile, Legge herself has been dealing with far worse. Since the Rockingham crash, she has revealed that people have sent her hate mail and even death threats.

On her podcast Throttle Therapy, she said, “The inappropriate social media comments I’ve received aren’t just disturbing, they are unacceptable… I won’t tolerate any of these threats to my safety or to my dignity.” Notably, Katherine Legge is no rookie. Her resume includes four Indianapolis 500 starts, time in IndyCar, IMSA, and even Formula E. She first entered NASCAR’s Xfinity Series back in 2018 and returned in 2023.

While her recent Cup debut was rough, her background in racing is anything but thin. She’s earned her place. And she’s not afraid to say it. “I have earned my seat on that race track. I’ve worked just as hard as any of the other drivers out there,” she said. Despite the backlash, she’s not stepping away. Her NASCAR schedule continues in 2025, with a mix of Cup and Xfinity races. She will run more events, including stops at Talladega, Charlotte, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen.

Backed by Jordan Anderson Racing and Live Fast Motorsports, and supported by sponsors like e.l.f. Cosmetics, Legge is moving forward. Still, this moment forces racing fans to face a serious question: where do they draw the line? They expect criticism. Hate and threats aren’t. And when drivers like Vargas have to ask people to stop threatening them for defending a fellow driver, that says something about the state of discourse in the sport.

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Not a DEI hire: Legge sets the record straight

For Katherine Legge, the backlash hasn’t just been about crashes. Some critics have claimed she’s only in NASCAR because of diversity and inclusion initiatives. People have called her a “gimmick” and labeled her “unproven.” She’s had enough of it. “I’m 100 percent sure the teams that employed me, without me bringing any sponsorship money for the majority of those 20 years, did not do so as a DEI hire, or a gimmick, or anything else,” Legge said.

Legge built her career on merit. She raced in some of the most competitive series in the world. Her presence in NASCAR isn’t a marketing stunt. It’s the next chapter in a long and tested journey. In fact, most of her rides came without big-dollar backing. That alone is a rarity in modern motorsports. And the numbers back her up. Before this year’s 14-race schedule, she had already raced in the Xfinity Series multiple times.

She ran four races in 2018, one in 2023, and made her ARCA debut this year at Daytona. Her Cup debut may not have been clean, but her ability to adapt across disciplines speaks for itself. “I know (Phoenix) wasn’t my best work. I made a mistake. But to be vilified on one mistake, I feel like it was really unfair,” she said. “I am a damn good race car driver, and I will come back and prove that was just a blip on the radar.” She has more than ten races to prove it. That’s her plan. And no amount of hate mail or threats will stop her.