“One mistake…cost me my reputation, which I intend to get back.” Katherine Legge said these words two weeks ago about her NASCAR Cup Series debut in Phoenix. The English racer spun out twice, completed just 210 of the 312 laps, and collected Daniel Suarez as well. She followed this up with another DNF at Rockingham Speedway in the Xfinity Series last week. A third outing was scheduled for her at Talladega, and it ended poorly. But this time, Joe Gibbs’ veteran racer acknowledged blame.

The Xfinity Series visited Talladega Superspeedway, the intimidating 2.66-mile Alabama oval, in a relatively calm manner. It looked like drivers had learned their lesson after chaotic races in Martinsville and Rockingham. Yet Katherine Legge was not spared from the wreckage, however small that was. However, her perpetrator regretted it.

Katherine Legge gets a much-needed apology

Well, for a female racer in NASCAR who went through a storm, an apology is long overdue. Ranging from chilling death threats to downright humiliating slogans, Katherine Legge faced the ravages of NASCAR’s social media. Having competed in IndyCar, open-wheel, electric cars, and sports cars, Legge is a highly experienced driver who owns the record for the fastest Indy 500 qualifying lap by a female racer. However, her lack of expertise in NASCAR is what caused the flurry of hatred. That is why, when she did not cause the caution flag in Talladega, her peer immediately regretted it. With just 13 laps to go, Aric Almirola encountered a radio miscommunication. This resulted in a multi-car crash that eliminated Legge, Almirola, and Jeffrey Earnhardt.

Driving his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Aric Almirola was racing in front of the pack. His spotter made a call to join the top lane, but it was too late. In a post-race interview, the JGR driver described what had happened. “I mean, everything happened so fast here. You can’t really hesitate, so… I didn’t even look in my mirror as soon as my spotter said ‘Clear up, get up,’ I moved, and I turned across Katherine’s nose. So it wrecked us and just ended our day.” When he moved up, Katherine Legge was firmly in position. He clipped the front left of Legge’s No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet. Almirola duly apologized, “She didn’t do anything wrong at all…She was holding her line, and she was there. I turned right across her nose.”

Indeed, Katherine Legge was having a good racing day – what a sigh of relief, right? She led her first lap ever in NASCAR during a cycle of green-flag pit stops. She was running in the top 15 when Aric Almirola came in her way. The English racer reflected on what happened post-race: “Honestly, I was having so much fun…You know, I was just hanging out for the first two stages of the race, and then we got a little bit racy and got run up there pretty easy. So got hooked up really well. And I thought we were going to have a great day, man. But can’t catch a break…it is what it is.”

Aric Almirola clearly did not make it easy for the much-heckled racer. But what mattered to Katherine Legge more was her steady progress. With a good team by her side and her self-confidence boosted, she can soar to great heights in her upcoming NASCAR schedule.

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An undiminished fire

When Katherine Legge headed out to North America, she had a strong will. With her broad smile and charismatic personality, she won over fans easily at first. Legge’s will to learn and overcome is what got her so far, despite the prickly thorns in her path. From the ARCA Menards Series to the Cup Series, she was sure to leave her mark. That is why Legge performed so well at Talladega Superspeedway, a track known for its notoriously treacherous nature. She finished 30th in Phoenix, 36th in Rockingham, and 34th in Talladega. However, despite her inability to get down from the top-30 mark, Legge’s performance is improving, and Katherine Legge wants to achieve more for her team.

She said after the Xfinity race at ‘Dega: “I think I had a really good day… No, because it ended with a race car that’s bent and broken and I hate that…The team did not deserve that; they deserved a top-15 result. I’m gutted for the result. We proved that we belonged there at least. This type of thing is not easy, it’s the hardest championship in North America.”

Legge’s 12-race NASCAR run began with the Xfinity Series race at Rockingham on April 19. Her Cup schedule includes races at Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and Richmond. And she is charging at these events with a heart full of determination and courage. Legge said, “I love the challenge, and that’s why I’m here. So I’ll just keep learning and getting better and earning these guys’ respect, the fans’ respect… We’ll get there.”

Well, Katherine Legge has nothing but a trailblazing path ahead. Despite the countless mishaps, she is persevering, and we wish her all the very best in her NASCAR journey!