The NASCAR Cup Series is heading to the Phoenix Raceway next. And it’s going to be an interesting race for several reasons. Christopher Bell is coming from a back-to-back win and he won the spring race there last year. Could he solidify a three-peat? But some fans are perhaps bringing their eyeballs to the race for a different reason. Katherine Legge is making her Cup Series debut. And folks, this can be a risky move on NASCAR’s part. We are not saying this because Legge lacks the talent, she’s got a ton of it. But wouldn’t a road course be safer for her, than a one-mile fast oval?

And given Legge’s resume so far, road courses suit her best. She’s a regular at the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar GTD category Championship races, having made 92 starts. The average speed in the category is 118 MPH. If you recall, speeds went up to 132.144 MPH last year at Phoenix! It might not look like a lot, but it is a significant increase. But, she has enough experience to handle it as she has a multi-disciplinary spectrum with a couple of CART races runs, and 19 races in the IndyCar series. In the press conference ahead of the race weekend, Katherine Legge disclosed the reason behind her choice! And let us tell you, it wasn’t actually out of choice!

Why is Katherine Legge running Phoenix?

Let’s address the elephant in the room first: Legge is not a complete rookie when it comes to NASCAR. So far she has run 5 races in the Xfinity Series. But again, out of those five, four have been on road courses. It has been twice on Road America (2018, 2023) and once at Charlotte ROVAL as well as Mid-Ohio. The only oval race she has ever run was the 2018 Richmond race in the fall, where Legge finished 28th. Still, given that she’ll be piloting the next-gen car for the first time, road course would have been ideal. And we recently wrapped up the Circuit of The Americas race, she could have been a strong contender, considering her P14 on Road America in 2023.

Matter of fact, even Legge wanted to run a road course for her Cup debut. However, in the pre-race press conference, she revealed that they could not make it happen at the last moment. She said, “Yes, I think I would have felt a whole other level of comfort if I had been at COTA past weekend. And we spoke about it, it was just really tough to get it done in the time frame. So we’re in Atlanta, and NASCAR said, ‘Well you could do COTA or Phoenix.’ And I’m like ‘COTA would be great, but there was just no way to get everything done and get the car ready for COTA.’ So unfortunately that didn’t happen. But fortunately, here I am at Phoenix.”

Well, the reason why NASCAR had Phoenix also as an option for the oval rookie was thanks to her Indy 500 appearances. She has run the Indy 500 four times so far, the most recent being last year, where she finished 29th. So NASCAR thought that was enough for her to qualify for a 1-mile intermediate race. That plus a 45-minute practice session she recently had at Daytona. But, Phoenix is not a very forgiving track.

In November 2024, Ty Gibbs crashed into the wall, hanging by a thread to stop what could be a life-threatening crash. Luckily, he hit the side of his car hard, before exiting the race. The same race also saw the pace car crash into the pit road sand barrels before Stage 2. As the pack of racers was coming to take the green flag in the second stage, the Toyota Camry XSE’s driver slightly missed his mark to return into the pits. He lost control and went sliding into the barrels. So, things might go wrong. But, Pockrass feels otherwise, thanks to NASCAR taking charge to get her ready.

Also, NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass shared the racing organization’s reasons for allowing her at Phoenix. He wrote on X, “Katherine Legge is approved to race Cup at Phoenix. NASCAR cites her recent competition on high-speed ovals (Indy 500, ARCA test/practice) as well as that race having a 45-minute practice so extended time for NASCAR to observe her.” But still, with such little experience, it can be dangerous. Especially when you are running for a backmarker team like Live Fast Motorsports.

However, what could really work in Legge’s favor is her versatility. Having run, stock cars, open-wheels, sports cars, to even electric cars in Formula E. And not to forget the time when she ran a midget car in the Chili Bowl. Thanks to all this, Legge is quick to adapt to any possible conditions. It’s kind of like how Tony Stewart does it. Put him behind any kind of a wheel and he’ll race it. That’s the spirit Legge’s taking to Phoenix.

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Katherine Legge always wanted to race in the Cup

When you are a driver who loves different forms of racing, the Cup Series is always going to be on your bucket list. And it’s the same for Legge. She recently said, “I’ve driven so many different forms of racing. I feel like this is the one that I really wanted to do that’s eluded me. I just love it. It’s in my blood. You know how they say that your job should not be your identity? Well, this 100 percent is my identity. I am just a racing driver.” 

And she isn’t one to be scared off easily. An intermediate track might not be in her wheelhouse, but she’s getting as much prep as she can. Look at her determination:  She has driven simulators at Richard Childress Racing (a static simulator). And then to get a feel of the track and the car, at Chevrolet, she ran a motion simulator where the seat moves. Also, she drove a car during Hendrick Motorsports pit stop practice this week just to get used to how a Cup car stops and launches. And there is still a day or two until the race, probably she’s still practicing something.

Jokes apart, Legge believes, “I feel like I’m either going to sink or swim, but everybody’s given me the best possible opportunity to go out there and do a good job.” And there is going to be a lot of eyeballs on her. After all, she’s the first woman to race in the Cup Series after Danica Patrick‘s last race in the 2018 Daytona 500. And to make it even more special, the race weekend is just after women’s day. So who knows, maybe Legge can pull off something extraordinary at the Shriners Children’s 500.

How do you think Phoenix will treat her? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.