“I’m sorry”: Katherine Legge brings out early caution as NASCAR Cup debutant stumbles at Phoenix

British veteran racer Katherine Legge has made her much-anticipated start at Phoenix Raceway in the Shriners Children 500. This made her the first woman to participate in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick at the Daytona 500 seven years back.

Legge is a multi-discipline racer who has previously competed in the IndyCar, IMSA, and sports car racing. She has competed in 19 races in the IndyCar series and 28 in the Champ Car in her two decade long career. The 44-year-old is making her debut in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series from the 19th row for Live Fast Motorsports. She qualified in the 37th position at the end of the field, driving the No. 78 Chevrolet.

Phoenix is a relatively short 1-mile oval track known for its tight corners and low-grip surfaces. This presents a unique challenge to someone like Legge, adapting from open-wheel and stock cars. Unlike open-wheel cars, stock cars are heavier and require specific handling, as Legge found out in her early race stumble on Lap 4. The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck shared her team's radio conversation on X, where she immediately took accountability for the mistake and explained situation:

"Hey guys, I'm sorry. I'm so tight. I have so much wheel in it that it got loose on exit, but it's because I'm so tight,” Katherine Legge said on the radio.

She spun coming off Turn 2 while running at the back of the pack, which resulted in the first caution of the race. “Tight” refers to a car that struggles to rotate through corners as the front tires lack grip while maneuvering. This forces the drivers to apply more steering input, but if the rear tires reach their limit, it can scrape the tire, or the car can snap loose and start spinning.

Legge’s description of having "so much wheel in it" shows her fighting the car’s balance and trying to correct the handling. But this resulted in her losing control of the vehicle. While she did gain control after the spin, the caution flag had already been thrown.

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Katherine Legge also had pit stop issue on NASCAR debut

Shortly after the caution, bad communication added to her struggles. The team advised her to stay outside as the pits were closed, but she pitted anyways, leading to a penalty that sent her to the back of the field. The team quickly reassured her over the radio, reminding her to stay focused:

"Take a deep breath. Shake it off. Car's fine. It's all learning. Every lap. No harm, no foul."

Katherine Legge acknowledged the message and has avoided further mishaps in the race (as of this writing), which has already seen four cautions in the first 100 laps. At the end of Stage 1, she was two laps behind leader William Byron, who started at the pole position. Ryan Preece of Stewart-Haas Racing made the most progression in the race, climbing from 33rd to third by the end of the first stage.

Daniel Suarez (99) drives alongside Katherine Legge (78) at the Shriners Children's 500 - Source: Imagn

For Katherine Legge, the debut race has been a test of patience and adaptation. With more laps under her belt, she will look to gain valuable experience and improve as the race progresses.