“I thought, ‘Oh sh*t!’": Katherine Legge makes hilarious admission ahead of landmark NASCAR start

Katherine Legge made a hilarious admission ahead of her Cup Series debut. In a press conference on her media avail day, she was asked if her debut was pushed forward because of the race being after International Women’s Day.

The 44-year-old is set to make history by becoming the first woman to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series since Danica Patrick in 2018, driving the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports. Legge’s media availability on International Women’s Day saw a hilarious moment. Legge thought she would be "flying under the radar" while making her Cup debut at the Phoenix Raceway on Sunday. When the reporter asked Legge if her debut was pushed upwards because it was ‘Women’s History Month’, she replied:

"No, do you know what? I'm gonna admit this now. And I probably shouldn't use these words, but I'm gonna anyway. I said, oh, I'm gonna fly under the radar for my first cup race, right? Nobody's gonna notice, we'll just be in the back, we'll chill, we'll get NASCAR permission. And then somebody was like, yeah, no, it's International Women's Day on Saturday. And I thought, oh sh*t, there's no way. There's no way I'm flying under the radar. So, no, we did not take that into consideration. And here I am in front of you guys," said Legge on her media avail day

Katherine Legge is a British professional auto racing driver who began her racing career in go-karts and switched to several open-wheel racing series in the United Kingdom. She progressed through Formula Three, Formula Renault, and Formula Ford. In 2000, she became the first woman to achieve a pole in a Zetec race. In 2005, Legge moved to the U.S. Her versatility was on display when she became the fastest woman qualifier for the Indy 500 in 2023.

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Katherine Legge addresses the ‘disappointing’ gap in women in motorsports

Katherine Legge recently addressed the noticeable gap in female representation within motorsports during a media session ahead of the Shriner's Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Legge expressed her desire to inspire the next generation of female racers, acknowledging the progress made in other racing series, such as the NHRA, where female participation has been on the rise.

"It's disappointing that there aren't more women in INDYCAR, NASCAR, Cup. (In) Sportscars, there's really been kind of a gap. There was Sarah Fisher and Danica (Patrick) and me and Simona (de Silvestro) and a bunch of good drivers in that era. Then there's been this gap, this lull," Katherine Legge said on media availabilty day

"I'd love to bring up the next generation. I think there's only a handful of us that have those shared, lived experiences, and I think that my experience might be valuable in helping them navigate it," she continued

"So, I know what my journey has been, and I know that it's gone for me, and it's gone against me, and I know where the struggles are," she added

Legge's commitment to mentoring young women in racing reflects her passion for fostering inclusivity in the sport.