Katherine Legge set for second NASCAR Cup Collection begin in Mexico Metropolis

In a profession in racing that spans greater than 25 years, Katherine Legge has pushed in dozens of races in all kinds of totally different machines.

Decide a automobile, any automobile, and the 44-year-old native of Surrey, England, has in all probability pressed her foot on that pedal as onerous as she will. She’s maneuvered it round speedways and brief tracks and street programs at dizzying speeds.

The Indianapolis 500? Verify.

24 Hours of Daytona? Verify.

Ferraris in Bahrain? Verify.

Audis in Germany? Verify.

How in regards to the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, or the A1 Grand Prix, or Components E, or the IMSA SportsCar Championship, or the 12 Hours of Sebring? Verify, examine, examine, examine, examine.

Legge holds the file for the quickest qualifying time by a lady on the Indy 500 and was the primary lady to win a significant open-wheel race in North America. She’s damaged limitations, smashed ceilings and gained a complete lot of races in a complete lot of locations.

However on this stage of her profession, the mountain that she has set her sights on climbing is in NASCAR, the stockcar competitors birthed practically 80 years in the past within the hills of North Carolina as moonshiners settled who had the quickest machine to outrun revenuers. She caught the stockcar bug in 2018 when she competed in a handful of second-tier Xfinity Collection races, even inserting 14th on the Street America course in Wisconsin.

Now, she’s all-in on NASCAR.

“I’ve raced in open wheel, I’ve raced in sports activities automobiles, and I hadn’t completed a lot in stockcars. I did a number of in 2018 and I beloved it and I wished to do extra. I simply didn’t know break into it,” Legge informed SB Nation earlier this week. “By way of numbers of actually good drivers, it’s probably the most aggressive championship on the planet. When the chance arose, I jumped on it and grabbed it with each palms.”

Again in March, Legge grew to become the primary lady since Danica Patrick in 2018 to compete in a NASCAR Cup Collection race when she drove her No. 78 Chevrolet within the Shriners Youngsters’s 500 in Phoenix.

Now, because of a sponsorship with e.l.f., she’s planning to compete in stockcars rather more typically. This weekend, she’ll make her second Cup Collection begin as NASCAR goes to Mexico Metropolis for a street race. It’s the primary factors race within the Cup Collection that has been held exterior of the U.S. since 1958.

Photograph by Sean Gardner/Getty Photographs

Legge’s relationship with e.l.f. started greater than two years in the past. Final yr, they had been her major sponsor for the Indy 500, marking the fourth time she’s pushed in what’s sometimes called the Best Spectacle in Racing. The cosmetics firm was presupposed to associate with Legge once more this yr for the Indy 500, however they couldn’t safe a automobile. In order that they pivoted after Legge referred to as e.l.f. and requested, what about NASCAR?

“It’s a distinct market. It’s undoubtedly a distinct demographic. And I believe that demographic would actually admire the activation,” Legge mentioned. “It’s a really highly effective factor to have an organization like that backing you. It simply provides it a lot credibility and it makes it very actual for all the ladies within the stands as nicely.”

A survey final yr discovered that 41 % of NASCAR followers are girls. Earlier this season, Alex Bowman drove a automobile in Miami with a paint scheme that promoted Unmatched, the 3-on-3 skilled girls’s basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. At North Wilkesboro in Might, Carson Hocevar’s Chevy featured the Indiana Fever and promoted the WNBA All-Star Sport.

For Legge, her partnership with e.l.f. is paving the way in which for her to race in additional NASCAR races than she ever has earlier than in a single season. She’s pushed in 4 Xfinity Collection races this yr and plans to do at the least two extra, along with at the least 5 Cup Collection races. A selected one which she’s wanting ahead to is the street race at Watkins Glen in August.

Legge says e.l.f. will probably be her major sponsor for many of these races, however she’s additionally working with the solutions-driven firm DropLight and Desnuda Tequila.

“It’s permitting me to do all of the issues this yr,” Legge mentioned of her partnership with e.l.f. “They’re a cult model. Each lady is aware of who they’re. They’ve a very, actually good fame. So, I’m proud to symbolize them… I’ve beloved it a lot as a result of I’ve been making an attempt to encourage extra girls into racing and do the entire — to not sound cliche — lady energy factor. It’s one of many solely sports activities the place we will compete equally.”

At present, 25-year-old Toni Breidenger is the one lady racing full-time in one in every of NASCAR’s high three touring circuits, driving within the Craftsman Truck Collection. However extra girls appear to be climbing the ranks and competing in a few of the decrease tiers of the game. 20-year-old Isabella Robusto positioned third at Talladega within the ARCA Menards Collection in April, marking the most effective end ever by a lady on the superspeedway. Lanie Buice, 18, has 5 top-10 finishes this season throughout ARCA and the CARS Tour.

In a sport nonetheless largely dominated by straight white males, Legge does assume that variety is trending in the precise path in NASCAR.

“I believe it’s bettering in an genuine manner. Like, individuals aren’t being employed and racing due to their gender or their race — individuals in racing are being employed as a result of that’s the most effective particular person for the job. And now I believe individuals are extra open to the most effective particular person for the job being totally different, proper? And so, that makes my coronary heart completely satisfied,” Legge says. “However I believe that it’s nonetheless a problem. It’s nonetheless very a lot a boys membership, however that’s as a result of no one’s are available and proved themselves but… To be the most effective, it’s important to beat the most effective.”

Photograph by James Gilbert/Getty Photographs

Legge witnessed the worst facet of misogyny in racing earlier this yr after being concerned in a wreck in an Xfinity Collection race in Rockingham, North Carolina. William Sawalich ran into Legge’s rear which despatched her automobile spinning, knocking into Kasey Khane. Following the race, Legge mentioned she obtained demise threats.

“I really feel prefer it wasn’t deserved, as a result of Rockingham was not my fault,” Legge says. “It simply makes you notice how poisonous social media could be generally the place individuals really feel emblazoned as a result of they’re hiding behind a keyboard… Those that had been delivered to my consideration, we sort of laughed about, truthfully. I’ve developed an actual thick pores and skin being the one lady in a male dominated sport. But when it was 18-year-old Katherine, it could have bothered me. So, I believe it needs to be addressed. It needs to be stopped.”

The veteran driver says she isn’t fueled by these hateful messages and stays unbothered by them. Considerably surprisingly, she noticed a silver lining in all of it too.

“Truthfully, I imply, it’s nice that the NASCAR followers are so passionate. I believe the demise threats went a bit far,” Legge mentioned with fun. “The extra it does get referred to as out, the extra individuals will really feel completely ridiculous for the issues that they are saying. It’s pathetic, truthfully.”

In 5 NASCAR races to this point this season, between the Cup and Xfinity ranges, Legge has but to complete higher than thirtieth.

She’s hoping that her familiarity with the course in Mexico Metropolis — the long-lasting Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit — will assist, as a result of it’s a spot the place Legge has gained. She took the checkered flag on the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY race there in 2019. And street racing is arguably what Legge does finest.

Whether or not she finishes first or thirtieth although, she is aware of that extra reps in stockcars will solely assist her enhance in the long term.

“Street racing is my background. It’s what I’ve been doing for the final twenty years. So, it can really feel extra pure to me,” Legge mentioned. “However once more, the automobile is totally totally different… It’s large and burly, and it’s important to muscle that factor round. The extra expertise I get in NASCAR, the higher. I’m not in opposition to racing no matter, nonetheless, to make me a greater driver.”