“NASCAR cannot permit an inexperienced driver to compete in the Cup Series.” Daniel Suarez’s statements following the Shriner’s Children 400 race revealed his enraged feelings. The No. 99 Chevrolet driven by Suarez was involved in an accident caused by a 44-year-old English racer named Katherine Legge. Despite criticism from supporters of the recently hired motorsports athlete, Legge identified a weakness in NASCAR’s system. The stark contrast between practice sessions before and after COVID is the source of that issue. Although NASCAR’s decision to restrict a driver’s practice level was justified by the epidemic, the sanctioning body later had no justification. Katherine Legge and the rest of the Cup Series grid have strong opinions about this.
The reason behind Katherine Legge being “thrown to the wolves”
It takes a significant amount of time to develop any ability. The NASCAR Cup Series is no exception. Katherine Legge was greeted warmly by Kevin Harvick, who also cautioned her that she was being “thrown to the wolves.” However, Legge prepared herself in every manner. She drove a car in pit practice for Hendrick Motorsports, participated in an ARCA event in Daytona, and spent time in a simulator at Richard Childress Racing. Due to the alternative tire, there was also a 45-minute practice session at Phoenix Raceway; however, Legge did not attend the entire session. Compared to the sport’s early years, all of this preparation is hardly anything.
Teams were free to spend as much time as they wished testing across the nation under NASCAR’s open testing policy prior to the outbreak. The racetracks also offered two-hour practice sessions. Katherine Legge says the solution is to stop everything that has been the cause of the issue. “There is no testing, there is no practice, there is literally one session before qualifying and then you go race,” she remarked, illustrating how difficult it is to get used to the Next-Gen car. I can appreciate the need to go in the ladder series by doing things like Xfinity and trucks, but the NextGen Cup car is a completely different animal that doesn’t drive like either of those vehicles in any way. In order to gain experience, you have to do the races.”
As anticipated, Katherine Legge’s inexperience played a significant role in her catastrophe. She encountered difficulties early in Phoenix while driving her No. 78 Chevrolet. Her second collision, however, was quite serious; she was having trouble keeping her car in rhythm when she sadly understeered on a bend in the 215th lap. Daniel Suarez, incidentally, was also gathered in it. That sparked a flurry of internet debate and unwelcome criticism directed toward Legge. She complained, “I was terribly disappointed.” “I received a lot of negative feedback from some fans, which was obviously not what I had hoped for either.” However, the sport’s seasoned players supported Katherine Legge. The Trackhouse Racing star felt sympathetic to her predicament after she called up Daniel Suarez. “Daniel was really very sweet, very kind, and understanding,” Legge remarked. “Listen, I don’t blame you,” he said. Naturally, what transpired was not ideal for me. Dale Earnhardt Jr. even criticized NASCAR for placing Legge in a Next-Gen vehicle without the necessary preparation. “We don’t have any practice, and it doesn’t help that she’s in a car that doesn’t do many things right.” Even though Katherine Legge had a week filled with “disappointments,” she managed to find one bright spot.
A vital mark of pride was carried by the British racer.
Resuming a long-needed custom Numerous things have been associated with NASCAR
These involve huge stock cars colliding at 200 mph and reckless drivers engaged in furious altercations. It does not, however, yet assert a history of female racers. There have undoubtedly been pioneers in the past. In 1949, Sara Christian became the first female driver to compete in a NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The best female finish in NASCAR’s modern history was achieved by Janet Guthrie, who finished sixth in a 1977 race in Bristol. Although Danica Patrick and Hailie Deegan have left a legacy, the custom has not yet been established as a permanent one. Since Patrick did so in 2018, Katherine Legge became the first female athlete to compete in a Cup Series race.
Katherine Legge can put her wild on-track mishap behind and concentrate on the motivation she provided. It gave her a sense of fulfillment to upload a video clip of young girls watching her race. “Being a female motorsports representative was never my goal. Since we are all unique, I believe that everyone of us should be evaluated according to our own merits. However, it comes with a duty, therefore I make every effort to do my best. Making a difference in those lives is truly amazing and means the world to me. I see videos of young girls watching the race and believing they can be anything they want to be when they grow up because they witness a girl driving a racecar.
Hopefully, Katherine Legge will achieve more in NASCAR. In that regard, all eyes are on the sanctioning body to increase practice time.
