Following her involvement in an accident that claimed the life of veteran driver Kasey Kahne during the Xfinity Series race last weekend at Rockingham, NASCAR driver Katherine Legge reported that she has been receiving “hate mail” and “death threats” from auto racing enthusiasts. “The inappropriate social media comments I’ve received aren’t just disturbing, they are unacceptable,” Legge, who has started four Indianapolis 500s but is a relative novice in stock cars, remarked on Tuesday’s episode of her “Throttle Therapy” podcast. I’m here to race and compete, and I won’t put up with any threats to my safety or dignity, whether they come from the racetrack or off it, the British driver stated.
Earlier this year in Phoenix, Legge became the first woman to start a Cup Series race in seven years. However, Legge, who had already spun once, was involved in another turn and picked up Daniel Suarez, ending her debut in NASCAR’s premier series. Last Saturday, she made her next start at the lower-level Xfinity event in Rockingham, North Carolina. Legge was bumped off the starting grid due to ownership points, but he was fast enough to make the field. In the end, she managed to replace J.J. Yeley in the No. 53 car for Joey Gase Motorsports, despite the fact that they had to make last-minute preparations to get the car ready for her. As the leads were catching up to her, Legge was far behind, and when she entered Turn 1, William Sawalich got into the back of her car. That sent Legge spinning, and Kahne had nowhere to go, running into her along the bottom of the track.
“I gave (Sawalich) a lane, and it’s not because I braked in the middle of a turn that the closing pace appears to be so high. I didn’t. I maintained my line and continued to go at my own pace, which is clearly slower than the leaders’ because they are overtaking me,” Legge remarked. “You can see the speed difference because he charged in a little too hard. I was whirled around as he understeered up a lane and collided with me. Legge, 44, has driven a wide range of vehicles from multiple series. She has competed for multiple teams in the IMSA SportsCar series for over ten years, including seven IndyCar outings for Dale Coyne Racing last year. She has previously experimented with NASCAR, starting four Xfinity races during the 2018 season and another two years ago.
Legge declared, “I have earned my seat on that racetrack.” “I’ve been a professional racer for the past 20 years, and I’ve put in just as much work as any other driver. I am very certain that the teams that hired me — without me contributing any sponsorship funds for most of those 20 years — did not do so as a DEI hire, a ploy, or for any other reason. I can drive a race car, which is why. Legge thinks that a broader problem with women in racing is reflected in the hate she has encountered on social media. “Fortunately, I have faced more difficult challenges than you guys in the comment sections,” she remarked. Legge has had a lot of help from people in the racing community.
One social media critic who referred to Legge as “unproven” in response to a post regarding her past at the Indianapolis 500 was retaliated against by IndyCar driver Marco Andretti. “I find it crazy that so many grown men disparage badass girls in this way,” Andretti posted on X, the previous Twitter. “Is there something about the couch that makes them feel more manly?”
