Livid Katherine Legge Lashes Out at Joe Gibbs’ Driver- “I Don’t Have a Disappear Button”

25 years. That’s how long it has taken Katherine Legge to work through professional motorsports before making her way into NASCAR. Being the first woman to compete in the Cup Series in seven years is a commendable achievement in itself, but it’s fair to say that the ride so far has been anything but smooth. She spun out twice at Phoenix Raceway earlier this year and was forced to retire early at the 2025 Shriners Children’s 500. Unfortunately, it looks like history has repeated itself at Rockingham.

The weekend didn’t quite begin on the best note for Legge. From qualifying drama to on-track incidents, the British racer’s struggles in stock car racing don’t seem to be ending anytime soon. However, she’s not willing to go down without a fight and has expanded her schedule to get more stock car racing experience.

Katherine Legge felt helpless after the Rockingham wreck

Redemption. That’s what Katherine Legge was aiming for going into the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway. However, her weekend didn’t get off to a great start at ‘The Rock.’ In her Cup Series debut at Phoenix, she crashed out after completing just 210 of the 312 laps, finishing 30th. Despite hoping for a better outcome this time around, it seems like Lady Luck wasn’t on her side, as she was wrecked by William Sawalich in Lap 53, forcing her to retire early.

Reflecting on her race’s outcome, a visibly heartbroken Katherine Legge couldn’t help but say, “I must have been really bad in a previous life or something because unlucky. I mean, there was not much I could do; I was taken out by Sawalich. It is what it is in that situation.” She went on to say, “We were just hanging in the back there and I was thinking, ‘Okay, I’m getting experience’ and my goal was just to finish, right? When you get taken out, there’s literally nothing you can do. I don’t have a disappear button on my steering wheel.”

It all started when Kasey Kahne was battling William Sawalich for fourth on the track before the pair came across Katherine Legge. Driving the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, it looked like Sawalich didn’t anticipate her entry speed and made contact with the left rear of her car, which lost control and slammed into the wall. While sliding across the track, her No. 53 Chevy made contact with Kahne’s No. 33, resulting in significant damage to his right front as well.

It seemed like Legge got the worst end of the deal. Her car was totaled, while both Sawalich and Kahne were able to continue, even though the latter was forced to go into the pits for repairs. Going into the weekend, the 44-year-old clocked a time of 23.397 seconds during qualifying after bobbling at the tricky exit of Turn 2. Despite finishing faster than five other drivers, the lack of ownership points meant that she was one of the two drivers to miss the 38-car field.

However, thanks to financial backing from e.l.f. Cosmetics, she swapped her ride with another Chevy team, replacing J.J. Yeley at Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet. She always knew that the race would be challenging, especially on a track like Rockingham Speedway, which was her first appearance at an oval since Richmond in 2018. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out this time, but Katherine Legge will have more opportunities to make amends.

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Katherine Legge expands plan for 12-race schedule in 2025

Her NASCAR career may not have gotten off to a flying start, but Katherine Legge is determined to make her mark on the sport. She became the 17th woman to race at the sport’s highest level at Phoenix Raceway, and despite her incident with Daniel Suarez, the 44-year-old is already working towards expanding her schedule to get more stock car racing experience.

Backing up her efforts are sponsors e.l.f. Cosmetics, Droplight, Sherfick Companies, and Desnuda Tequila, who will be supporting her across the 12 races. Determined to give it her best shot, Legge said, “To have the support of companies that share my values and commitment to tenacity, endurance, and female empowerment is a dream come true. From here on, I’ll gain the essential experience I will need in order to be successful. During the week, I’ll be driving in the sim, working with the teams, and learning as much as possible.”

After finishing rock-bottom at Rockingham Speedway, Katherine Legge will now shift her attention to Talladega, where she will be making her second Xfinity Series appearance of the season on April 26. The superspeedway adventure will be followed by races at Charlotte and Nashville, before she goes on to compete at the iconic Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the Cup Series. It’s looking like a busy year for the British racer, who will hope her performances improve going forward.