Katherine Legge to Be 1st Woman Since Danica Patrick to Compete in NASCAR Cup Race

This weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway will feature a new driver who will be making history.

Per ESPN, Live Fast Motorsports announced Monday that Katherine Legge will make her Cup Series debut in Sunday's Shriners Children's 500 driving the No. 78 Chevrolet. She will be the first woman to compete in a Cup Series race since Danica Patrick at the Daytona 500 in 2018.

"Entering the NASCAR Cup Series is a dream come true," Legge said, per The Athletic's Jeff Gluck. "Racing stock cars has been an incredibly fun and new challenge that’s given me a renewed sense of vigor for this sport. As always, I’m grateful for the opportunity to do what I love and am inspired by all of the effort, preparation and behind the scenes work it takes to get here."

A 20-year racing veteran, Legge has made five career starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, most recently competing at Road America in 2023. She's also competed in the IndyCar Series and ran a partial schedule in 2024. She's made four career starts in the Indianapolis 500 and set a record for the fastest qualifying time by a woman in 2023.

Legge was recently in action last month in the ARCA Ride the 'Dente race at Daytona International Speedway and finished 39th after being involved in an early accident. Per NASCAR, she also expanded to dirt-track racing this year and earned an entry to the Chili Bowl Nationals.

"The opportunity to have such a versatile and dynamic championship-winning driver join our program is exciting for everyone on our team," Live Fast co-owner Jessica McLeod, who owns the team with driver husband B.J. McLeod, said, per Gluck. "This partnership reflects our commitment to providing opportunities for drivers making their way into the NASCAR Cup series in the Next Gen Era."