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

Katherine Legge endured some early adversity as she became the first woman since Danica Patrick in February 2018 to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sunday's Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

Legge's No. 78 car spun out just four laps into her Cup Series debut, but she avoided any major damage and was able to continue. She experienced frequent issues with her car, causing multiple pitstops.

Unfortunately, things got worse later on when Legge spun out again and Daniel Suarez ran into her car, ending her day after 216 laps in the 312-lap race:

Legge told Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass afterward that she and her team "made some changes to the car overnight, and they were awful." Still, she added that she "learned so much" and expressed interest in returning to the Cup Series in the future:

Legge ended up finishing 30th. Christopher Bell won the race for his third consecutive victory of the 2025 season.

Fans on social media praised Legge for her resilience while competing in Sunday's race:

Legge is a 20-year racing veteran who has five career starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. She's also competed in the IndyCar Series, with four career starts in the Indianapolis 500.

The 2025 Cup Series season will continue with next Sunday's Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.