Katherine Legge shares ugly side of NASCAR ‘boys | Sports News

British racing driver Katherine Legge made her NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2025, however has opened up on the challenges she faces being a lady in a male-dominated atmosphere.

Legge, 45, is a motorsports veteran, competing in Formula E, IndyCar, the IMSA SportsAutomotive Championship, and NASCAR. Last season, she made seven begins for Live Fast Motorsports within the Cup Series, however confronted vital backlash on her debut at Phoenix after amassing Daniel Suarez in a wreck.

The British driver later responded to her critics with a Seventeenth-place end at Indianapolis, however she nonetheless feels as if she’s handled otherwise from the lads. In a new episode of Driven Minds with Josh Wise, Legge opened up about her expertise.

“I’m still learning. I’ve got people who don’t call me directly; they’ll call my sponsor or whoever and talk to them, because it’s still a boys’ club to them,” Legge stated. “I want to be taken seriously, like talk to me. I’m the one doing the deal.”

Legge additionally defined how her character has led to difficult conditions. Legge was advised that she was “difficult to deal with” for voicing her opinions and remaining robust, fairly than letting people stroll over her.

“When I was at a conference for Droplight, one of my main sponsors, they said somebody had told them in the IndyCar paddock that I was difficult to deal with,” Legge added. “Difficult? I don’t think that I’m difficult.

“Then it obtained me pondering, okay. As a lady, in the event you’re laborious, then you definately’re a b—-. If you’re a bloke and also you’re driving round in a race car, you’re simply devoted, and you realize what you need.”

Though Legge has shown her ability on the track for decades, her Cup Series debut was marred by controversy. After collecting Suarez in a wreck, Legge was involved in another incident when starting her next race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

After being bumped by William Sawalich, Legge spun and collected veteran driver Kasey Kahne, which led to vicious comments online. Legge slammed those making hurtful comments, including death threats, on her Throttle Therapy podcast.

“The inappropriate social media feedback I’ve acquired aren’t simply disturbing, they’re unacceptable,” Legge said. “Let me be very clear, I’m right here to race, and I’m right here to compete, and I will not tolerate any of these threats to my security or to my dignity, whether or not that is on observe or off of it.”

Legge later added, “I’ve earned my seat on that race observe. I’ve labored simply as laborious as any of the opposite drivers on the market, and I’ve been racing professionally for the final 20 years.

“I’m 100 percent sure that … the teams that employed me — without me bringing any sponsorship money for the majority of those 20 years — did not do so as a DEI hire, or a gimmick, or anything else. It’s because I can drive a race car.”