"It might put me on the map": Katherine Legge explores intensity of NASCAR rivalries as spotlight grows

In a motorsport career that has spanned over two decades, Katherine Legge understands the spotlight, but this time, it feels different. The 44-year-old British veteran, who's spent decades racing IndyCars and sports cars around the world, enters the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race as the only woman in the Cup Series field.

For Legge, the race is a rare opportunity to qualify on merit, prove herself on unfamiliar ground, and maybe spark the kind of attention that can define a second act. She will attempt to qualify for one of four open spots in the Grant Park 165, NASCAR's third and potentially final iteration of the Chicago Street Race.

"I definitely think there is pressure... Coming over to NASCAR, with no one knowing me or what I'm capable of, for sure I think it's added pressure. The spotlight is on. That would be for anybody new, but there's probably extra pressure because of the female piece," she told the Chicago Tribune.

Katherine Legge will continue in the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet, backed by e.l.f. Cosmetics, in what will be her third Cup start.

Katherine Legge (78 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet) during the NASCAR Cup Series Viva Mexico 250. Source: Getty

Legge's first Cup Series race was at Phoenix earlier this year, which ended in a DNF. In Mexico, she was again involved in a wreck. Yet, the veteran racer greets the challenge with humor and humility. When asked about her likelihood of confrontations and infamous post-race spats in NASCAR, she added:

"There are some rivalries, of course, and NASCAR always wants to make a big deal out of them because it's good for the fans. But you get over it pretty quickly because you travel so often with these guys. There are no guys that I really dislike yet... Now I'm considering it. It might put me on the map."

Legge eventually finished 32nd in the Viva Mexico 250 after mechanical issues around her pedal, after running in the top 20 all day. But with experience winning on street courses in Indy Lights and IMSA, she isn't entering blind.

Katherine Legge faces race-day pressure before NASCAR's Chicago street race

Katherine Legge (32) before the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega. Source: Imagn

Katherine Legge's third attempt in the Cup Series this season comes on one of the sport's most technical layouts. The 2.2-mile temporary circuit around Grant Park offers little practice, a narrow qualifying window, and immense visibility. Her goal is to simply get in the show, but there's no easing into it.

In Chicago, she'll have to race her way into the field. If successful, she plans to continue this part-time campaign at Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and Richmond later this year. The deal, backed by e.l.f. Cosmetics and a rotation of sponsors on the No. 78 Front Row Motorsports team, represents one of the few serious attempts by a woman to carve out a Cup presence in recent seasons.

Meanwhile, her 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series stats tell a tougher story. In five starts so far, Legge has yet to finish inside the top 30. But her entries, with Jordan Anderson Racing, are more about logging seat time and collecting data for weekends like this one.

Katherine Legge during the 12 Hours of Sebring practice at Sebring International Raceway. Source: Getty

Katherine Legge's comfort on street courses remains her biggest advantage. In 2005, she burst onto the scene by winning her Atlantic Championship debut on the streets of Long Beach, then added two more street wins that same year. In IMSA, she notched consecutive street-course victories in Detroit, and won in the Mexico street race in Formula E.

The machinery might be different now, but the discipline required to survive walls, curbs, and tight braking zones is burned into her muscle memory.