Katherine Legge hands giant blow to Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s third charter driver Corey Heim

Katherine Legge delivered a major upset in the Chicago Street Course qualifying session before the upcoming Grant Park 165 on Sunday. 23XI Racing, co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, received the major blow after Legge bested Corey Heim’s lap time.

The third charter driver for 23XI Racing was bumped by Katherine Legge despite carrying damage from a hard crash in practice and posted a fast lap of 92.368 seconds. This beat Corey Heim’s 92.506 seconds by about 14 hundredths of a second. Corey’s run was compromised after a damaged tow link on his car by hitting the wall in an earlier attempt, which limited his lap time. Heim is a favorite for the Truck Series title, and this result is a significant blow for the 23-year-old and his racing team.

Steven Taranto reported the upset on X.

"An upset in Cup qualifying! Katherine Legge just ran a 1:32.368 in Cup qualifying, a tenth faster than Corey Heim who cannot make another lap. That means Legge will make the race tomorrow and that Heim has failed to qualify in the fourth 23XI car."

In 2005, Katherine Legge became the first woman to win a major developmental open-wheel race in North America, achieving multiple victories in the Toyota Atlantic Championship. She also tested a Formula One car that season, becoming the first woman to do so since 2002. Legge has competed in prestigious series such as IndyCar, DTM, IMSA, and NASCAR, displaying both versatility and skills as a driver.

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Katherine Legge opens up about intensity of pressure in NASCAR

Katherine Legge, a seasoned British racer with over two decades of experience in IndyCar and sports cars, is embracing the pressure and spotlight as she competes in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series, notably as the only woman in the Chicago Street Race field. She views this race as a critical opportunity to prove herself on unfamiliar terrain and potentially redefine her career.

"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.

Despite limited success so far, including a DNF at Phoenix and a wreck in Mexico, Legge approaches the challenge with humor and humility, acknowledging the added pressure of being a female driver in a male-dominated sport but remaining determined to make her mark.