Is NASCAR failing female drivers? Katherine Legge reveals death threats and sexual harassment after crash

Katherine Legge, a veteran British racer with more than 20 years of experience, has revealed she’s received death threats and sexual harassment following her first two NASCAR races of the 2025 season.
Speaking candidly on her podcast, Throttle Therapy with Katherine Legge, the 44-year-old driver addressed the intense scrutiny she’s faced while transitioning from open-wheel and sports car racing to NASCAR’s high-stakes, high-pressure environment.
“Being a woman racing in NASCAR… comes with a level of scrutiny and harassment,” she said. “But the hate mail, the death threats, and the inappropriate sexual comments that I have received aren't just disturbing—they're unacceptable.”
Legge emphasized she is in NASCAR to compete, not to be tokenized. “Let me be very clear: I’m here to race and I’m here to compete, and I won’t tolerate any of these threats to my safety or my dignity , whether that’s on track or off of it.”
She also pushed back on claims that she’s merely a “DEI hire” or a "gimmick" driver who didn’t really earn her spot.
“I’ve worked just as hard as any of the other drivers out there… 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… It’s because I can drive a race car.”

Her message to fans was clear: passion for the sport is welcome, but abuse isn’t. “Constructive criticism is part of the game… But there’s a very thin line between feedback and personal attacks, and it’s really disappointing to see how often that line gets crossed.”
Legge believes the issue reflects a broader pattern of gender-based abuse in motorsports:
“The level of hate that myself and my team are experiencing… is part of a broader issue women face in male-dominated spaces. The FIA even released a document about it—it’s bad in Europe too. It’s not just a USA thing.”
Legge debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway in March, driving the No. 78 for Live Fast Motorsports. Although she qualified last, her pace during the race began improving, until a spin on Lap 215 after contact with Josh Berry led to a crash involving Daniel Suárez. She finished 30th.
Her next appearance came in the Xfinity Series at Rockingham, where she initially failed to qualify but was slotted into the No. 53 car for Joey Gase Motorsports after a driver swap. Unfortunately, another incident ended her race early.
On Lap 50, while trying to leave the bottom lane clear for faster cars, Legge was clipped by William Sawalich and spun into Kasey Kahne, slamming the outside wall. She finished 36th after two post-race disqualifications.

“I moved low to leave room for the lead-lap cars, and while some were able to get around me, one just didn’t make it down fast enough and clipped me. The hit was too hard, and I spun into Kasey. Just a really unfortunate chain reaction.”
Legge explained on her podcast, Reflecting on the crash.
Despite the setbacks, Legge remains committed. She revealed a full NASCAR schedule for 2025 and will race again this weekend in the Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway.
“There’s no practice at Talladega,” she said. “You go straight into qualifying, straight into 100% throttle, and then straight into the race.”
Still, Legge is hopeful. “The team at Jordan Anderson Racing has been phenomenal. The car is excellent. I’m looking forward to Talladega… Hopefully, if I have a good result there, it will quiet the noise and change some opinions.”
The Ag-Pro 300 is set for Saturday, April 26, airing at 4 PM ET on The CW.