Katherine Legge to Run Phoenix NASCAR Race, Become First Female Cup Driver Since 2018

The British driver will make history Sunday.

Katherine Legge practices for the Ride the 'Dente 200 on Feb. 14, 2025. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. will include a piece of history.

British driver Katherine Legge will drive the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports in the Shriners Children's 500 Sunday, the team announced Monday afternoon. She will become the 17th female driver to start a Cup race, and the first since Danica Patrick's 2018 retirement.

“Entering the NASCAR Cup Series is a dream come true,” Legge said. "Racing stock cars has been an incredibly fun and new challenge that’s given me a renewed sense of vigor for this sport."

Legge, 44, has raced in a number of series over the course of her career. She currently splits her time between the ARCA Menards Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and NASCAR; she has also ran the Indianapolis 500 on four occasions.

The best finish for any woman in a NASCAR Cup Series race is fifth, by Sara Christian at Heidelberg Raceway near Pittsburgh in 1949.

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