logo
Katherine Legge pushes back against disturbing comments and "death threats"

Katherine Legge pushes back against disturbing comments and "death threats"

Yahoo22-04-2025
In this polarizing age we all live in, social media can be a treacherous place. Unfortunately, Katherine Legge is experiencing that first-hand following her recent NASCAR outings. In a recent episode of her podcast, Throttle Therapy, Legge got candid about the Rockingham race weekend.
Legge was involved in an early-race incident when William Sawalich spun her out, damaging Kasey Kahne's car in the process. This led to some explosive reactions on social media, and in what is sadly becoming expected these days across digital platforms, many of the comments took things way too far.
"I won't tolerate any of these threats to my safety or to my dignity"
On her podcast, Legge had a lot to say about the criticism she has been facing, which has crossed over from performance critiques to gender-based attacks. While highly experienced in open-wheel cars and sports cars, her seat time in stock cars remains limited. She said that racing in NASCAR "comes with an incredible sense of pride," but also "a level of scrutiny and harassment."
Advertisement
She continued: "However, I will say that the hate mail, death threats, and the inappropriate sexual comments I've received aren't just disturbing, they are unacceptable. Let me 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 to my dignity. Whether that's on track or off of it."
Legge went on to say that she is open to constructive criticism and is obviously open to learning and improving, but noted that" there is there is a very thin line between feedback and personal attacks. It's really disappointing to see how often that line gets crossed."
Katherine Legge, Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
Katherine Legge, Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
Getty Images
Getty Images
Advertisement
It's an issue that is not isolated to NASCAR, auto racing, or even the United States, but that doesn't make it any less wrong, as Legge noted. "The level of hate that myself and my team our experiencing at the moment is part of a broader issue that I believe women specifically face in male-dominated spaces ... We can't normalize this issue. There's nothing normal about it. It's totally unacceptable.
"I have earned my seat on that race track. I've worked just as hard as any of the other drivers out there, and I've been racing professionally for the last 20 years. I'm 100% sure that the OEMs and 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."
Breaking down the Rockingham race weekend
Legge also talked about how the hatred will not make her quit and that she remains "more focused than ever" in her commitment to the sport. "My performance and not my gender is what defines me as a competitor," before later adding: "Luckily, I have been in tougher battles than you guys in the comment sections."
Advertisement
Legge then went into detail about how her weekend at Rockingham played out. While much of the negative feedback came as a result of the in-race wreck, there was also criticism regarding how she made the race. She originally failed to qualify, but was able to secure a ride with another team for the race.
Explaining it all, Legge brought listeners in on how she had top 25 pace in practice. In qualifying, she got visibly loose at the exit of Turn 2 and she lifted -- likely more than she should have, by her own admission. She still beat five other drivers but due to the lack of owner points from the No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet, she was one of two drivers to miss the show.
A fellow Chevrolet team was able to supply her with a ride with J.J. Yeley willingly giving up his seat. This is not an unusual practice in NASCAR. Legge then detailed how she had to get acclimated to a completely new car as the race got underway, but remained within a reasonable pace when compared to the rest of the field.
On the wreck itself, she broke it down moment-by-moment, noting how she was trying not to take any unnecessary risks.
Advertisement
"I gave him [Sawalich] a lane and the reason the closing pace looks so high isn't because I braked mid-corner. I didn't. I stayed on my line, stayed doing my speed, which obviously isn't the speed of the leaders because they're passing me ... and he charged in a bit too hard, which is the speed difference you see. He understeered up a lane and into me, which spun me around and Kasey Kahne was an unfortunate recipient."
While the vitriol is easy to find, there have been those who have come to the defense of Legge as well, including Marco Andretti, who took aim directly as the hateful commenters.
You can listen to Legge's full Throttle Therapy podcast HERE.
Read Also:
Marco Andretti calls out NASCAR critics of "badass" Katherine Legge
Katherine Legge fails to qualify, but will still run NASCAR Xfinity race
Kasey Kahne's return hindered by early wreck with Katherine Legge
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

23XI Racing refuses to comment on Tyler Reddick's future in No. 45 car
23XI Racing refuses to comment on Tyler Reddick's future in No. 45 car

USA Today

time28 minutes ago

  • USA Today

23XI Racing refuses to comment on Tyler Reddick's future in No. 45 car

Tyler Reddick's future with 23XI Racing is questionable as the organization continues its antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. Reddick's contract states that he can become a free agent if 23XI Racing doesn't have charters. Ahead of the NASCAR weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, team owner Denny Hamlin was asked about the driver of the No. 45 car possibly being lured to a different organization. Instead of giving a precise answer, Hamlin refused to comment on Reddick's future and said "all will be exposed" on December 1st, the date of the trial. Reddick will be free to leave 23XI Racing if no charters are available for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, but any move in-season seems unlikely. If the 23XI Racing driver were to leave the No. 45 Cup team, he would have several suitors, so this will be worthwhile to watch moving forward. Reddick is an elite talent in the Cup Series, and many top NASCAR organizations would try to sign him to a long-term contract before the 2026 season. More: 5 best landing spots for Tyler Reddick if 23XI Racing loses charters

NASCAR's RCR Opens up on Potential Suspension For Hill After Xfinity Wreck
NASCAR's RCR Opens up on Potential Suspension For Hill After Xfinity Wreck

Newsweek

timean hour ago

  • Newsweek

NASCAR's RCR Opens up on Potential Suspension For Hill After Xfinity Wreck

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Richard Childress has addressed the possibility of Austin Hill receiving a suspension after Hill's incident with Aric Almirola during the NASCAR Xfinity Race at Indianapolis. Hill right rear hooked Almirola in what seemed to be an act of retaliation for aggressive driving. He was then handed a five-lap penalty. However, Hill swore on the radio while addressing NASCAR, which could make matters worse when the sport announces a fine and penalty points for the incident next week. Hill said in his penalty rant: "Oh they can go f**k themselves. F**k NASCAR. That is f***ing bulls**t. I'm f***ing sideways, I go to correct it back to the left, it gets locked to the left, I f***ing run into the 19 [Almirola]." Reports suggest that the next penalty for Hill could be a suspension, which would mean a big dent for Hill and his team in the playoff points. He is the first driver since 2021 to be held for five laps. Childress has addressed the possibility of Hill being hit with a suspension to Dustin Long of NBC. He said: Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett/Realtree Chevrolet, speaks with RCR team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Richard Childress on the grid prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on... Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett/Realtree Chevrolet, speaks with RCR team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Richard Childress on the grid prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 22, 2023 in Talladega, Alabama. More"Hell no. They didn't do a damn thing to the 2 car [of Austin Cindric] when they, he wrecked Ty [Dillon] and admitted to it. Drove him in the right rear and wrecked him at COTA. It's who you are. We're a blue-collar team, they give us trouble all the time." Here is what Richard Childress said after the race about #NASCAR penalizing Austin Hill 5 laps for reckless driving for incident with Aric Almirola in the Xfinity race at Indy. — Dustin Long (@dustinlong) July 26, 2025 Almirola also opened up on the incident with Hill, accusing him of wrecking him intentionally. He said: "Oh, it was definitely intentional. He blocked me three times. He had damage on his nose, so he was really slow in the corners. So, it was time to go. I mean, we're coming to 10 laps to go or nine laps to go. Uh, the leaders are starting to put a gap on us. So, it's time to go, and I got him loose. Yeah, you just turn left and hook me in the right rears. Honestly, one of the biggest hits in my entire NASCAR career. Very reminiscent of the hit I took when I broke my back." Hill finished the race in P34, one place ahead of Almirola, who finished in P35. Almirola added: "So, glad I'm okay, thankful to everybody back at the shop at Joe Gibbs Racing for building amazing race cars and making them safe. Disappointed, felt like we had a shot to win. I have so much fun every time we run these races. We have great race cars, and I love doing it. It's just unfortunate that guys like that, especially that guy. He stood up in front of a meeting at Martinsville and said he was going to be a role model for all the young kids to look up to, and racing etiquette, and I think that's kind of laughable after that one."

What to watch for in today's NASCAR Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
What to watch for in today's NASCAR Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

What to watch for in today's NASCAR Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS — The challenges will be immense for NASCAR Cup drivers and teams in today's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A narrow track and high speeds make it tough to pass. That impacts what happens on the track and how the strategy goes. Here's a look at what to watch for today. Cautions breed cautions Last year's race saw half of the 10 cautions come after restarts, including crashes that eliminated, among others, William Byron, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin. Logano was eliminated by a crash on a restart that started behind him. 'It came forward,' Logano said of the accident that ended his race a year ago. 'You don't see that every day, do you? 'I think everyone knows it's hard to pass. If (a restart is) your opportunity to pass, everybody's willing to ship it in there and figure it out later. Unfortunately, it causes accidents. 'If there's ability to pass later on, then everybody probably would have a little more respect for each other, more grace out there, a little more give and take.' The last three Cup races on the Indy oval have seen at least one crash on a restart. 'I think without fuel saving, restarts are kind of one of your only opportunities to pass here,' Bowman said. 'They got super crazy there at the end (last year).' Tight pit road A majority of the fast cars selected pit stalls near pit exit because the width of pit road at Indianapolis (not including the pit boxes) is 24 feet. Only World Wide Technology Raceway has a narrower pit road width at 22 feet. Ryan Blaney knows the challenges of pitting near pit entrance. In the 2020 race at Indianapolis, Zach Price, who remains the rear tire changer for Blaney, was struck on pit road when there was a chain-reaction crash just after pit entrance that blocked pit road. 'I'm like ultra vigilant here,' Blaney said of pit road. 'Let's say I'm done with my stop and I'm cruising down pit road (in the far right lane), I'm always watching those cars on the left who are in their stall. I've got to look at are they about to drop the left-side jack, and what that looks like because you can't bail anywhere. The only way you can bail is to slow down and stop. It makes it pretty tough. Hopefully … you don't see any issues on pit road and guys stay safe.' Indianapolis starting lineup: Chase Briscoe claims NASCAR Cup pole at home track Chase Briscoe has won five poles this season, including at the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and now the Brickyard 400. Dustin Long, Teams pick pit stalls based on how they qualify. The pole winner gets first choice, the No. 2 starter the second choice and on down to the final car. Most teams select closer to pit exit to avoid potential incidents near pit entrance or the middle of pit road. Bubba Wallace will start second and that gives him a good pit stall. He will be in pit stall 5, which has an opening in front of it, allowing Wallace to exit his stall without worry of being blocked in. 'This is probably the sketchiest pit road, for sure,' Wallace said. 'Obviously, we've seen a lot of crashes (on pit road) here, a lot of injuries. So, we can keep ourselves out of harm's way, the better. I'm excited. That's what we want, a good qualifying effort.' Guess the right strategy Crew chiefs will be busy devising the strategy they think gets their car to the finish line first. Brad Keselowski tried to stretch his fuel in last year's race but a late caution sent the race into overtime. As the field headed toward the restart zone, Keselowski, who led, pulled off to pit road because he was out of fuel. How to watch Sunday's Brickyard 400 Cup race at Indianapolis: Start time, TV info and weather There are only three former winners in the field of the crown jewel event. Nate Ryan, 'I think we were really aggressive last year and we almost won the race,' Keselowski said. 'I wouldn't expect anything to change there, and we've got no reason not to be very aggressive. I certainly don't want to just do dumb things just to do them, but this is a race that lends itself to aggressive moves on the track and off the track with pit strategy.' Playoff picture Twelve drivers have won this season, leaving four playoff spots open at this time via points. Those in a playoff spot without a victory this season are Tyler Reddick (156 points above the cutline), Alex Bowman (+63), Chris Buescher (+44) and Bubba Wallace (+16). Ryan Preece is the first driver outside a playoff spot. He lost 13 points to Wallace last weekend at Dover and is 16 points back. Kyle Busch is 39 points below the cutline. Ty Gibbs is 52 points below the cutline. $1 million at stake NASCAR's inaugural In-Season Challenge comes to an end at Indianapolis. Ty Dillon, the last seed in the 32-driver event, faces Ty Gibbs. Whoever finishes better will claim the $1 million prize. 'If we execute our race and do the best to our abilities - no mistakes and out execute everybody in the field - we might not have the most speed to win the race, but we're going to do plenty to put pressure on him,' Dillon said of Gibbs.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store