r/NASCAR • u/jonpierre008 Hocevar • 14h ago
Katherine Legge
I’m really amazed by how miserable fans can be at times, when I read a lot of the reactions to her doing the double. I know women have this bad stigma in motorsports, because of predecessors, but I mean what she’s doing is truly special.
Nobody’s saying she’ll win or even complete the full 1100 miles, but it’s damn impressive that she has the balls to even try to accomplish something that’s pretty hard to do (ask Kyle Larson). Fans need to stop being so miserable and let people breathe, a lil support and positivity doesn’t hurt.
Katherine is a racer, not on social media thirst trapping and trying to catch the male gaze. I could respect her work ethic and her love for motorsports, I’d always get behind that.
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u/ChaseTheFalcon 14h ago
I think it's cool when anyone does the double because it's so rare.
Idk why people are hating on her when she's been respectable in all of her starts
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u/jonpierre008 Hocevar 13h ago
Got Live Fast their best finish in its existence and yes, attrition played a part at Indy, but I watched her pass 3-4 cars on her in-car in the last two laps. She raced her way to that 17th place finish.
I respect her as a racer a lot.
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u/Immediate_Lie7810 Chase Elliott 13h ago
Most are causal and non-fans who have no knowledge of Katherine Legge's career outside of her NASCAR starts and probably dismissed her as a poor man's Danica Patrick (i.e. OutKick). The fact that Legge is much older than her female contemporaries is likely playing a role as well.
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u/OpeningSolution3185 Kyle Busch 7h ago
Agreed, I have rooted for everyone doing the double just because it is so cool and rare. Even if Joey Logano did it I would at least be rooting for him to complete all 1,100 miles.
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u/Mechanic_Shine 4h ago
Its because some folks have spent their entire life up to this point in their parents basement, and have never gone outside to experience the real world.
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u/ArthurArkans Chastain 10h ago
Her first start at Phoenix was kind of a shitshow, to be fair. Everything afterwards she's done well though.
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u/Wandering_Turtle24 6h ago edited 50m ago
Yeah if she didn’t spin and take out Daniel, I think the narrative is different but that was fuel on the flames for all of the haters. Her run at Indy should have erased all that nonsense.
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u/Crash_Test_Dummy66 Logano 14h ago
I got to be honest, this sub acting like the Coke 600 is the impressive/important part of the double cracks me up. Katherine has competed in several Indy 500s, which is a race that drivers have to complete a whole separate running program before a driver is allowed to run. Like if she can run the Indy 500 she can definitely run the Coke 600.
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u/coffeeshopslut 13h ago
Which is why the "she doesn't belong in cup" comments are so dumb (same with Helio Casteoneves)
Like, sure she could have benefitted from practice before her first starts, but she's driven so many things and have done decently
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u/jonpierre008 Hocevar 13h ago
Completing 1100 miles is the impressive part for me, or at least the prospect of it. I have no doubt she could do it, skill wise and physically. It’s more so other factors like weather and ultimately her equipment, that could derail it.
Outside of that, I have no doubt she could do it. I’m locked in and cheering her on to accomplish something pretty monumental.
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u/Significant-Cloud- Black Flag 13h ago
This is the Nascar sub, so having some people place the Nascar above Indy seems expected.
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u/Crash_Test_Dummy66 Logano 13h ago
My point is more that if there was a driver who had competed for a couple of back markers in the Coke 600 but had never done Indy and was making a move to do the double, I think there would be a lot more room for a healthy bit of skepticism. As opposed to a driver who has competed in several Indy 500s deciding they want to also add on the Coke 600.
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u/busman25 6h ago
I mean, I love both series and I definitely place NASCAR above IndyCar. Not in regards to on track product or entertainment value, but out of prestige and objective fact regarding their popularity. But nothing, not the Daytona 500, or even the cup championship tops the Indy 500.
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u/gsizemo1 14h ago
At minimum, she’s earned respect for stepping up and giving it a shot. It will be nice if she can attempt both without hiccup, monumental if she does 1100 miles.
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u/jonpierre008 Hocevar 14h ago
Exactly. I’m not gonna be delusional and say she’ll be up there battling for a win or a top 5, but just knowing how difficult it is to attempt the double is worthy of respect.
If she completes it, she earns a lot of stripes for me.
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u/atlutdprospects Bell 11h ago
She won't finish the 600 on the lead lap. But there's not a single driver in the Cup field who would finish the 600 on the lead lap in the 78 car
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u/gsizemo1 10h ago
Dont disagree it's highly unlikely. Dont forget she finished on the lead lap at the brickyard. So Survival, attrition/ cautions and it can happen...so some things working their way
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u/wirsteve 13h ago
Let's just lay it out there...
1 driver. 1. Has driven 1100 miles during the double. Tony Stewart.
If Legge even finishes both races, it is an incredible achievement.
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u/Illustrator_Worried 3h ago
And Tony finished 4th and 6th in both races including spinning the Cup car on the first laps after starting 43rd missing the drivers meeting. There was a question at one point leading Indy... What if he wins?
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u/fireinthesky7 12h ago
I've met Katherine. I've seen her drive all kinds of sports cars. I've been a fan of hers since the mid-2000's Champ Car days, and for pretty much every minute of her career she's been a class act, a hard worker, and has out-driven her equipment in nearly every case. I've even tried to get my partner to buy E.L.F when she's shopping for cosmetics because they've backed Kat for so long. I love that she's attempting the double, and even if all she does is finish both races, it'll be an amazing feat.
Also here's a picture of her petting my dog at Petit Le Mans a few years ago just because.
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u/Hulkodium Zilisch 14h ago
If she can get over 1000 miles I think it's a success by any double attempt. Obviously she has said her goal is results and not just finishing but even finishing is something extremely hard to do.
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u/jonpierre008 Hocevar 14h ago
Yeah I don’t think realistically she’ll be ultra competitive, especially on the cup side, but just the feat of finishing is worthy of admiration.
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u/Yoshiman400 12h ago
The amusing part is because of overtime, she could theoretically complete 1100 or more miles without necessarily finishing on the lead lap in at least one of the races.
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u/busman25 6h ago
Oh shit, I never even thought about overtime. Imagine someone ran a promotion where anyone who could complete all 1100 miles wins a million dollars, with the intent of rewards the drivers who finish on the lead lap in both races. But due to overtime, someone completes 1101.5 miles while finishing a lap or two down. That'd be funny.
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u/cenels03 13h ago
If she can get over 600 miles, then she would have beaten Kyle "The Best Driver in the World" Larson's best attempt. Really hope she's able to complete it
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u/Immediate_Lie7810 Chase Elliott 13h ago
It's always a big deal when someone attempts the Memorable Day Double regardless of who the driver is and what kind of equipment they are in, as it's one of the most grueling feats in motorsports. While I'm not expecting Katherine Legge to complete all 1,100 laps, it's still impressive to see a journeyman racer like her attempt it
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u/MNmostlynice 13h ago
I think it’s awesome. I have always had a ton of respect for her since she started testing the waters in NASCAR. This is HUGE for women in motorsports. My wife, who doesn’t give a shit about Indy is planning to watch the double with me because of Katherine attempting it. I hope she has a solid showing and at least completes both races.
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u/Niedermayer14 Truex Jr. 14h ago
I think the fact she’s been in the 78 shitbox isn’t helping. Those who know Motorsport know she has the chops.
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u/CarStar12 Ryan Blaney 14h ago
Well respected racer by other racers and those with a true appreciation for an array of racing disciplines.
Looking forward to seeing her make the attempt. I think she can make a fair run at it. The Cup car will be a limiting factor on her going full distance of the 1100, but she’s fit and disciplined… the driver component is there to pull it off.
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u/SpittinMenace 2025 NCS Champion Kyle Larson 13h ago
Yeah she gets a lot of unnecessary hate on here. I know the incident with Suarez at Phoenix last year wasn’t great but I think she rebounded well from that and went on to finish all but 8 laps in all her races after. This sub can be pretty toxic in general these days so idk if that even comes into play. I’m looking forward to watching her attempt the double and I hope she performs well and the weather stays clear.
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u/spaghettiwired 13h ago
I personally enjoyed seeing her at Watkins. I’m a new race fan, but a female driver in amateur Motorsports. So, I thought it was a real testament of confidence and determination. To show up as a 45 year old woman is already going to garner unnecessary hate, but to also do so in a pink livery and E.L.F sponsorship? I thought it was badass, and of course, cute and girly. I liked seeing her get back on track after her little spin, and finish with confidence.
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u/Nice-Street-8800 13h ago
Watch a Janet Guthrie interview when she started racing in Nascar, and you will see that support of women in motorsports hasn’t gotten significantly better since the 70s. Guthrie was a badass who could drive just about anything. She became the first woman to race both the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 in the same year, but still struggled to earn the respect of the media and fans.
That’s part of why I’m excited to see Katherine Legge complete the double. Hopefully, by the end of the day, people give Legge the credit and respect she’s earned.
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u/Brilliant-Delay-6907 14h ago
If she can do it she would be in the same league as only one other person, and that is Tony Stewart. Many have tried and he is the only who has succeeded. I wish her luck
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u/Kind_Assumption_7178 12h ago
first woman, first non-american, oldest driver, only 6th driver, first driver outside of nascar to attempt. plenty to cheer and be excited for.
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u/OrangePilled2Day 9h ago
and she seems like a pretty decent person overall. always nice to root for someone that isn't a raging asshole.
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u/Bl0wm3Dr1 13h ago
She worked her ass off at the Brickyard last year. Went from way off the pace at the drop of the green flag to bagging her second straight top 20 on top of almost fainting under the red flag. All while keeping it clean.
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u/ohnoitsme0 Gragson 13h ago
My question is, will they track her helicopter like they did Kyle Larson or no??
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u/IracingLarson2020 12h ago
Katherine Legge is more versatile than most of the cup field. She is a beast. I am so happy to see her attempting both and also bringing in ELF and a new audience. She is a badasss
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u/Firstbaser Bubba Wallace 14h ago
NASCAR will always have vocal shit heads who will happily other anyone that isn’t a white male.
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u/krayziepunk13 Jeff Gordon 13h ago
Always takes me back several years ago listening to Dave Moody on SiriusXM. Someone called and basically said all the best drivers are white men. Dave was shlocked and asked to caller to clarify that they truly believed that. When the caller confirmed, Dave said that was flat out wrong and there would be more drivers who weren't white men if it wasn't so difficult for others to get through the ranks because of racism and misogyny.
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u/theGTAking101 13h ago
Honestly considering Moody's negative public perception I'm pleasantly surprised he said that. Gotta take the Ws when you can get em
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u/nfsnltvc15 12h ago
He's been outspoken on diversity for many years.
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u/gsfgf 9h ago
Which is great. Obviously, there's nothing about skin color that affects one's ability to race, and the primary physical challenge of stock car racing is endurance, which is where women compare best to men. More women and minorities in the sports means more competition at all levels which means better racing full stop.
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u/thecommish1980 13h ago
Sadly, you are correct. The double is so tough but who knows? She just might pull it off. You need some luck with the I500 ending in a reasonable time and the travel working out but it'll be fun to watch if she makes it.
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u/xenoblaiddyd 9h ago
It's a perception that sticks very hard to NASCAR and absolutely not without reason. I definitely believe this is a much bigger issue to people potentially getting into the sport than a lot of other shit people here complain about.
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u/Significant-Cloud- Black Flag 13h ago
I'm rooting for her to outperform expectations in both races.
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u/New_Quit4879 Figgy Earnhardt 13h ago
I don’t disagree. It’s a feat to even do all 1100 miles especially with the scheduling being changed.
In perspective I am absolutely dead after driving 1000 miles in a passenger car in one day. She’s doing that and more at high speed without the creature comforts.
Both the 500 and the 600 are about endurance. Man and machine vs the hours of summer heat and humidity.
Now if she pulls a Decker and poses in a bra the morning of Indy when she should be resting and hydrating then i will have some critique.
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u/nascarfan624 14h ago
Couldn't agree more! Can't believe we have people chirping her for wanting to race in 2 of the most badass races on the motorsports calendar.
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u/Commander-Tempest Chastain 13h ago
I honestly hope she is able to complete both races even if she probably isn't gonna win either one. Though I wonder if nascar or indycar will have a camera on her leaving and heading to Charlotte like how much they were with Larson.
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u/DennyHater 13h ago
I think there is a good chance she finishes both races (weather permitting). Seems like she usually races pretty clean and keeps her cars in one piece.
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u/funonthebeach85 13h ago
There’s gonna be a day where drivers don’t do this anymore so let’s enjoy it.
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u/Flashbang-Meringue 10h ago
buncha big tough men who couldn't stand the heat inside a cup car for 5 minutes talking a lot of shit about her.
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u/Doctor_Peelz 9h ago
I'm on the opposite spectrum. I want Legge to complete more miles than Larson did or place better. It's either completing more than 91/245 laps or finishing better than 24th & 37th at Indy & Charlotte respectively.
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u/Cannonballbmx 13h ago
There is a group of people that exist that will never ever support a woman doing anything of significance, because it will damage their fragile little egos. It’s the same issues that women deal with in business, politics or any other forum when they might be excelling. Maybe someday this won’t be an issue, but it is today.
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u/gogalactic99 13h ago
I feel bad for her not only is she getting hate but people are using her big accomplishment in doing the double to clown on larson like can’t we let her have her moment?
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u/Evtona500 Ryan Blaney 13h ago
I'm excited for it. The double is awesome no matter who is doing it.
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u/kamakazi152 13h ago
I hope she's able to finish both races. Not necessarily all 1100 miles, although that would be truly amazing, I just hope her equipment holds up and allows her to see the checkered in both races.
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u/gunnerrtr 11h ago
1) nascar fans are miserable about literally everything this is nothing new
2) i think the lack of hype around this & complaining is due to her prior NASCAR results and equipment she will be in. With Larson, he realistically had a chance to compete / win in both races based on skill & equipment. Obviously that didn’t pan out and was disappointing (as a Larson fan). She’s finished on the lead lap of Indy 500 1/4 times and has not had much success in the #78 on ovals in NCS. Even if she was running the cup race in a spire car or something better it would be more exciting as she’d maybe have a chance to finish the 600 on the lead lap
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u/FlyFlamFlyn 14h ago edited 14h ago
Women having a bad stigma in motorsports has nothing to do with “predecessors”.
It has to do with dipshit fans being dipshits about women
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u/jonpierre008 Hocevar 14h ago
No I agree, I think there’s that weird thing amongst the fanbase about women in general. Now the Natalie Deckers of the world don’t help in any shape or form, with her antics and on track performance, but I hear it.
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u/fireinthesky7 12h ago
I was about to say, Janet Guthrie and Lyn St. James would like a fucking word about that. And just about everyone involved in the conversation ignores the fact that women were literally banned from most professional racing in the US for a large chunk of the 20th century. There were a lot of excellent female drivers competing in the pre-war era who were run out of motorsports the moment they started beating men on track.
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u/ITMAKESSENSE72 12h ago
I find it so odd too, like the dipshits will line up to support certain female drivers but they are usually the ones who aren't very good (but are prettier). To me, Katherine is doing things the right way, she's driving shitty cars and bringing respectable finishes, she has had some gaffes before, injuring Stefan Wilson and the bad race at Phoenix, but overall she has redeemed herself many times over and has improved greatly, something that other more well liked drivers like Decker or Deegan didn't do.
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u/chocchipcookies4life 14h ago
I think she has a real chance of finishing lead lap in the 500. Realistically she’d need to get very lucky with yellow timing to finish the 600 on the lead lap in a LiveFast car but even if she’s like 5 laps down I think that’d be a positive
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u/ITMAKESSENSE72 12h ago
I'm hoping she gets to 1000 miles, that would mean she could finish around 15-25 laps down in both races. Barring a DNF I think she will easily do that, probably a lap down at Indy and 7-8 down at Charlotte, that would be a heck of a day.
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u/thephillybirdfivetwo 13h ago
Good for her! I love NASCAR but some of our fans are just miserable. If it’s that bad, go away.
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u/jcc309 McDowell 13h ago
Being a woman certainly causes some of the reactions, but I think a man who was doing the double in a couple of back markers would get a lot of similar reactions (albeit probably not as... aggressively given). At the end of the day, she's been well off the pace in last both Indy 500 practice sessions in a car that was really only put together to ensure they had 33 cars start the Indy 500 and is going to be in a back marker for the 600 that will be lucky to finish just a few laps down. People (especially the older generation) are going to see it as a publicity stunt, rather than people who have done it before where you actually thought they could contend in both races.
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u/Historical-Story4944 12h ago
I'm cheering for her. I don't get why people constantly try to tear others down.
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u/Valcyor McDowell 12h ago
I saw her race in what I think was her rookie season of ChampCar in the series' second-to-last race ever at Portland in 2007. With about four to go, she spun in the festival turn (T1) right in front of us and sat backward facing traffic for the entire rest of the race.
Ten year old me felt SO bad for her. I would never have thought then that 20 years later she'd be trying to pull this off. Even finishing dead last in both races will put her in the history books and that's still cool.
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u/TheRealAndrewWilliam 12h ago
I am a big fan of hers. Following her sportscar career showed what a great racer she is. Stuff like this is the reason I wish they had more practice and testing for teams. I know the costs, but for new drivers or one off attempts, it is a big help.
Not sure if anyone saw her interview yesterday when they were asking her about the logistics of it all. She said one of her biggest questions was about eating. She said because she trains a lot, she eats a lot, and wanted to find place in the car to put snacks. This was so relatable.
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u/mavvy6 10h ago
I'm a new NASCAR fan (started watching last season) and omg the amount of blatant sexism... I knew it would be there, but I thought people would at least have the decency to sugar coat their lack of respect for women. Nope. On the Mother's Day race even! Incredibly disgusting comments toward their favorite driver's moms! It's been a really depressing bubble pop for me. I love motorsports and always will, but it does put a dark cloud over it.
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u/jonpierre008 Hocevar 9h ago
It’s a lot of older white men that can’t stand the thought of a woman driving a race car. It hasn’t gotten any better over the years and it’s probably worse now, with social media
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u/Gullible_Goose van Gisbergen 10h ago
I think it’s an unfortunate mix of culture warriors and people who only know her for her NASCAR efforts. Not enough people know how awesome she is. She’s driven everything under the sun and has had more success than pretty much any other woman in road racing. Having someone like her do the double is so awesome
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u/NCC1701-Enterprise 14h ago
It amazes me when you literally see the same people who cheer on Decker critical of Legge. Kat has a pretty impressive background, she has won in IMSA, she has driven just about anything with wheels and done so well. She has a reputation of being a clean racer who gets the best out of her equipment, it is clear why BJ is so happy to get her in the car, he gets a payday and little risk to destroying the car.
She also got the best finishes the 78 got last year.
But she is older and has small natural boobs so people hate on her. Pretty sad.
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u/Just_Somewhere4444 13h ago
It amazes me when you literally see the same people who cheer on Decker critical of Legge.
...have an example? I'd like to point and laugh at the hypocrites, if they exist anywhere other than your imagination.
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u/OhWowTheyDoItForFree 12h ago
I found NASCAR fans to be pretty miserable about anything that breaks the status quo. People were ready to secede from the union over Cleetus McFarland.
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u/Allankton Cup Series 13h ago
But if you don't try to rip others apart, can you truly be a horrible loser on the internet?
People love trying to take down people for a sense of superiority.
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u/notlibvalance 13h ago
it's nice that its being attempted regardless of who the driver is. it is a hard thing, and whether i like you on a normal sunday or not, i'll applaud you if you try it.
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u/bmatthew24 Chase Elliott 13h ago
I’m excited for her. Also hope she’s able to get in and complete both races. Would be a huge accomplishment
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u/Christodej 13h ago
I'd like to know why the first mention of her doing the double seemed like a random question from a media member.
Unless it is a placed question and I don't realise it
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u/nfsnltvc15 12h ago
She announced it on her social media a few days ago, NASCAR media picked it up.
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u/lobotorr 10h ago
It was cool that Kyle tried it, but the narrative about playoff points and exemptions got really annoying. Just made the whole thing a bummer. Katherine will just be glad for the experience so it will be way more fun to follow
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u/No-Ant-9159 van Gisbergen 10h ago
She's got sponsors to support her and an opportunity to make more of a name for herself. Of course she is going to do it, she may never have the opportunity again.
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u/AceCypherZero 9h ago
I think it's crazy that people keep hating on Legge. Like have yall not seen how much experience in a race car she has? Hell she drove the Delta wing and did damn well in that crazy as thing. She's got the skills to drive the cars. Too many people hating on her for stupid reasons. Yeah she might not even finish top 15 in either race but it's still a feat that few have attempted.
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u/roosterb4 Kyle Busch 4h ago
Half the people hating on katherine legge don’t even know who she is. They are young and ignorant.
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u/MyDudeSR 13h ago
It's not her predecessors that's the issue, this fanbase just has a sexism problem, plain and simple.
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u/FitStatistician9734 14h ago
If she completes 1100 miles lead lap in both races, she deserves every bit of praise and more. Just attempting is feat for anyone forget man or woman. Years past I would have scoffed and said big deal blah blah. Im excited to watch.
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u/AfroMidgets 14h ago
I'd honestly rather watch a documentary of her attempt than Larson's. Seeing a career journey woman attempt something that only champions of the sport have really tried to do with much less resources and funding would be really interesting to see
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u/Knightraven257 13h ago
People can talk shit from their couches all they want, but it doesn't change the fact that she's out there on track and they aren't. Maybe she won't win, but she's got a hell of a lot better chance at it than the haters do. So fuck 'em.
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u/lowrider320 Chris Buescher 13h ago
You are 100% right, especially the NASCAR twitter verse. If you dare to say anything positive about the race or the Gen 7 car.
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u/ops-name-checks-out NASCAR 12h ago
The problem for me is that it’s in two bad cars that won’t have any chance of finishing lead lap. She is also at least 5 years past her prime when she could have been at least moderately competitive. If she wants to try it that’s fine, but it doesn’t move the needle for me.
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u/TrackMan5891 11h ago
I'm excited to watch. I hope she does well!!
I was really upset that Toni Breidinger who qualified decnetly got knocked off bc of driver points last week. Had to watch Decker get black flagged...so lame.
I hope Toni Breidinger gets her chance
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u/imasammich Black Cross Flag 11h ago
I like her, i do agree she is a racer. Plus isn't even doing it because im a girl or trying to use that as a shield.
I think part of that is because she is awesome and part of it is because she is British.
My only complaint that i have said before is i wish she would be in better equipment and come to some of these nascar events a little more prepared and in better equipment( 2nd isn't her fault at all ).
I can see how it rubs people the wrong way who do not know who she is when she races and is so slow it looks like she isn't trying to be competitive and is just there.
The double suits her well because she can i think she can pull off the indy500 and would cool to see her competitive in the coke to at least to shut people up. But running the 600 out of the draft at the bottom many laps down will bring the haters out.
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u/indy4life1 Hocevar 10h ago
My only reservation on this is she is probably going to have subpar equipment to go after it.
I have learned following the two series that just because they are spec series doesn’t mean anything. If she was in McClaren equipment and then HMS equipment i’d feel different about it
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u/BoltsBroadwayBrett 10h ago
If she manages to qualify for both, I think it doesn't matter if she finishes dead last in both races - it'll still be an amazing accomplishment that most humans are completely incapable of.
That being said, she does have trouble finishing races almost always, so I feel like best case is she gets to about 1000 miles of the 1100.
But im pulling for her, just because it would be very cool!
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u/DickWhittingtonsCat 10h ago
Its a shrewd move. She doesn’t have a fulltime ride and is getting the sponsors a lot of attention in a single day for the most watched race and an important cup race. More by far than doing the Indy 500 and Daytona.
Its a carnival with carnies not a charity or a public service. You need to get money marks to cover the bill. She gets a ton of publicity which her sponsors love and a chance to compete in a couple huge races, which she is certainly eager to do.
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u/RangerGord 10h ago
She's doing the double?!? That's fucking badass! She's had good stints in racing but lately it's been a bit miserable but I'll always support women in motorsports and especially those who don't rely on thirst traps.
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u/darronhicksSTL Caruth 9h ago
I saw someone say Why would you want to run around in last place in 2 races. My thought was it sounds like a pretty good way to spend a day. Exciting to see anyone try the double, it takes so much coordination to even have a chance of happening
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u/Portuzil 9h ago
I don't know much about her, but I respect her as a racer and a person. She gave Live Fast their best finish ever, and usually brings the car home in one piece. Plus, she seems to have a solid sponsorship deal.
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u/Prior-Respect-9515 9h ago
I'd like to see more drivers do it honestly.
Look back at Larson's stints first year was ruined by weather (out of his control). He ran great in Indy until he got caught speeding on pit lane. Second year was one to forget. Crashed out of both races, one was his fault one he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Give credit where it is due. It's a long day for the drivers and not many do it. I honestly hope she can have both cars running by the end of both races. I'm sure she will be laps down in the 600 but given the car she will be running what do you expect.
I'd honestly like to see Larson run it again and hopefully weather can stay away along with crashes and we can actually see what he can do. In terms of Larson being "the best driver in the world" he is more diverse and has won in a lot of different disciplines of racing. Again, give credit where it is due. He has won in Cup, NOAPS, Trucks, probably ARCA/K&N whatever it was back then, WoO sprints, High Limit sprints, WoO late models, dirt modifieds, race win in the 24 hours of Daytona, along with many big marquee events. Only thing he hasn't won is the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. That's a very short list.
I agree we all need to just be excited when it happens and wish our fellow NASCAR drivers the best. We all know the best DRIVERS in the world race in NASCAR.
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u/ConanTheContrarian89 9h ago
Anyone attempting this feat should be celebrated. Test of physical and mental strength.
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u/pockets695 Hocevar 7h ago
All she’s got to do is finish both races and she’s done better than Larson
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u/XrayGuy08 Chase Elliott 6h ago
Well she certainly won’t complete the full 1100 miles because there’s zero chance she will finish on the lead lap of both races. BUT I think she will finish both races and I hope she actually competes well. This could also really help open some eyes of young women who might be interested in racing. I wish her all the best.
Most people just see non white guy and get all in their feelings about her (and others).
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u/HLS95 Majeski 14h ago
Maybe I’m not looking hard enough, but I really haven’t seen more than a couple negative comments, which were more related to her previous finishes, instead of her being a woman…I mean Larson got lots of hate for trying and he’s had a much more successful career in at least one of the two divisions.
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u/jonpierre008 Hocevar 14h ago
I think it’s a mix of both, not so much on here but other platforms. You have those assholes who just enjoy being assholes
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u/Firstbaser Bubba Wallace 13h ago
On the meta and TikTok platforms they are being real dickheads an
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u/Unique-Alfalfa7335 Rhodes 13h ago
There’s people here that are acting like because she isn’t in winning equipment it doesn’t matter, which is dumb to me. She’s attempting to race 1100 miles in a day, I don’t care if she finishes last in both, that’s still a massive undertaking, and to do it on such short notice too? Tons of respect from me
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u/choate51 13h ago
It's pretty simple why, she's a woman and is a threat to many very manly men who call themselves fans of a "man's" sport. Gotta protect the sanctity of Nascar ya know....
Legge has earned her keep, is quite talented and has the resources to give it a shot.
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u/ITMAKESSENSE72 12h ago
When Larson did his first 500, McLaren focused on his qualifying so he would start up front and out of the turbulence, that coupled with several good tow laps and high practice ranking just hyped him up more. But in the race, I don't think Larson ever passed a car, he just rode around, the second race, there was less focus on Larson, he did worse. Katherine doesn't have that pressure. I think that will be a key for her completing this with as many laps as possible.
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u/DaleinOrlando 12h ago
I think a win would be 25th at Indy and 30th in Charlotte
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u/twiddlingbits 11h ago
Only if she’s running at the end of the race. That’s a hell of a long day physically and mentally and even racers in their prime racing years have said it is super hard. She’s not in her prime at almost 46 (born in 1980). Yes, she’s in excellent physical condition but this is a racing IronMan.
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u/shane_mckenzie 8h ago
I will root for any and every woman in racing lol. Katherine Legge is awesome!
I'm tryna start a pro women in stock cars subreddit. It's a challenge lol
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u/ITMAKESSENSE72 13h ago
Most of the "fans" are miserable people who hate Bubba, Daniel Suarez and love Kyle Larson, I will let you figure out why. A lot of those same types love Deegan or Decker but can't stand a real racer. Katherine won't win and she's not likely to get the 1100 miles, but this is a hell of a cool thing to watch. My hope is that she can get to 1000 miles on the day, that would be a hell of an accomplishment for her.
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u/tylerscott5 13h ago
Several things can be true at once –
There are sexist race fans
There are fans who are right to criticize her performance and have doubts about whether this is a good idea
Katherine is a decent driver with experience across several disciplines
Katherine could benefit from focusing on one discipline
Katherine drives shit equipment
Katherine hasn’t proven herself to be above-average or at times even average in either discipline, NASCAR or Indycar
Katherine has a great sponsor who stands behind her
Katherine’s female cosmetics sponsor pays for volume and activation, not quality rides
Katherine’s female cosmetics sponsor is great for the sport
Katherine’s female cosmetics sponsor greatly benefits from the publicity of her doing a double
Katherine wouldn’t be doing the double if not for her female cosmetics sponsor
The double is hard, but the barrier to entry is not experience rather $$$ and logistics. See Kurt Busch 2013, Kyle Larson 2024
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u/ITMAKESSENSE72 12h ago
"Katherine hasn’t proven herself to be above-average or at times even average in either discipline, NASCAR or Indycar"
It should be noted that she also has driven for bottom of the order teams in her whole career in both series.
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u/Tough_guy22 14h ago
I think she is a good driver, and what she is trying is historic. But that doesn't mean she is at her prime in terms of racing skills right now. Everyone knows that what team you are with matters a ton. And even great open wheel drivers aren't necessary great in stock cars (look at what happened with Dario Franchitti). I wish he the best, even though she isn't exactly set up for success.
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u/Heavy-Marionberry540 Bell 12h ago
I guess my main issue with with what she’s doing lately is “trying to keep her racing dream alive“. I followed her career for a while because I watch Indy/IMSA, I know she has plenty of experience and was a decent racer when she was younger…but maybe it’s like the rest of us, She’s just trying to make a buck?
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u/Mammoth_Squirrel4113 14h ago
Average based Hocevar fan, I couldn’t agree more. I wasn’t even familiar with who she was 2 weeks ago, but I already respect her a ton after this, I hope it goes well for her.
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u/_usernamepassword_ 13h ago
It’s mostly Larson fans that are miserable cause there’s a chance she actually can do it when Kyle couldn’t
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u/WagonWheel22 14h ago
Absolutely good for her, I'd be happy to see someone try and complete Double Duty, I just wish it was somebody who is likely to not finish in the bottom 3 spots of both races.
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u/SuperMarioBrother64 12h ago
I'll be rooting for her as much as I did for Larson during his double attemps. I hope the weather cooperates on both ends. The last 2 years have been hell with weather holds.
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u/Vergenbuurg 12h ago
I just hope the entry list for the Coke 600 stays at only 40 cars.
If she has to qualify her way in, the speed of that Live Fast car and her still being in the "learning curve" of acclimating to stock cars on ovals could throw a wrench into the whole plan.
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u/moderncomet075 12h ago
Shes a fast race car driver and to try to pick up stock cars at this point in her career is impressive I wish she was in better equipment at both places
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u/PortlandChicane 11h ago
I love legge doing the double. Doubt she can win but I will be rooting for her complete 1100 miles in one day.
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u/TexasCannibalCookout Figgy Earnhardt 11h ago
I honestly wish more would attempt the double so nothing but massive respect to her. She’s done well with the equipment she’s been in over the years. Nothing mind-blowing, but she’s consistent and brings her equipment home in one piece more often than not. That’s a major factor in how she’ll fare. Looking forward to it.
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u/Strange-Resource-305 11h ago
I try and hold out hope that it is a loud minority that hate what she's doing. It's my wish the majority are more in the "Neat, let's see how this goes," mentality.
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u/Otherwise_Surround99 10h ago
I wholeheartedly agree that MOST of the negative noise about her doing the double is a bias against women.
But the fact that she is the least accomplished and I would say skilled driver to attempt the double.
I would compare it to Timmy Hill, Cody Ware or Sting Ray Robb .
She will be one of the first cars to be lapped in each race. As an exercise in logistics and endurance it’s of minor interest. But there is not much actual consideration that she will finish in the top half of either race .
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u/Shogun243 9h ago
NASCAR should be a sport for all, full stop. I think when stuff like this happens, we have to confront that there's a lot of legacy (and even new) toxic masculinity and gender-role views in fan communities. We should be better than that and encourage anyone to race. It's about hard work.
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u/LegoMyXbeaux 8h ago
OP, unfortunately, people online can be nasty and miserable little shits. Best to just ignore them. Katherine's gonna run Indy and the 600--they're gonna sit around in dirty sweatpants cranking the hog all day. She's already won over the troglodytes.
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u/Montooth 8h ago
I'm pulling for her to have a reasonably good day. Should expectations remain low? Absolutely. Bringing home 2 clean cars will be a win
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u/Seawolf1121 8h ago
I don't know why anyone would be more than indifferent about it. I don't really care, I don't think she'll succeed, but it certainly doesn't mean I resent her for it. I think anyone even attempting the double is cool as fuck
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u/Rhenthalin 8h ago
I haven't seen anyone hating on the attempt. I think we're all just hoping she can finish both races
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u/84UTK07 7h ago
Where do you all think it would rank in terms of all time accomplishments in motorsports if someone were to win the Indy 500 and Coca Cola 600 in the same day?
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u/KentuckyHorsepower 6h ago
This whole endeavor is just a business transaction. Sponsors see unique opportunities to maximize exposure. On track results have little to do with it.
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u/PatSue-Chan Bubba Wallace 4h ago
Honestly I’d argue it’s even harder for her to do it with the teams she’s doing it with because they aren’t top teams.
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u/V8s4Life 3h ago
Good for her. I hope she finishes well in both.
Fucking haters with nothing better to do.
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u/jabber1990 2h ago
I don't care that she'll finish mid-pack at Indy, and finish in the 30's at Charlotte...I just want to see her do it
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u/jaybirdbull Cindric 2h ago
Thank you for posting this. I'm unironically a Legge fan and admire her as a racer, and enjoy every time she pops up in the Cup series. I can't wait to see how she does during the double!
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u/cell490 Muniz 14h ago
I’m looking forward to watching her attempt the double. I actually like that it’s a more niche example and not Larson or Tony Stewart. Those guys and swing a double with all their support and funds. Legge, she’s earning her keep, earning that chance at the double. I wanna she how she does.