Katherine Legge didn’t just complete the Chicago Street Race; she made history. The British racecar driver made her third NASCAR Cup Series appearance this weekend, teaming up with Live Fast Motorsports. By finishing 19th, Legge became only the second woman to crack the top 20 in NASCAR Cup points after Danica Patrick, a milestone that was something to celebrate. However, someone noticed an interesting altercation she had during his historic drive.

Amid her breakthrough, Legge found herself tangled with none other than 7-time Most Popular Driver and 2020 Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott. After a back-and-forth with the #9, Legge delivered a stern message to one of NASCAR’s biggest names.

Chase Elliott receives a blunt nudge

Katherine Legge kicked off the weekend by beating Corey Heim to secure the final spot in the 41-car qualifying field. Despite a late practice crash that threatened her chances, she rebounded with a qualifying lap that was two-tenths better than Heim’s. That was enough to lock in 33rd on the grid and claim her spot in Chicago Street’s third Cup race.

Along the way, she hung tough on the street circuit and earned praise as she backed into walls, scraped barriers, and tamed the chaos, eventually punching through to a 19th-place finish, her best result in just 3 cup starts. But the fireworks arrived late in the race, and Stephen Taranto at CBS Sports highlighted this moment.

On a tight run through turn five, Chase Elliott doored Legge, his rear clipping her door panel and nudging her off the line. Powering forward, Legge didn’t let it slide. On the next street, after the caution was called for an incident in Turn 6, her No. 78 crept up on Chase’s bumper and delivered a firm nudge. Stephen reported that Elliot raised his hand in a sheepish “my bad” manner. That precise push of turn five wasn’t heat or revenge; it was boundary-setting by a competitor who had earned her place.

Despite the incident with Katherine Legge, Chase still had a strong drive. He started off the weekend on the back foot after damaging his car and practice by tagging the turn 4 wall. His No. 9 Chevy didn’t post the qualifying time and was forced to start at the rear of the field at 39th ahead of Denny Hamlin. It wasn’t the ideal spot, but Elliot and Hendrick Motorsports are built for comebacks.

By the end of stage one, he clawed his way forward, avoiding early chaos and settling into 28th position, out of contention for stage points but in decent shape given the long odds. As the race moved on to stage two, the Hendrick Motorsports driver found himself in seventh place, earning valuable points and proving his race space was solid enough to overcome a rough start.

However, the final stretch was all about survival and strategy. Despite starting 39th, Elliot maneuvered through the wrecks, restarts, and traffic, ultimately finishing 16th with 25 points in the bag. This sums up Chase’s season so far, be it bad qualifying or slow pit stops, Elliott has managed a top-20 finish in every race this season, and Chicago was yet another steady recovery from the rear with consistency where it mattered the most.

Legge opens up about her Chicago qualifying effort

Legge’s Chicago race wasn’t just a personal milestone out of luck; it came with street racing proof. She is a veteran open-wheel racer and has dazzled in the IndyCar scene as well, leading laps at the Indy 500 and posting the fastest-ever Indy 500 qualifying attempt by a female racer. In a post-race interview with RACER, she said, “It feels pretty good to get that monkey off my back, honestly.” 

She earned that qualifying spot, and with only 20 minutes of practice and no room for error, she scraped into the race over Corey Heim. While it didn’t look pretty as she damaged the car by bouncing off a few walls, she still managed to qualify 33rd. She admitted to TruTV, saying, “I made a couple of mistakes, but it was good. I felt pretty racy there at the end, and everyone had damage. It was complete carnage, but it’s just good to get the experience.”

But the risk paid off, and though she scuffed her car on Chicago’s unforgiving walls, she finished strong. Sunday marked her third Cup career start driving for B.J. and Jessica McLeod. Her previous races, in Phoenix and Mexico City, ended in tough DNFs. Phoenix, her tangle with Daniel Suarez, and in Mexico City, cockpit heat literally melted her shoe before a 32nd-place finish. Chicago felt different. However, the former open-wheel and sports car driver has embraced stock car racing and is excited about the opportunities ahead. What did you think of Katherine Legge’s drive on Sunday? Let us know in the comments!