

“It’s not sunk in yet that I’ve made history but hopefully, it will encourage more young girls to get into the sport,” were the words by Katherine Legge when she won at Long Beach, competing in the Toyota Atlantic championship. Back in 2005, this was a monumental win for Legge as she became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America. Motorsports has been a male-dominated sport, but the 24-year-old Legge turned the tide with this win. From here on, the British driver would go on to compete in IndyCar, SportsCar, Formula E, DTM, and European LeMans Series.
Interestingly, before Katherine Legge tasted success in America, she was competing against Formula 1 stars in the developmental series. The grind was not different as she tried to make her name through different developmental series. And the series that shot Legge to fame was the Formula Renault Series. Although the British driver has now traded the open-wheel for full stock-bodied cars in NASCAR, she remembers the pivotal moment in her career while speaking to EssentiallySports in an exclusive interview.
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Katherine Legge broke Kimi Räikkönen’s record
Legge was turning heads, being a female racer in the fiercely competitive Formula Renault series in the early 2000s. Then came the 2002 British Renault champions at Oulton Park, and no one knew that a young female racer would announce her arrival with a lightning-quick lap time that outpaced the time set by Kimi Räikkönen.
The now-veteran racer recalled the weekend vividly. “Oh, that was in Formula Renault. That was like 22 years ago now? 2002, maybe?” said Legge. “I’m aging myself. So, it was just in a Formula Renault, and it was one of the first things that kind of put me on the map and made me interesting to people; it was my first pole position in Formula Renault.” That year, at Oulton Park, Katherine Legge made history by setting a new lap record previously held by Räikkönen, recording a lap time of 1.19.292. That breakthrough lap not only earned Legge her first pole in the series but also made her the first woman to secure pole position in Formula Renault Zetec across Britain. She also received the “Rising Star” award from the British Racing Drivers’ Club.
“I had one in Formula Ford, but it was my first one in Renault, and I jumped the start,” Legge admitted. “I was so nervous, and then I got taken out of the race. But I got pole, and so that was one of my early claims to fame, and one of the things that kind of set me apart, and also one of the things that keeps you going.” The lights stayed on too long, and Legge had to retire following a collision just two laps into the race, a crash that tore the front end off her car shortly after her promising beginning. Despite the unfortunate finish, that electric qualifying lap became a flashpoint that proved her speed and gave her the determination to continue climbing the motorsports ladder.

But she reflected on the day vividly, saying, “If you look at that field, Lewis Hamilton was in it, Jamie Green was in it. A bunch of people who have withstanded the test of time in professional motorsports, they were in the field, and so I felt like I was validated, I guess, at that point, and it gave me the motivation to do more.” Lewis Hamilton had been racing with Manor Motorsports in Formula Renault while Jamie Green was competing with Fortec, and other prominent names like Danny Watts, Alex Lloyd, and James Rossiter were the most competitive racers in British racing at the time. Being on the same circuit, in the same series, and outperforming some of those names was a crucial moment in Legge’s development, as it gave her the credibility needed to push for greater opportunities.
In 2005, Legge moved to the United States to race in the Toyota Atlantic Championship with PVK Racing, and even survived a horrifying crash at Road America in 2006 when her rear wing failed at 180+ mph, but that did not stop her either. Though opportunities did not immediately follow, Legge’s refusal to quit set her apart from other female drivers of the time. In a sport that rarely hands out second chances, Legge turned one lap into a legacy, which inspired many drivers, especially women, around the world to carve their own path in racing.
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Legge is still looking for her first memorable NASCAR race
Katherine Legge’s promising NASCAR Xfinity Series run came to a sudden and heartbreaking end at the EchoPark Speedway. After a lengthy weekend delay, the field restarted with intensity, and Legge, driving the #32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet, was poised for a career-defining result. But the superspeedway showed no mercy, as chaos erupted on the backstretch, and Legge was caught in a multi-car pile-up triggered by contact between Jesse Love, Sam Mayer, and Nick Sanchez. “I feel like I wasn’t expecting them to be reckon on the straightaway,” Legge said. “My spotter were awesome. He told me to check up, I checked up, and they were crashing in front of me… I think it was just one of those kinds of super speedway deals where it takes out a bunch of cars.”
The crash added to a frustrating season marked by misfortune. With 3 DNFs in 4 Xfinity starts and a failure to qualify at Nashville, Legge has had little room to prove herself in stock cars. “Unfortunately, I’m gutted because the car was good and I think we would have been on for a good finish,” she said. “Chevy and I were having so much fun out there until then, and I can’t catch a break.” But Atlanta was more than just another missed result. Despite this, she is already focused on Chicago, as she said, “Yeah, I’m okay. Yeah, I’m really looking for Chicago. I do love street racing. My first race in North America was in Long Beach, and I won that one. So I have a special place in my heart for street racing, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Chicago is all about because I’ve never raced there.”
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Beyond the wreckage of Atlanta lies a deeper story of perseverance. Earlier this season, Legge faced backlash following an incident at Rockingham, prompting her to speak out. “The offensive social media comments I’ve received are not only horrific, they’re unacceptable,” she said. “If I may put it very clearly, I am here to race and I am here to compete, it is no doubt I will not be bullied.” Unfettered, she continues to expand her NASCAR schedule, fighting not just for finishes but for respect in one of motorsport’s most demanding arenas. As the 2025 season rolls on, Legge’s unwavering commitment to proving herself remains a story worth watching.
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