“[NASCAR is] not easy. It’s one of the hardest championships to chase in the world because of the strength and depth,” said Legge. Katherine Legge’s motorsport resume reads like a world tour of high-speed excellence. From setting the fastest qualifying lap ever by a woman at the Indy 500 in 2023, to claiming North America’s first major open-wheel victory at Long Beach in 2005. She has competed in IndyCar, Formula E, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, sports car endurance races like Sebring and Daytona, and even dirt racing and touring cars. A seasoned road-course specialist, her international recognition and adaptability made her a standout in the racing world, earning respect well beyond her native England.

Although she first sampled NASCAR’s Xfinity Series in 2018, earning a notable 14th-place run at Road America, Legge’s full commitment to stock cars has come into sharper focus this year. With backing from brands like e.l.f. Cosmetics, DropLight, and Desnuda Tequila, she has secured entries in five Cup Series and multiple Xfinity races. The high point came in March with her Cup debut for Live Fast Motosports at Phoenix Raceway, becoming the first woman in NASCAR’s top series since Danica Patrick in 2018.

Now, Katherine Legge arrives in Mexico City, a city known for its intense racing culture, as NASCAR debuts its first-ever Cup Series road race outside the U.S. With her established pedigree around the world, she is all set to find that groove, inspiring a new generation of drivers along the way.

Katherine Legge embraces the NASCAR grind in Mexico

Legge has reasons to be optimistic this weekend as she is one of the few drivers who have notched up a win at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit. Back in 2019, she won the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY event, and that experience will be crucial when she takes on the field on Sunday. In a recent interview with Sports on Prime, she mentioned how she is in the era of finding her passion once again. “I’m in my NASCAR era at the moment and I love it. I’m having so much fun,” Legge remarked. “So it’s quite an experience coming into Mexico City for the first time in NASCAR because everybody is learning together and everybody’s been super kind and amenable and it’s great to be back here.” 

With her debut in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway, driving the #78 Live Fast Motorsports, Legge focused on keeping the car clean and gaining experience rather than contending for position, ultimately finishing 31st after starting 35th. She found herself centered in a controversy after she caught Daniel Saurez in a wreck, but that hasn’t stopped her from learning and adding more races to her schedule. And so far, Mexico has been treating the British driver well.

As for the Mexico City track, Legge has had enough experience for the challenge. “I’ve raced here twice in the past,” continued Legge. “We won the last time I was here so different track configuration. I don’t remember it at all. I’ve hit the wall too many times in between then and now. I have a lot of road course experience and a vast array of different things you know.” These are vivid memories that Legge recounted of her previous Mexico outing.

But even with immense experience in stock car racing, it is difficult to acclimate oneself to the Next Gen cars that NASCAR has very recently introduced to the racing scenario. “I’ve driven everything apart from Aussie V8s now I think at this point in time,” said Legge. “I’m hoping that it serves me well. I think people think that driving a race car is like driving a road car and in reality it’s not the same at all. Like these things are big and heavy and brutal and they beat you up and it’s hard.”

Reflecting on her crash-heavy Cup debut at Phoenix Raceway, where contact with Josh Berry led to a spin and collision with Daniel Suarez and her Xfinity accident at Rockingham, Legge has been tested both physically and mentally. Yet, she leans on her diverse experience to cope with it. “It’s the toughest thing that she’s ever come across,” said the Live Fast team owner, BJ McLeod of Legge, adapting to the Cup Series. “I don’t know that she would tell you that, but I can tell you that the group of drivers that get to do [Cup] every week are truly some of the best drivers in the world… They truly are that good, and it makes it extremely difficult for her because even if she’s equally as talented, she doesn’t get to race every week. She is the only part-timer that’s trying to get out there, get up to speed and she has very limited stock car experience.”

Nonetheless, Legge remains passionate about her return to the Mexico City track as fans fuel up her energy and enthusiasm over the weekend. But will Legge finally have a breakthrough? Or will she need a little more time to adapt to NASCAR’s changing conditions?

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Starting lineup for Viva Mexico 250

Just like Katherine Legge, another road course ringer who is the top contender this weekend is Kiwi driver Shane van Gisbergen. With limited road course racing so far in 15 races, he wasn’t able to make a case for himself. But as NASCAR switched lanes to twists and turns in Mexico, SVG finally came through as he has won the pole for the Cup Series race.

SVG went to the top in the qualifying rounds with a lap time of 1:32.776s in the #88 Chevrolet, and no one could match his strides. Sitting 33rd in the playoff standings, a start from the pole could see him bag a huge win and mark a comeback. Ryan Preece from RFK Racing will join him on the front row as he denied Trackhouse Racing lockout on the front row, with Ross Chastain starting the race third.

“We had a lot more front grip, which is what I needed. But my laps were average.. like you’ll see everyone was beating me on the first-half of the lap, and then my lap gets good at the end. We had a lot of speed today, which is good. It’s been a great improvement. What a really cool achievement for us and a great start for tomorrow. I’m excited. That’s really cool,” SVG said after the qualifying session.

Ty Gibbs timed himself for the fourth spot, with Michael McDowell securing the last spot in the top 5. Drivers starting inside the top 10 spots are Kyle Larson, Todd Gilliland, A. J. Allmendinger, Joey Logano, and the home hero Daniel Suarez.