"I want to be taken seriously": Katherine Legge makes feelings clear on the unpleasant side of NASCAR "boys club"

Katherine Legge isn't all too pleased with her debut year in the Cup Series. The 45-year-old shared her desire to be 'taken seriously' and pointed out that some people continue to bypass her and reach out to sponsors for their grievances.

Legge had a rocky start to her Cup Series stint, collecting Daniel Suarez in a race-ending wreck at Phoenix Raceway. Many argued that Legge was allowed to race with minimal experience and blamed NASCAR for the whole debacle.

She later found some respite and notched up a P17 finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Another top-20 result in the Chicago Street race added to her resume.

In an episode of Driven Minds with Josh Wise, Legge spoke about her experience in the Cup Series, saying(via Daily Express US),

"I’m still learning. I’ve got people who don’t call me directly; they’ll call my sponsor or whoever and talk to them, because it’s still a boys’ club to them. I want to be taken seriously, like talk to me. I’m the one doing the deal."

"When I was at a conference for Droplight," Legge continued, "one of my main sponsors, they said somebody had told them in the IndyCar paddock that I was difficult to deal with. Difficult? I don’t think that I’m difficult."

"Then it got me thinking, okay. As a woman, if you’re hard, then you’re a b----. If you’re a bloke and you’re driving around in a race car, you’re just dedicated, and you know what you want," she added.

Katherine Legge had seven starts in the Cup Series and six in the Xfinity Series. Notably, she was able to lead a lap in the lower-tier series at Talladega Superspeedway.

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Katherine Legge addresses potential double attempt at Indianapolis

Katherine Legge opened up about her desire to attempt the 1,100-mile feat at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In a recent episode of her podcast, Throttle Therapy, Legge addressed her Indy 500 return in 2026.

"I'm talking to two teams - one for the (Indy) 500 and one for NASCAR stuff next year, and I'm kind of really hoping and praying that it works out," she said.

Katherine Legge shared that she hopes to 'tie' her IndyCar and NASCAR worlds at the crown jewel event. However, she admitted feeling anxious about the same, as she's worried about landing a good car to be competitive.

Legge previously spoke about sitting out IndyCar due to Danica Patrick's presence. She called out the sport for not allowing more than one 'female driver' per season. Legge had to compete in DTM for three years due to the fact.

Her last outing in the series was back in 2024, when she attempted the Indy 500 with Dale Coyne Racing. She ended up with a DNF after an engine failure on lap 23.