In the latest episode of her podcast Throttle Therapy, NASCAR driver Katherine Legge claims that she has received hate mail, death threats, and inappropriate sexual comments during her pursuit of racing in NASCAR this season.
Following another trying week at Rockingham, Katherine Legge addressed the alleged online harassment she has received since her 2025 return to NASCAR.
As the only woman on the grid in the Xfinity and Cup Series so far this season, Legge opened by saying that that role in NASCAR comes with pride and immense pressure. “I want to say that being a woman racing in NASCAR comes with an incredible sense of pride, and obviously, it comes with a level of scrutiny and harassment.”
The 44-year-old veteran racer went on to say, “However, I will say the hate mail, the death threats, and the inappropriate sexual comments that I received aren’t just disturbing. They’re unacceptable.”
Any fan in the online NASCAR communities has probably seen some of the comments she is referring to.
For example, in her 2025 NASCAR pursuits, Legge has often been the center of discussion about NASCAR’s approval process. Many fans suggested she go down to a developmental level before taking on the Cup Series. Though she did so this past weekend in the Xfinity Series race at Rockingham, Legge’s online scrutiny has yet to cool down.
Though she entered four Xfinity Series races in 2018 and one in 2023, the former open-wheel and IMSA veteran has turned her attention to more and more NASCAR starts in 2025. That being said, the start of Katherine Legge’s 2025 NASCAR season has not gone smoothly.
Her Cup Series debut at Phoenix was filled with drama after the Guildford, England native spun her No. 78 twice, once collecting Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, who voiced his frustration after the race. Despite this, Legge was looking to make new ground this past weekend at Rockingham as part of an expanded Xfinity and Cup Series schedule.
However, this past weekend served as another learning experience as Legge failed to qualify her Jordan Anderson Racing entry for the race, with the team opting to buy out the starting spot of the Joey Gase Motorsports’ No. 53 for Legge.
Already facing criticism for missing the race, Legge would not finish it. Already a lap down and being passed by faster cars, Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich collected the No. 53, sending Legge into the outside wall, ending her day. Who was at fault for this incident was a major debate at the time; per usual, a portion of fans blamed Legge for the incident, though she told the media at the time that the incident fell on Sawalich’s shoulders.
Despite criticism from some NASCAR fans, Legge said in the Apr. 22 episode of her podcast that she’s not going to tolerate any hatred. “I’m here to race and I’m here to compete and I won’t tolerate any of these threats to my safety, or to my dignity, whether that’s on track or off of them,” Legge said.
Some of Legge’s most often received criticisms cite her sponsorship from e.l.f. Cosmetics, or her status as a woman in racing, as the reason she is able to get rides in NASCAR. Legge also addressed these indictments in this episode, stating:
“I have earned my seat on that racetrack. I’ve worked just as hard as any of the other drivers out there. And I’ve been racing professionally for the last 20 years. I’m 100% sure that the OEMs and the teams that employed me without me bringing any sponsorship money for the majority of that 20 years, did not do so as a DEI hire or a gimmick or anything else. It’s because I can drive a race car. So, my performance and not my gender is what defines me as a competitor, and I haven’t been in NASCAR long enough to be accurately judged for that.” – Katherine Legge
Legge is not anywhere near the end of her 2025 NASCAR schedule. She has a full slate of races coming up with JAR, including this weekend at Talladega, and will make multiple road course starts with Live Fast Motorsports at the Cup Series level throughout the year.
With six more Xfinity Series races and five more Cup Series races on her schedule this year, Legge is not backing down. “I’m here because I love the sport,” Legge said. “I’m still here because I love the sport, right? I could be at home on the lake enjoying my life, but I love racing.”
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