NASCAR’s Katherine Legge says she has been receiving death threats after Xfinity crash at Rockingham

NASCAR driver Katherine Legge is speaking out after receiving a wave of hate mail and even death threats from racing fans, following a crash during last weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Rockingham that also involved veteran driver Kasey Kahne.

Legge, a four-time Indy 500 starter who’s still relatively new to stock car racing, opened up about the harassment on the latest episode of her podcast, Throttle Therapy. “The inappropriate social media comments I’ve received aren’t just disturbing—they’re unacceptable,” she said.

“Let me be very clear,” the British driver continued firmly. “I’m here to race. I’m here to compete. And I won’t tolerate threats to my safety or my dignity—on the track or off it.”

Earlier this year, Legge made headlines when she became the first woman in seven years to start a NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix. That race ended early for her after a pair of spins, one of which collected Daniel Suarez. Last weekend, she returned to action in the Xfinity Series at Rockingham. Though she qualified on speed, she was bumped due to team ownership points but ultimately stepped into J.J. Yeley’s No. 53 car for Joey Gase Motorsports after a last-minute switch.

The team had to scramble to get the car ready, and Legge struggled to keep pace with the leaders. During the race, as the front-runners were lapping her, William Sawalich tapped the back of her car going into Turn 1, spinning her around and leaving Kahne with nowhere to go but straight into her.

“I gave him a lane,” she explained. “The reason it looked like the pace closed so fast is not because I hit the brakes—I didn’t. I stayed on my line, stayed at my pace. He just came in too hot, understeered into me, and that spun me.”

Legge, now 44, has spent over two decades racing professionally. She’s driven everything from open-wheel cars in IndyCar to endurance machines in IMSA SportsCar, and even dabbled in NASCAR back in 2018 and again in 2022.

“I’ve earned my seat on that racetrack,” she said. “I’ve worked just as hard as anyone out there. And I’ve been hired by teams for my ability to drive, not because I brought sponsorship money, or as some kind of diversity hire or gimmick.”

But what really stings, she said, is how quickly some fans are to attack, especially when it comes to women in motorsport. “I’ve been in tougher battles than you guys in the comment sections,” she added, defiant.

Fortunately, Legge hasn’t been alone. Many in the racing community have stepped up to defend her. IndyCar driver Marco Andretti fired back at a critic online who called her “unproven,” pointing to her Indy 500 record.

“It’s wild to me how many grown men talk badly about badass girls like this,” Andretti wrote. “Does it make them feel more manly from the couch or something?”

Despite the noise, Legge remains focused. She’s still in the game, still racing, and still proving she belongs—no matter who tries to say otherwise.