Katherine Legge's Cup Series debut at Phoenix was a "baptism of fire," but approving her to race was the right call by NASCAR.

Katherine Legge’s highly-anticipated debut in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway ended in disappointment as she failed to make it to the chequered flag. The 44-year-old was officially classified in 30th place after completing 210 of the planned 312 laps in Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500.

With her debut today, Legge became only the 17th female driver to make a start in the NASCAR Cup Series. The last woman to race in the Cup Series was Danica Patrick, who has the most starts by a female driver with 191 after making her final start in 2018.

Katherine Legge didn’t accomplish her goal of finishing the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway, but she still made history as the first woman to pilot NASCAR’s Next Gen car introduced in 2022.

Daniel Suarez blasts NASCAR for its outdated system and lack of support for drivers, while clarifying that he holds no grudges against Katherine Legge. Suarez’s outspoken criticism highlights the need for change in the sport,

NASCAR’s latest race at Phoenix saw the highly anticipated debut of British female racer Katherine Legge. However, Legge’s first outing was anything but a dream, as her race ended early after she spun out in the middle of the track.

Katherine Legge made history on Sunday by becoming the first woman to start a NASCAR Cup Series race since Danica Patrick in 2018, but she struggled and finished in 30th. Legge spun out twice in Sunday's race at Phoenix,