Katherine Legge Fires Back at 'DEI Hire' Claims After Fiery NASCAR Xfinity Crash

Katherine Legge isn’t just breaking speed records—she’s also breaking the silence when it comes to the nastier side of professional racing. Legge, the British trailblazer who holds the record for the fastest qualifying time for a woman in the Indianapolis 500 and was the first woman to win a North American open-wheel race, found herself in the crosshairs after a dramatic crash at last weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Rockingham.

After being caught in a spin triggered by William Sawalich and then getting collected by veteran Kasey Kahne, Legge didn’t just limp away with a battered car—she also drove headlong into a barrage of online abuse, including "death threats" from some so-called fans.

On the "Throttle Therapy" podcast, Legge drew a firm line: "Let me be very clear, 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 it." She called out the "disturbing" and "unacceptable" comments flooding her social media, making it clear that the troll pitstop was closed for business.

Legge, who recently became the first woman in seven years to start a NASCAR Cup Series race, found herself in J.J. Yeley’s car after being bumped from the starting grid due to ownership points—an ironic twist in a world where luck and timing can mean more than horsepower. In last weekend’s race, she was sent spinning after contact from Sawalich, and had no chance to avoid Kahne as he plowed in at Turn 1. Sounds like rush hour on I-95, but with more horsepower and less honking.

What really stung, though, were the accusations that she was a "DEI hire"—a suggestion she got her seat because of diversity initiatives rather than skill. Legge shot that down with typical poise: "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 teams that employed me – without me bringing any sponsorship money for the majority of those 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."

Legge finished 36th at Rockingham, a far cry from her best Xfinity Series result—a 14th place at Road America back in 2018. But for a driver who’s used to making history, it’s safe to say she’s not here for the sideshows, the hashtags, or the haters. She’s here to race. And honestly, how many of her critics could even parallel park at 200 mph?