NASCAR driver faces death threats following Xfinity crash with veteran at Rockingham

NASCAR racer Katherine Legge revealed she has been the target of disturbing online abuse, including hate mail and even death threats, following her involvement in a crash that took out veteran driver Kasey Kahne during last weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Rockingham Speedway.

“Unacceptable” Online Harassment After Rockingham Incident

Legge addressed the backlash during the latest episode of her podcast Throttle Therapy, saying the negativity she’s encountered on social media has crossed a serious line.

“The inappropriate social media comments I’ve received aren’t just disturbing, they are unacceptable,” Legge said.

The British driver, who has competed in four Indianapolis 500s and recently re-entered the stock car scene, was firm in her stance against the vitriol.

“Let me be very clear,” she added. “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.”

Recent NASCAR Appearances and the Rockingham Crash

This year, Legge made headlines announcing herself as the first woman to star in a Cup Series race in seven years since Phoenix. Unfortunately, her race was ended early when she spun out twice, the latter of which made contact with Daniel Suarez.

The next time she got up was at Rockingham, North Carolina, where she qualified on speed into the Xfinity Series, but after that, she was initially left out of the grid because of ownership points. Eventually, she took the seat in J.J. Yeley's No. 53 vehicle for Joey Gase Motorsports-an entry that wasn't thrown together only until after the race.

During the event running off the lead pace, Legge was lapped by the leaders. Entering Turn 1, William Sawalich tagged her from the back, spinning her into Kasey Kahne, who was caught off guard with minimal room for avoidance, along the inside line.

Legge later explained what unfolded from her perspective:

“I gave (Sawalich) a lane and the reason the closing pace looks so high isn’t because I braked mid-corner. I didn’t. I stayed on my line, stayed doing my speed, which obviously isn’t the speed of the leaders because they’re passing me,” she said. “He charged in a bit too hard, which is the speed difference you see. He understeered up a lane and into me, which spun me around.”

Veteran Racer Pushes Back Against Dismissive Criticism

At 44, Legge brings over two decades of experience across several premier racing categories—including IndyCar and IMSA—along with previous Xfinity Series starts in 2018 and 2022.

Responding to suggestions that her involvement in NASCAR is anything less than merit-based, Legge defended her credentials:

“I have earned my seat on that race track,” she stated. “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 percent sure that the ... 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.”

Industry Support Rolls In

While Legge has endured a wave of online hate, she’s also received significant support from within the racing community. Among the voices standing by her was IndyCar driver Marco Andretti, who took a firm stance against the gendered criticism aimed at her.

In response to one social media user labeling Legge “unproven,” Andretti fired back:

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