Women have been part of NASCAR since its inception in 1949, with 17 female drivers participating in the NASCAR Cup Series over its 77-year history. Among these women, only one, Danica Patrick, has completed a full season, making 191 starts between 2013 and 2017. While 11 women have competed in multiple races, just six have contested five or more starts, and only three have reached double digits in Cup Series races.
Katherine Legge’s Shift From Open-Wheel to Stock Car Racing
Katherine Legge transitioned from open-wheel racing to NASCAR after competing in the 2024 Indianapolis 500. In 2018, she first entered stock car racing with four Xfinity Series starts, sparking a desire to pursue the discipline full-time. Legge expressed her enthusiasm about stock car racing early on, stating,
“I loved it and wanted to do more… I have so much fun doing it and am so motivated. I really want to make this home,”
(via NASCAR.com).
Legge’s 2025 schedule began with her Cup Series debut at Phoenix Raceway driving for Live Fast Motorsports. The race was challenging due to multiple incidents, including one that ended Daniel Suárez’s participation. Reflecting on the experience, she shared,
“It was going to be my first foray and fly under the radar and that didn’t happen… I wanted to use it to gain experience,”
(via NASCAR.com).
In the Xfinity Series, Legge joined Jordan Anderson Racing but has struggled with qualifying and race finishes, including failures to qualify at Nashville and Rockingham and three DNFs in four starts. She briefly led a lap at Talladega with Joey Gase Motorsports before a multi-car crash concluded her run prematurely.
Her remaining 2025 races include Cup events at Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and Richmond, alongside Xfinity appearances at EchoPark Speedway and Indianapolis. Backed by experienced mentors such as McLeod, Anderson, AJ Allmendinger, and Justin Allgaier, Legge is determined to develop her skills and hopes to return to the Indianapolis 500 someday.
Trailblazing Female Drivers of NASCAR’s Early Years
Sara Christian was a pioneering presence in NASCAR’s inaugural 1949 season. Finishing 13th in the overall standings that year, she holds the record for the best season finish by a female driver in Cup Series history. Christian also achieved the highest single-race finish for a woman, placing fifth at Heidelberg Raceway.
Christian participated in six of the eight races that season. At the first-ever NASCAR event in Charlotte, she was credited with 14th place despite sharing driving duties mid-race. At the Daytona Beach and Road Course, she competed alongside her husband, Frank Christian, marking the only race featuring a married couple. Sara’s consistent performance earned her the United States Driver’s Association’s Woman Driver of the Year award in 1949. Her racing legacy was recognized by Cody Dinsmore of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, who stated,
“They realized that she was good enough to where she could compete with the men.”
Sara Christian retired in 1950 due to a back injury and was posthumously inducted into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in 2004, with her husband honored there in 2013. She passed away in 1980.
Danica Patrick’s Record and Impact on NASCAR
Danica Patrick stands as the female driver with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts, racing in 191 events from 2012 to 2018. She remains the only woman to have competed full-time across several seasons, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing from 2013 through 2017. Patrick arrived in NASCAR with significant expectations due to her successful IndyCar career, where she secured a win and a third-place finish in the 2009 Indianapolis 500.
During her five full-time Cup Series seasons, Patrick earned seven top-10 finishes—the most by any female driver in the series—but never ranked higher than 20th in the year-end standings. Her historic achievement includes winning the pole position and finishing eighth in the 2013 Daytona 500, the best finish by a woman in that event.
“She didn’t come into the sport to set a car up, she came to the sport to learn to drive it,” said her former crew chief Tony Eury Jr. (via ESPN).
Janet Guthrie: Breaking New Ground in Motorsports
Janet Guthrie became a groundbreaking figure in 1977, being the first woman to compete in both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. With a degree in physics from the University of Michigan, Guthrie began her career in sports car racing, often preparing and maintaining her own vehicles without factory support.
Her courage and determination extended into NASCAR’s Cup Series where she became the first woman to lead a lap. She made multiple Indianapolis 500 appearances in 1977, 1978, and 1979, consistently demonstrating her rightful place at the highest levels of motorsports. Guthrie’s approach to racing emphasized passion over proving a point, as a piece from IndyStar reflected:
“It wasn’t about proving anything — it was about racing.”
Guthrie’s efforts were honored with induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2019 and with NASCAR’s Landmark Award in 2024.
The Emerging Career of Hailie Deegan
Hailie Deegan launched her racing journey in off-road competitions before transitioning to NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series West in 2018 and 2019. She became the first female to claim victory in that series, finishing with three wins and ten top-five results. Progressing in her career, Deegan advanced to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2020, collecting five top-10 finishes across three seasons and participated in a partial Xfinity Series schedule in 2024.
Despite setbacks in the upper tiers of NASCAR’s developmental series, Deegan has continued to refine her driving skills, signaling a pivotal change in her 2025 career by making her open-wheel debut in the INDY NXT series with HMD Motorsports. She expressed enthusiasm about this new chapter, stating,
“I have much to learn, but I am ready to go… The team brings a wealth of knowledge, and I look forward to soaking up as much of that as possible,” (via FOX Sports).
Leading up to the 2025 INDY NXT season, she gained early open-wheel experience during a Formula Regional Americas race at the Circuit of the Americas. Deegan’s family background in motorsports is notable, as she is the daughter of motocross legend Brian Deegan.
The Growing Influence of Women in NASCAR’s Future
The journeys of Hailie Deegan, Katherine Legge, Danica Patrick, Janet Guthrie, and Sara Christian reflect the evolving presence of female drivers within NASCAR. Their achievements demonstrate steady progress in a male-dominated sport, inspiring future generations. Deegan’s transition toward open-wheel racing while maintaining strong NASCAR roots symbolizes the dynamic possibilities ahead for women in motorsports.
With ongoing mentorship, growing experience, and expanding race opportunities, these drivers contribute to expanding the sport’s inclusivity. As NASCAR continues to diversify its talent pool, the impact of these women is likely to resonate, encouraging continued breakthroughs and establishing stronger representation for female drivers on the track.
