Katherine Legge fails to qualify, however will nonetheless run NASCAR Xfinity race

Katherine Legge was aiming to qualify for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity race at Rockingham within the No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet. It is a part of a plan for her to run a dozen races this 12 months between the Cup and Xfinity Sequence, however issues didn’t go her approach.

Legge bobbled on the difficult exit of Flip 2 and misplaced invaluable time within the course of. Her 23.397s lap was nonetheless sufficient to beat 5 different drivers, however as a result of an absence of automotive proprietor factors, she ended up being one of many two drivers to overlook the 38-car subject. The opposite driver who did not qualify was Dawson Cram within the No. 74 Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet.

Nevertheless, her DNQ just isn’t the tip of the story. Legge will nonetheless participate in Saturday’s race — the primary NASCAR Xfinity race at Rockingham in 21 years. With monetary backing from e.l.f. cosmetics, a trip swap was made attainable with one other Chevrolet staff. She is going to as a substitute pilot the No. 53 Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet, which was initially certified by veteran journeyman driver J.J. Yeley.

The staff is scrambling to get the seat prepared for Legge on this surprising swap. The inexperienced flag is ready to wave simply after 4 p.m. EST. This might be Legge’s sixth profession begin within the Xfinity Sequence and her first on an oval since Richmond in 2018. She did compete on the Phoenix oval earlier this 12 months, however that was within the Cup Sequence.

UPDATE: Legge’s race ended simply over 50 laps into the occasion. Contact from William Sawalich despatched her spinning into Kasey Kahne, damaging Kahne’s automotive and ended Legge’s day as she then slammed the skin wall as properly.

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NASCAR XFINITYKasey Kahne’s return hindered by early wreck with Katherine Legge