March 17, 2025 • 35 mins
Katherine Legge has had time to download her NASCAR Cup Series debut, and there has been a lot to process from what happened. Legge shares what she’s been thinking about since last Sunday at Phoenix Raceway; why she felt embarrassed by what happened; the multiple phone calls Legge has made since Phoenix; reflecting on some of the highlights from the experience; having B.J. McLeod in her ear during the weekend; the characteristics of the Next Gen car versus other vehicles Legge has driven in racing; the overall takeaway of Cup Series racing/competition; having Andy Lally in her corner; wanting people to like her; why she loves stock car racing so much; the reason she came back to stock cars after a gap from her first foray into the sport; if the clock is ticking to check off bucket list items; making herself uncomfortable again; entering the podcast space herself this year and what she hopes to accomplish there; what is next on her racing calendar.
Original music created by Tony Monge.
Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall
Original music created by Tony Monge.
Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hey, everyone, Welcome to the Racing Writers Podcast. I'm your
host Kelly Crandall. Catherine Legg is our guest today and
this is a truly insightful and open conversation. Catherine came
on the podcast. We sat down for thirty five minutes
to reflect on her NASCAR Cup Series debut that happened
last weekend at Phoenix Raceway. You might have seen or
you might have heard, Katherine made her debut with Livefast
(00:28):
Motorsports and it did not go the way she wanted,
and it didn't go the way I think many people
had hoped it would go. Catherine spun off Turn two
with ninety eight laps to go in that race, and
it collected Daniel Suarez, who was running inside the top ten. Daniel,
of course was upset, not with Catherine, but the circumstances
being less than ideal. And it's really led to a
conversation over the last week or so about NASCAR's approval
(00:51):
process of drivers coming in racing in the Cup Series,
the amount of track time that these drivers get, who
should be on track, who shouldn't be on track? And yes,
there was criticism towards Catherine, but the broader conversation has
been around the process, as I said, and how that,
in the words of Kyle Busch, is broken, and a
lot of drivers have chimed in on that. Catherine, though,
(01:13):
was the center of the conversation, and there's been criticism
lobbed her way. She has been the focus, of course
of the conversation, and you will hear her say in
here in this podcast that no, not all press is
good press. I want to thank her for coming on
this podcast because, as I said, it was very open,
very honest, and we are going to get into her headspace,
how she felt after Phoenix, the conversations that she had
(01:37):
with NASCAR, BJ McLeod, Daniel Suarez and others, what she
is hoping for the future, how much she loves stock
car racing, and everything that has come with being the
center of attention over the last week. I appreciate the honesty.
I think it was very insightful, and I believe you
are going to get a whole new understanding and meaning
(01:58):
and a look at who Catherine is and what happened
at Phoenix and where she is going forward. So hope
you enjoyed the conversation. Let's get into it. Here is
Catherine Legg on The Racing Writers Podcast. What I'm really excited,
of course, to talk about is now that you've had
(02:19):
more time to sit down and kind of digest and
download after making your NASCAR debut. So I want to
start with that. We'll talk about all of that first.
But as I said, now that you've had almost a
week to kind of fully digest it all, what have
you been I guess what have you been downloading? What
have you been thinking about since Sunday?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
It's been a lot, honestly. Obviously it's been some positives
to reflect on, but there's been some negatives too. There's
been you know, what the future holds. It's just like
whenever you do something for the first time, where you
try a different series, you basically go and you analyze everything, right,
(02:59):
so good, bad, ugly and different. You get opinions from
people that you respect, that have input in your career
moving forward, and then you dissect and analyze all of
that too. So it's just it's been a process and
with anything, it's good, bad, and indifferent.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Well, let's dig into some of those before we talk
about bigger picture, broader picture racing type stuff. I was
listening to your podcast last night, because I love that
you're in the podcast space now, and I think that's
going to be excellent. I can't wait to see kind
of how that evolves for you. What stood out listening
to your episode, and you said it right there that
there's good, there's bad. You also were brutally honest about
(03:43):
being embarrassed by what happened Sunday, So I wanted to
dig a little more into that and kind of just
how open you are with yes. On one hand, it's
a debut, you're trying to learn, but you took it
so seriously and you're and you're very kind of I
don't want to say hung up on it. I really
I appreciated you using the word embarrassed by it and
just being that open with it.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
So I take everything seriously, and I definitely took this seriously.
You know, my goal was to finish and that didn't happen,
and I don't like not achieving the things that I
set out to achieve. I was embarrassed by the way
that it ended because I made a mistake, and nobody
likes to make mistakes. Right, it was not my best work.
(04:25):
Let's say everybody does make mistakes. But I was definitely
under the spotlight, and I was trying my best not
to make mistakes. You know, I was giving everybody so
much room and so much respect and trying to do
everything right. And that mistake obviously got me a lot
of negative attention, but there was a lot of positives
to be taken from it too. There was, you know,
(04:47):
the lat times I was running when it happened, the
fact that I did stay out of everybody's way. You know,
BJ was very open with me at the beginning of
the weekend, like, this is what we want to do
as a team. We want to get people the opportunity
to get experienced in the Cup Series and be a
springboard for them. It's not the best car in the fields,
and so just treat it as a springboard. And so
(05:13):
it was how do I put it it? Yeah, I
was embarrassed because I didn't want to make a mistake.
I wanted to show that I was competent and that
I belonged to there. And I knew as soon as
it happened that everybody would attach to that, and that's
what I would be remembered for, because that's always the
way when you have so much of a spotlight on
you going into something. People are very much more passionate
(05:37):
about you either failing or you succeeding. Right, they have
an opinion, and so that's exactly what happened. Everybody and
their dog decided that they had an opinion. Right.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
One other thing you said on the podcast that I
really appreciated or I was interested by, was you said
you had some phone calls to make and conversations to
have from that. So how has that process been of
just working through everything you're feeling and kind of just
putting it in the rear view mirror and then moving forward.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Yeah. I called Daniel, and I spoke to the NASCAR folks,
and I spoke to BJ and the team, and I
spoke to Calig and those guys over there that they've
been helping me. And so, yeah, my littles phone calls.
Daniel was very sweet, actually, very kind and understanding. He's like, listen,
I don't blame you. Of course, what happened was less
(06:28):
than ideal for me, which I said, listen, it was
not intentional. I know that doesn't make that any better,
but I was trying my best to stay out of
trouble actually, and it was just just a mistake. And
he said, and I think this sentiment has been echoed
across many platforms, is that it's not really fair for
(06:53):
new people going into a series to not be able
to gain any experience and just be thrown in at
the top level. And while I've been thrown into the
top level of motorsport in many different disciplines. Normally you
have a test or something like that, and these cars
aren't particularly easy to drive, but that wasn't the problem,
Like driving the car was fine. It's I think puts
(07:15):
a spotlight on the fact that Elliot goes in and
he has some missteps as well. Kimmi Rychnan goes in,
he has missteps. I mean, even drivers like Zilich, who
everybody thinks is a superhero, myself included, right, like tons
of respect for him, he does the same thing on
(07:35):
his debut. It happens to the best of them. Whether
you're good, bad, or indifferent. You can't judge me on
that like that would be massively unfair. So I think
that it definitely puts a spotlight on on this sport. Again,
they say there's no such thing as bad press, but
after this week, I beg to differ.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Yeah, when you're the one that the headlines are about,
it's hard to that way, and you are correct. It
seems like it has opened up a conversation of NASCAR
wants folks to come in, but we need to reevaluate
only giving them a certain amount of practice or a test.
So you're absolutely correct in that, and unfortunately you're kind
of again the example that's being used. So if that's
(08:17):
the lows from the weekend, we'll call it that. What
were the highs of the weekend? Just the experience and
getting to run a cup car and be in the
garage and try this opportunity.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I love Nascar. I have so much fun doing it
and driving the car, and the way that the schedule
is in the weekend, and the camaraderie and the paddock
and the people were so great. I mean, the other teams,
like I mentioned, RCO helped me. Chevvy have been amazing,
Calolic folks have helped me. It was really nice. BJ
and the whole left US team. You know, couldn't have
(08:49):
been more supportive. They were great. So it's definitely something
that I want to do. Actually, I had somebody from
another team called me today and say part of me
thought that you were gonna say, Okay, I don't want
to do this anymore, or I like, this isn't for me,
and I was like, hell no, Like you don't know
me very well. But all this does is make me
(09:09):
dig my heels in and go, you know what, I'm
gonna prove everybody wrong because I know that I'm a
good race car driver and that this was just a
blip in the matrix.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I was going to ask that of hopefully it didn't
dampen your spirits toward it, and you do want to
do more? And you just answered that that absolutely you
want to do more stock cars.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I absolutely do. I love it. I love it so
much and I've had such good experiences in every other,
every other part of it. But just yeah, we'll focus
on the positives because that's all you can do. And
it honestly just drives me to want to prove myself
to myself and to everybody else.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
You mentioned BJ I was listening in on your radio
a lot during the weekend from practice to the race,
and it seemed like he wasn't shy about coming on
the radio and trying to be a driver coach. What
was that like having another driver who has experienced driving
those cars, who's also the team owner and can understand
the very realistic expectations you all have having him in
(10:14):
his ear, and you had other folks as well, but
particularly when it comes to BJ and just kind of
his approach and his attitude, and you've said it before,
he's a great guy. So I would have I would
think I would be very assuring having that in your ear.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Yeah, it was. It was great because you know one
hundred percent that he's been there, done and got the
T shirt, and so I was trying to take everything
that he was saying on board, and it was again
it was very supportive and very helpful. And the radio,
the radio wasn't that clear in the race, so I
had a great radio on this Saturday. And then we
changed my earpieces for molded ones because they came in
(10:51):
and they did it didn't work so well, so everything
was very gobbled. So I was like trying to translate
a bunch of it, if I'm honest. The same time,
but I really appreciated the support of BJ and the
entire team. Like from that standpoint, I did not feel
like an outcast or anything. It was great. I think
(11:11):
that they believed in me, especially after Saturday. You know,
everybody seemed really happy with the way that the practice
and qualifying went, So I think that they were excited,
and you know, he was just trying to impart all
of the knowledge that he could in the moment, which is,
you know, you don't know what you don't know, and
so I think that there was points in time where,
(11:32):
you know, we had discussed all the things that were
coming up, that were happening, and so he was trying
to impart that information to me through a garbled radio,
which was a challenge, but I appreciated the effort.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Considering how many different types of race cars, Catherine, that
you have driven in your career, taking Sunday and your
overall performance out of it, because we've already talked about that,
what was just your impression of how the cup car drives,
how it needs to be driven, and things that stood
out in that regard from being behind the wheel compared to,
as I said, other things you have driven in your career.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
So I've been told various different things going into the
weekend that it drives like a GT car. It does
not whoever said that, you're wrong, It doesn't drive like
an Exfinity car or an Archa car. Even by the way,
it's very unique in the way it drives, and I
can only say that from you know, a few laps
(12:26):
that a very specific circuit, being Phoenix, so I can't
speak to anything else. It's to me. This strange thing
was the falling over thing that it does on the exit,
which is kind of unsettling, but you get used to it.
And I think all of those guys have driven that
car so much now that they just kind of get
used to the way that it feels. And it's weird
(12:47):
because if I could go back and do Phoenix again,
I absolutely would, and it would be like a whole
different ballgame because I would know the car even having
not driven it in different circumstances. Right, So I think
it was great. I think everybody says it's really hard
to drive. I struggled at the beginning of the race
(13:10):
because we changed the car over night, so we changed
it so it did a certain thing, and then at
the beginning of the race, it was really sketchy, to
ward of a better word, like I was struggling to
hold onto the thing, like I don't even know Michael
Schumacher could have done anything with it, but we got
it better, and that's the great thing. It's like every
stint we went in a direction up until the last in,
(13:33):
and then we got pretty decently fast, like we for
the car. I think we were competitive right at the beginning.
We definitely went not but then once we made the changes,
and I only know what I think I want the
car to do because I have not driven any other car,
so I can't. I don't have any frame of reference
or anything to compare it. So we got it better,
(13:55):
We got it more comfortable, we got it faster. We
were feeling a little bit more racier, was passing a
few people, which was nice, and then that happened. So
I feel like had we finished the way that it
was going, it would have been a really good result
for the team, for me, for everything else. So yeah,
(14:15):
I'm looking forward to driving the car again. I'm waffling
on it. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
What was your overall perspective on Cup Series competition? You
were touching on a little bit of so many folks
can say, this is how the car is going to drive,
this is what it's like to be in the Cup Series.
Now that you've experienced it, and the depth of competition
and just being in a Cup Series field. What's your
perspective now, Catherine on just the highest level of NASCAR
(14:42):
racing and given your experience, Now.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
I mean, I love it. I think that there is
nothing else like it on the planet. Right. It's a
very It's a different sport in a way, but there
are so many things that you don't experience in any
other forms of racing. And having we have the conversations
that I've had this week about oh, you should do
some Inxfinity races, you should do this, Like I'm sorry,
(15:06):
but the Exfinity car does not drive like the Cup
car and it's slightly different. It's nuanced and how they
raise each other as well, and it's just like thirty
six of the best drives in the world. So I
think until you're put in that situation, it's difficult to
know what to expect. But I think it's very cool.
(15:29):
It's very competitive. Everybody is one hundred and ten percent
all of the time. They all seem to crash into
each other a lot. No, I just think it's you know,
everybody's on the edge all of the time, and I
think that they all have developed this mutual respect or
not for each other having raced door to door at
(15:54):
those speeds, and the speed isn't a thing for me, right,
Like I've come from open with and sports cars, where
quite frankly, it's probably faster in a way. They accelerate faster,
all the things like these These are big, heavy cars,
but the way that their race is remarkably different. And
(16:15):
so I hope to learn all of those nuances as
we go.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
How beneficial has Andy Lallely been to you? You talked
to him before your debut, You've mentioned him on your podcast.
Obviously he has experienced running stock cars. How beneficial in
that regard? Just whether it's been as a friend or
for advice, has he been to just be in your corner?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I mean invaluable? Really, It's always nice to have a
friend in the paddock that you can go to and
you can ask the questions that you wouldn't want to
ask anybody else for fear of showing weakness or thinking
that you're stupid. Right, So I can go to Andy
and watch a video and say, so, what are they doing?
Why are they doing it that way? And he can
(16:59):
explain it to me in Laylan's terms. Because I've watched
a bunch of NASCAR races. I watched them often, but
I will say I didn't watch them with an eye
of if I was driving in it. You know, like
you look at it very differently. Okay, on pit lane?
Why did they do this? Or why did they wait
a lap to pit You know, I can go to
(17:21):
a sports car race and know exactly what to do
under yellow, not think about pit lane, Not think about
what gear I need to be in for a restart,
not think about when I can do tire warming, not
think about all the nuanced things that I didn't know
coming into this. You know, what fans to put on.
It's all second nature to all of these guys, and
(17:42):
it's something that you have to learn coming in and
it's a lot. It's like what can I like in
it too? You know when you first start driving, when
you're a student driver and you first start driving, and
they're like merit signal maneuver and you're doing all these
things and you're learning how to change gear and everything,
and you're like, it's just a lot to take on board.
Because I just taught my nephew. That's why that's why
I have that I'm like it's really no, it's really easy.
(18:04):
Like what are you doing.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
If it's you do it on autopilot?
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Now, yeah, exactly. So I think after you've done it once,
I mean, you'll make other mistakes. That's why they call
you a rookie, right, That's why all of these guys
that I mentioned at the beginning you have made mistakes.
I don't know any rookie that hasn't made any mistakes,
because that's how you learn. You try and learn from
other people's mistakes as much as you can, right by
(18:29):
watching and learning and doing all of that and picking
people's brains. Like Andy, I'm lucky that I have good friends.
I have AG as well, and I can ask him
the silly questions too, and I have BJ, so I
have like a really solid frame of reference. But there's
nothing like being out there and doing it yourself and
figuring it all out. Right.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Another thing that stood out to reference your podcast again,
because like I said, I listened to it and I
loved it so much, because the reason I love an
audio platform is to really hear tone and contact and
emotion from people. And what stood out listening to you
and Andy talking about all of this was he was
really in your corner of stay out of the comments
sections and who cares and you know, focus on you.
(19:12):
And I got the impression from you that you understand
that you agree with him, but you fight this urge
of but I want people to like me.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Yeah, of course I'm human. I don't so much now
I do, but this week I have stayed out in
the comments section. It's funny because I've been in a
lot of different paddocks, and this paddock, actually it was
the first time I was signing autographs and this one
(19:40):
guy says to me, what lap are you going to
crash on? And I was just like, excuse me? What?
Like how how does that make you feel? To ask that?
I don't get this psyche behind it? And so I
knew that coming in, I'm gonna have to earn the
respect to the fans, and I know that they're definitely
(20:00):
going to be a little bit tougher because I didn't
go through and prove myself like I did in Atlantics
for the IndyCar on the open wall route, like I
did in sports cars by winning sports car races. So
those fan bases know me, know of me. I'm part
of the furniture, right and I still get grief over
(20:22):
there too, But this I'm totally new. I've come in
and they're like, who is this chick? And so I
have to earn their respect and earn earn a place
over here because I didn't do it traditionally by winning
in the in the Lattic series, and so I understand
that it doesn't make it any easier when you get
(20:42):
so much negativity. But come I'm going to prove I'm wrong.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
I think I resonated with that. And the reason I
wanted to ask that is because I'm very much the
same way. I just it shouldn't matter, but I want
people to like me so many so so again, I
think that's why that stood out to me listening to
you too talk about that. Why do you think it
is because you've said it to me, you've said it
in the past, of how much you love this. Why
do you think it is this form of racing you've
(21:08):
taken to so much and you like stockharts so much.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
It's so fun. I can't explain it. It's like you
driving the kind of like on the edge all of
the time, and it's just so fun. I don't know.
I think part of it's because new, right, Like you
try a new challenge and you're invigorated for that new
challenge and you want to conquer that new challenge. So
part of it's definitely that. Part of it's because everybody
(21:34):
seems really nice and kind and supportive, and part of
it's because it is one of the most competitive championships
in the world, and so all of that combined makes
you want to succeed.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
I guess you ran four Infinity races in twenty eighteen,
then there was the gap, you came back, ran another
one in twenty twenty three. Now here you are just
again completely in love with it. I want to do more.
What made you want to come back to it? I guess, right,
because there was that gap in there, and I know
you were doing sports cars and other things. But what
(22:11):
was it that either a light bulb or something that
after running those starts so many years ago that you
now have come back really kind of renewed and really
want to hammer down and do it a lot more.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
A couple of things. Firstly, I wanted to do it
back then too, as soon as I did it in
twenty eighteen, I wanted to find a way, but I
don't know anybody really in the NASCAR world, or I
didn't know anybody in the NASCAR world, So it's not
that easy to find opportunities over here. Plus that coupled
with running full time in sports cars. When you're running
(22:42):
full time in something else and you're earning good money
and that's your bread and butter, and that's where you
see your future, it's hard to pivot and take the
take the jump, make the jump, I guess, But for
me it's like, okay, it's now whenever I think going
back to Indy, you know, the last couple of years
and realizing that I want to do the things that
(23:06):
make me happy and that make me want to get
out of bed in the morning and want to go race,
and this is that. So instead of being comfortable and
doing the things that you know, take the risk, like
make the jump, do whatever it is that you think
will make you happy in the long term. And like,
I've done sports cause I've done Indy Car and like
(23:29):
I haven't done stock cars, and so it's like the
last thing completing this circle, if you like. And so
I really wanted to do that, and I really thought
it would make me a better all round driver and
I really thought that for whatever comes next after racing
in the however many years it is because I still
think I've got a couple of good years left in
me yet. You know, if I do help the next
(23:50):
generation or whatever, then I have a real well rounded
view and contact in every paddock, and I am, you know,
just a better human for it.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
You spoke really well about that with Marshall, and I
pulled some quotes and wrote a story on that. Feeling
more well rounded. Okay, So I feel like that's a
good segue into what I wanted to ask next when
you were talking about doing the things you love, because
you've mentioned not just stock cars, but there's other things
that you want to do as well, and kind of
like bucket list items and again, wake up, do the
(24:21):
things you want to love, not be comfortable. Do you
feel almost like the clock is ticking though, like because
it feels like you're kind of really hammered down this
year to accomplish that.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Yeah, I mean, I don't think the clock is ticking
per se, but I think I think my eyes have
been opened to the possibility of doing all of those things,
and I want to accomplish them.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
I don't want to just keep on doing the same
thing over and over again, you know, Like it wasn't
supports fars. It was comfortable. It was like I knew it,
I was good at it. I could just like go
from race to race. I didn't have to think, right,
I just I was on all the time, Bilo, and
I love st car racing, don't get me wrong. And
I still absolutely want to do the major sports car races.
(25:04):
But I think it was doing Indy and I'm like,
you know what, I could just do the races that
I want to do, the cool races. I just have
to make it work. And what is it that I
actually do want to do. Of course I want to
do Indy. Of course I want to do NASCAR, Like
I really see a future in NASCAR for me, And well,
(25:25):
I want to, I should say, And there are a
couple of other races that I that I want to
take off from on my bucket list. Just to have said,
then I've done everything. I mean, I feel like I
have one of the most diverse careers in racing right,
Like I've driven DTM, I've driven electric cars, both tintops
and open wheel, I've driven Indy Car, I tested f
(25:47):
one car, done sports cars prototypes, the Delta wing like
you name it, I've driven it pretty much now, yeah,
apart from I've never driven Ozzieba and I really want
to drive on Zba a Backhurst and that eludes me,
so at some point I intend to do that. But
(26:07):
that's about it down the road right now. I am
like a dog with a bone on the NASCAR thing,
and so I'm gonna focus on that and doing the
IndyCar races that I can do because I love to
do that too. And I'm going to make myself be
comfortable being uncomfortable from here on out because that's how
I made my career and then I forgot that a
(26:27):
long way, and I think it's important to stay true
to who you are.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Is that also tie into I was reading the description
of your podcast and you say in there about basically
come along as you're going to compete in some of
the toughest races and you want to make history. So again,
it seems like you just want to lay it all
out there and just not so one minded. If I
can do it, I want to try it. If I
haven't tried it, I want to try it. And as
you said, just make yourself uncomfortable all over it.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. I felt that way with the
chili bowl too, you know, like I did that and
I've never done anything like that, and I'm like, why not,
because it's scary that, Like, You've got to get back
to being comfortable, being uncomfortable because that's how you made
a career in the first place. That's what makes you you,
that's what inspires the next generation, that's what's special. So
(27:17):
why not do that again rather than just kind of
fade into insignificance by doing the things that you're okay doing.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
You know the podcast title Throttle Therapy. I love that.
Just what's the backstory or how did you come up
with that? Is there any special meaning? I feel like
I on my own I could come up with if
there's behind it, But I want to hear from you.
I don't want the words in around.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
So there's a couple of things. We went back with
the forwards with a bunch of different names. And firstly,
when you're behind the wheel, it always feels like yours
in a happy place, right, It's like therapy being behind
the wheel. Secondly, Christina comes on once a month and
we do that. It's that time of the month, which
I was like, can we say that? I'm like, are
(28:02):
we gonna say it anyway? Because like we're each other's
therapist in a way? Well, no, she's more like mine.
But anyway, there's just something cathartic about talking about racing,
about racing itself, about driving, about the competition. It's just, yeah,
I feel like you probably would have guessed all of
that in for a thing.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
I love that though. I think that's perfect. What are
you hoping Catherine should accomplish in the podcast space because
it's still relatively new, right, I think you only started
it a couple months.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Ago, that's the first week of January, and I didn't
know that I wanted to do a podcast, but I
was persuaded that I wanted to do a podcast because
I have a lot of things to talk about, and
to my detriment, I'm very open and honest about things,
and people use it against me all the time. So
(28:56):
I'm totally expecting that it's fine. But they have a
very unique view in racing, right, you get it.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
You do too.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
You're a woman in a male dominated sport. We come
about things slightly differently, and there's not many people with
the same life experience that we have. So I think
if I can use that as a platform to help others,
inspire others, get my point of view across entertain others,
(29:28):
like whatever it may be. I actually have really really
enjoyed doing it. I did not know that I would,
but I really have. And some of the people I've
interviewed have been super interesting, and some of it's been lovely,
like working with Christina's been lovely, and we've got one
with Lindsea James coming up which is amazing as well.
Like it's just been a really neat experience and seeing
(29:51):
I was against it because I didn't want to jump
on the podcast bandwagon, right like everybody's got a podcast
now and they're all starting. But I think I was
pleasantly surprised by the number of people who were actually
interested in what I had to say. So I said, oh,
this is cool, Okay, I love it.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Well, give listeners the promo of where they can find it,
what days it comes out again. It's called Throttle Therapy,
but I'll turn it over to you if just again,
where they can find it listen to it? Is there
a set day it comes out? What they can look
forward to. That's what you were just kind of talking
about a little bit there.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
It comes out on a Tuesday, and you can find
Throttle Therapy. You can search my name more throttle Therapy
on any place that you listen to podcasts, but it's
on iHeartRadio Women's Sports Podcasts is where it originates. But
you can listen to anyone.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
All right, one last thing I wanted to ask. We've
recapped again NASCAR. You hope to run some IndyCar races?
You said they're about basically you just want to run
whenever you can run. What's immediately up next for you?
Do you have something on your calendar, Catherine that you
can talk about? When's the next time we'll see you
on track somewhere TBD.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
We're at the moment we're trying to figure out all
the pieces of the jigsaw and depending on what sponsors want,
because they have particular markets that they want to hear,
and I have particular races that I want to do,
and then what am I allowed to do in the
NASCAR space? What can I do in the IndyCar space?
And then those two will jigsaw together and then fit
in everything else like auxiliary around that all.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Right, you just said there about what can you do
in NASCAR? So to clarify, do you know what you're
approved for going forward?
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Yes, I'm basically I think NASCAR would like to see
me run some Exfinity races because I think they've got
a lot of heat from people about me not coming
up through the Ladder Series. I'm obviously approved for anything
in Exfinity, but I'm approved for road courses, road and
street courses in NASCAR because that's what my background is.
(31:45):
I probably it's difficult because there's not like a certain
list of guidelines they want to see you do this
here and that there, Like how can you say you
ran really well but you got taken out? Like does
that count against you? How many laps do you have
to do? What is it that you want to see?
Is there a centain speed that you want to see?
Do you want to see me getting out of the
way of people? Like what is it that would then
(32:07):
allow me to get to the next step? Because you
have to start on one mile ovals, which is where
I'm at right now, right, and then at some point
they'll say, okay, you're approof for a mile and a half,
and then after mile and a half. Your A proof
is superspeedway, so it's tricky to know like at what
point you get to graduate. It's not like you can
tick some boxes. So it's very objective and at the
(32:27):
moment we're just trying to understand what that looks like
to see what I can do next.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Absolutely, okay, before we go, as we wrap up, is
there anything else going on or anything else you want
to share or talk about, I'll turn that over to you.
I'll let you have the final say if there's anything else.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
I think there is. I feel like I've put on
the spot and I should be doing something exciting, and
I'm not just more training. I think you know. I'm
working really hard on staying as sharp as I can
inside and outside of the car, and doing as much
stemwork and as much physical training and everything else to
put myself in the best position because I don't want
to leave anything on the table. So I will continue
(33:05):
to do that. I'll continue to work with the teams,
and I'll be ready for the next time.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Well, I appreciate your honesty. I wish for you it
had gone better, because it did get of course, plenty
of positive attention going into it, so it was unfortunate
that it ended like that, but I love that it
hasn't dissuaded you that you want to do more. So
now it'll be fun to watch the process of how
it plays out, as you said, kind of building it
back up. So I appreciate the conversation. Catherine, Thank you again,
(33:32):
and all right, so TBD where we see you next,
but we'll be tuned.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
In, yes, perfect, all right, And as.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
We wrap this up, one more thank you to Catherine
for coming on the podcast, being open, letting me ask
what I wanted to ask about Phoenix, and then looking
at bigger picture items. I love the fact that she
loves NASCAR so much. I can't wait to see what
she does in the future, as well as her determination
to be uncomfortable again in motorsports. That will be fascinating
to see how much she is going to do this year.
(34:05):
So I really enjoyed the conversation. Thank you Catherine again.
I also want to thank Sonia Hendrix for coordinating and
getting this finally set up. We had actually intended to
talk after Atlanta Motor Speedway. I got sick was unable
to talk to Catherine. Then it wasn'nn ounced she was
gonna make her Cup Series debut, and we went back
and forth trying to find the right time, the right days,
(34:26):
and even after everything that happened to Phoenix, this stayed
on the calendar and I'm very appreciative of Catherine and
Sonya for making it happen. If you like the conversation,
please leave a rating and review. You can also go
to social media and interact with me. Go to x, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
It's very easy to find me. My handle is at
Kelly crandall. Thank you for clicking, thank you for listening,
(34:48):
Thank you for downloading every week. I hope you're enjoying
the podcast, and we're going to keep rolling right along.
Next week, we're gonna head to the NHRA. We're gonna
chat with one of my favorite people. It's Antrom Brown.
He is the most recent winner on tour from Gainesville,
getting ready to go to Phoenix, and we're going to
catch up with Antron as both driver and team owner
(35:09):
and see what he's got going on. That will be
next week right here on The Racing Writers Podcast.
Hey, everyone, Welcome to the Racing Writers Podcast. I'm your
host Kelly Crandall. Catherine Legg is our guest today and
this is a truly insightful and open conversation. Catherine came
on the podcast. We sat down for thirty five minutes
to reflect on her NASCAR Cup Series debut that happened
last weekend at Phoenix Raceway. You might have seen or
you might have heard, Katherine made her debut with Livefast
(00:28):
Motorsports and it did not go the way she wanted,
and it didn't go the way I think many people
had hoped it would go. Catherine spun off Turn two
with ninety eight laps to go in that race, and
it collected Daniel Suarez, who was running inside the top ten. Daniel,
of course was upset, not with Catherine, but the circumstances
being less than ideal. And it's really led to a
conversation over the last week or so about NASCAR's approval
(00:51):
process of drivers coming in racing in the Cup Series,
the amount of track time that these drivers get, who
should be on track, who shouldn't be on track? And yes,
there was criticism towards Catherine, but the broader conversation has
been around the process, as I said, and how that,
in the words of Kyle Busch, is broken, and a
lot of drivers have chimed in on that. Catherine, though,
(01:13):
was the center of the conversation, and there's been criticism
lobbed her way. She has been the focus, of course
of the conversation, and you will hear her say in
here in this podcast that no, not all press is
good press. I want to thank her for coming on
this podcast because, as I said, it was very open,
very honest, and we are going to get into her headspace,
how she felt after Phoenix, the conversations that she had
(01:37):
with NASCAR, BJ McLeod, Daniel Suarez and others, what she
is hoping for the future, how much she loves stock
car racing, and everything that has come with being the
center of attention over the last week. I appreciate the honesty.
I think it was very insightful, and I believe you
are going to get a whole new understanding and meaning
(01:58):
and a look at who Catherine is and what happened
at Phoenix and where she is going forward. So hope
you enjoyed the conversation. Let's get into it. Here is
Catherine Legg on The Racing Writers Podcast. What I'm really excited,
of course, to talk about is now that you've had
(02:19):
more time to sit down and kind of digest and
download after making your NASCAR debut. So I want to
start with that. We'll talk about all of that first.
But as I said, now that you've had almost a
week to kind of fully digest it all, what have
you been I guess what have you been downloading? What
have you been thinking about since Sunday?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
It's been a lot, honestly. Obviously it's been some positives
to reflect on, but there's been some negatives too. There's
been you know, what the future holds. It's just like
whenever you do something for the first time, where you
try a different series, you basically go and you analyze everything, right,
(02:59):
so good, bad, ugly and different. You get opinions from
people that you respect, that have input in your career
moving forward, and then you dissect and analyze all of
that too. So it's just it's been a process and
with anything, it's good, bad, and indifferent.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Well, let's dig into some of those before we talk
about bigger picture, broader picture racing type stuff. I was
listening to your podcast last night, because I love that
you're in the podcast space now, and I think that's
going to be excellent. I can't wait to see kind
of how that evolves for you. What stood out listening
to your episode, and you said it right there that
there's good, there's bad. You also were brutally honest about
(03:43):
being embarrassed by what happened Sunday, So I wanted to
dig a little more into that and kind of just
how open you are with yes. On one hand, it's
a debut, you're trying to learn, but you took it
so seriously and you're and you're very kind of I
don't want to say hung up on it. I really
I appreciated you using the word embarrassed by it and
just being that open with it.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
So I take everything seriously, and I definitely took this seriously.
You know, my goal was to finish and that didn't happen,
and I don't like not achieving the things that I
set out to achieve. I was embarrassed by the way
that it ended because I made a mistake, and nobody
likes to make mistakes. Right, it was not my best work.
(04:25):
Let's say everybody does make mistakes. But I was definitely
under the spotlight, and I was trying my best not
to make mistakes. You know, I was giving everybody so
much room and so much respect and trying to do
everything right. And that mistake obviously got me a lot
of negative attention, but there was a lot of positives
to be taken from it too. There was, you know,
(04:47):
the lat times I was running when it happened, the
fact that I did stay out of everybody's way. You know,
BJ was very open with me at the beginning of
the weekend, like, this is what we want to do
as a team. We want to get people the opportunity
to get experienced in the Cup Series and be a
springboard for them. It's not the best car in the fields,
and so just treat it as a springboard. And so
(05:13):
it was how do I put it it? Yeah, I
was embarrassed because I didn't want to make a mistake.
I wanted to show that I was competent and that
I belonged to there. And I knew as soon as
it happened that everybody would attach to that, and that's
what I would be remembered for, because that's always the
way when you have so much of a spotlight on
you going into something. People are very much more passionate
(05:37):
about you either failing or you succeeding. Right, they have
an opinion, and so that's exactly what happened. Everybody and
their dog decided that they had an opinion. Right.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
One other thing you said on the podcast that I
really appreciated or I was interested by, was you said
you had some phone calls to make and conversations to
have from that. So how has that process been of
just working through everything you're feeling and kind of just
putting it in the rear view mirror and then moving forward.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Yeah. I called Daniel, and I spoke to the NASCAR folks,
and I spoke to BJ and the team, and I
spoke to Calig and those guys over there that they've
been helping me. And so, yeah, my littles phone calls.
Daniel was very sweet, actually, very kind and understanding. He's like, listen,
I don't blame you. Of course, what happened was less
(06:28):
than ideal for me, which I said, listen, it was
not intentional. I know that doesn't make that any better,
but I was trying my best to stay out of
trouble actually, and it was just just a mistake. And
he said, and I think this sentiment has been echoed
across many platforms, is that it's not really fair for
(06:53):
new people going into a series to not be able
to gain any experience and just be thrown in at
the top level. And while I've been thrown into the
top level of motorsport in many different disciplines. Normally you
have a test or something like that, and these cars
aren't particularly easy to drive, but that wasn't the problem,
Like driving the car was fine. It's I think puts
(07:15):
a spotlight on the fact that Elliot goes in and
he has some missteps as well. Kimmi Rychnan goes in,
he has missteps. I mean, even drivers like Zilich, who
everybody thinks is a superhero, myself included, right, like tons
of respect for him, he does the same thing on
(07:35):
his debut. It happens to the best of them. Whether
you're good, bad, or indifferent. You can't judge me on
that like that would be massively unfair. So I think
that it definitely puts a spotlight on on this sport. Again,
they say there's no such thing as bad press, but
after this week, I beg to differ.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Yeah, when you're the one that the headlines are about,
it's hard to that way, and you are correct. It
seems like it has opened up a conversation of NASCAR
wants folks to come in, but we need to reevaluate
only giving them a certain amount of practice or a test.
So you're absolutely correct in that, and unfortunately you're kind
of again the example that's being used. So if that's
(08:17):
the lows from the weekend, we'll call it that. What
were the highs of the weekend? Just the experience and
getting to run a cup car and be in the
garage and try this opportunity.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I love Nascar. I have so much fun doing it
and driving the car, and the way that the schedule
is in the weekend, and the camaraderie and the paddock
and the people were so great. I mean, the other teams,
like I mentioned, RCO helped me. Chevvy have been amazing,
Calolic folks have helped me. It was really nice. BJ
and the whole left US team. You know, couldn't have
(08:49):
been more supportive. They were great. So it's definitely something
that I want to do. Actually, I had somebody from
another team called me today and say part of me
thought that you were gonna say, Okay, I don't want
to do this anymore, or I like, this isn't for me,
and I was like, hell no, Like you don't know
me very well. But all this does is make me
(09:09):
dig my heels in and go, you know what, I'm
gonna prove everybody wrong because I know that I'm a
good race car driver and that this was just a
blip in the matrix.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I was going to ask that of hopefully it didn't
dampen your spirits toward it, and you do want to
do more? And you just answered that that absolutely you
want to do more stock cars.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I absolutely do. I love it. I love it so
much and I've had such good experiences in every other,
every other part of it. But just yeah, we'll focus
on the positives because that's all you can do. And
it honestly just drives me to want to prove myself
to myself and to everybody else.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
You mentioned BJ I was listening in on your radio
a lot during the weekend from practice to the race,
and it seemed like he wasn't shy about coming on
the radio and trying to be a driver coach. What
was that like having another driver who has experienced driving
those cars, who's also the team owner and can understand
the very realistic expectations you all have having him in
(10:14):
his ear, and you had other folks as well, but
particularly when it comes to BJ and just kind of
his approach and his attitude, and you've said it before,
he's a great guy. So I would have I would
think I would be very assuring having that in your ear.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Yeah, it was. It was great because you know one
hundred percent that he's been there, done and got the
T shirt, and so I was trying to take everything
that he was saying on board, and it was again
it was very supportive and very helpful. And the radio,
the radio wasn't that clear in the race, so I
had a great radio on this Saturday. And then we
changed my earpieces for molded ones because they came in
(10:51):
and they did it didn't work so well, so everything
was very gobbled. So I was like trying to translate
a bunch of it, if I'm honest. The same time,
but I really appreciated the support of BJ and the
entire team. Like from that standpoint, I did not feel
like an outcast or anything. It was great. I think
(11:11):
that they believed in me, especially after Saturday. You know,
everybody seemed really happy with the way that the practice
and qualifying went, So I think that they were excited,
and you know, he was just trying to impart all
of the knowledge that he could in the moment, which is,
you know, you don't know what you don't know, and
so I think that there was points in time where,
(11:32):
you know, we had discussed all the things that were
coming up, that were happening, and so he was trying
to impart that information to me through a garbled radio,
which was a challenge, but I appreciated the effort.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Considering how many different types of race cars, Catherine, that
you have driven in your career, taking Sunday and your
overall performance out of it, because we've already talked about that,
what was just your impression of how the cup car drives,
how it needs to be driven, and things that stood
out in that regard from being behind the wheel compared to,
as I said, other things you have driven in your career.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
So I've been told various different things going into the
weekend that it drives like a GT car. It does
not whoever said that, you're wrong, It doesn't drive like
an Exfinity car or an Archa car. Even by the way,
it's very unique in the way it drives, and I
can only say that from you know, a few laps
(12:26):
that a very specific circuit, being Phoenix, so I can't
speak to anything else. It's to me. This strange thing
was the falling over thing that it does on the exit,
which is kind of unsettling, but you get used to it.
And I think all of those guys have driven that
car so much now that they just kind of get
used to the way that it feels. And it's weird
(12:47):
because if I could go back and do Phoenix again,
I absolutely would, and it would be like a whole
different ballgame because I would know the car even having
not driven it in different circumstances. Right, So I think
it was great. I think everybody says it's really hard
to drive. I struggled at the beginning of the race
(13:10):
because we changed the car over night, so we changed
it so it did a certain thing, and then at
the beginning of the race, it was really sketchy, to
ward of a better word, like I was struggling to
hold onto the thing, like I don't even know Michael
Schumacher could have done anything with it, but we got
it better, and that's the great thing. It's like every
stint we went in a direction up until the last in,
(13:33):
and then we got pretty decently fast, like we for
the car. I think we were competitive right at the beginning.
We definitely went not but then once we made the changes,
and I only know what I think I want the
car to do because I have not driven any other car,
so I can't. I don't have any frame of reference
or anything to compare it. So we got it better,
(13:55):
We got it more comfortable, we got it faster. We
were feeling a little bit more racier, was passing a
few people, which was nice, and then that happened. So
I feel like had we finished the way that it
was going, it would have been a really good result
for the team, for me, for everything else. So yeah,
(14:15):
I'm looking forward to driving the car again. I'm waffling
on it. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
What was your overall perspective on Cup Series competition? You
were touching on a little bit of so many folks
can say, this is how the car is going to drive,
this is what it's like to be in the Cup Series.
Now that you've experienced it, and the depth of competition
and just being in a Cup Series field. What's your
perspective now, Catherine on just the highest level of NASCAR
(14:42):
racing and given your experience, Now.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
I mean, I love it. I think that there is
nothing else like it on the planet. Right. It's a
very It's a different sport in a way, but there
are so many things that you don't experience in any
other forms of racing. And having we have the conversations
that I've had this week about oh, you should do
some Inxfinity races, you should do this, Like I'm sorry,
(15:06):
but the Exfinity car does not drive like the Cup
car and it's slightly different. It's nuanced and how they
raise each other as well, and it's just like thirty
six of the best drives in the world. So I
think until you're put in that situation, it's difficult to
know what to expect. But I think it's very cool.
(15:29):
It's very competitive. Everybody is one hundred and ten percent
all of the time. They all seem to crash into
each other a lot. No, I just think it's you know,
everybody's on the edge all of the time, and I
think that they all have developed this mutual respect or
not for each other having raced door to door at
(15:54):
those speeds, and the speed isn't a thing for me, right,
Like I've come from open with and sports cars, where
quite frankly, it's probably faster in a way. They accelerate faster,
all the things like these These are big, heavy cars,
but the way that their race is remarkably different. And
(16:15):
so I hope to learn all of those nuances as
we go.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
How beneficial has Andy Lallely been to you? You talked
to him before your debut, You've mentioned him on your podcast.
Obviously he has experienced running stock cars. How beneficial in
that regard? Just whether it's been as a friend or
for advice, has he been to just be in your corner?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I mean invaluable? Really, It's always nice to have a
friend in the paddock that you can go to and
you can ask the questions that you wouldn't want to
ask anybody else for fear of showing weakness or thinking
that you're stupid. Right, So I can go to Andy
and watch a video and say, so, what are they doing?
Why are they doing it that way? And he can
(16:59):
explain it to me in Laylan's terms. Because I've watched
a bunch of NASCAR races. I watched them often, but
I will say I didn't watch them with an eye
of if I was driving in it. You know, like
you look at it very differently. Okay, on pit lane?
Why did they do this? Or why did they wait
a lap to pit You know, I can go to
(17:21):
a sports car race and know exactly what to do
under yellow, not think about pit lane, Not think about
what gear I need to be in for a restart,
not think about when I can do tire warming, not
think about all the nuanced things that I didn't know
coming into this. You know, what fans to put on.
It's all second nature to all of these guys, and
(17:42):
it's something that you have to learn coming in and
it's a lot. It's like what can I like in
it too? You know when you first start driving, when
you're a student driver and you first start driving, and
they're like merit signal maneuver and you're doing all these
things and you're learning how to change gear and everything,
and you're like, it's just a lot to take on board.
Because I just taught my nephew. That's why that's why
I have that I'm like it's really no, it's really easy.
(18:04):
Like what are you doing.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
If it's you do it on autopilot?
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Now, yeah, exactly. So I think after you've done it once,
I mean, you'll make other mistakes. That's why they call
you a rookie, right, That's why all of these guys
that I mentioned at the beginning you have made mistakes.
I don't know any rookie that hasn't made any mistakes,
because that's how you learn. You try and learn from
other people's mistakes as much as you can, right by
(18:29):
watching and learning and doing all of that and picking
people's brains. Like Andy, I'm lucky that I have good friends.
I have AG as well, and I can ask him
the silly questions too, and I have BJ, so I
have like a really solid frame of reference. But there's
nothing like being out there and doing it yourself and
figuring it all out. Right.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Another thing that stood out to reference your podcast again,
because like I said, I listened to it and I
loved it so much, because the reason I love an
audio platform is to really hear tone and contact and
emotion from people. And what stood out listening to you
and Andy talking about all of this was he was
really in your corner of stay out of the comments
sections and who cares and you know, focus on you.
(19:12):
And I got the impression from you that you understand
that you agree with him, but you fight this urge
of but I want people to like me.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Yeah, of course I'm human. I don't so much now
I do, but this week I have stayed out in
the comments section. It's funny because I've been in a
lot of different paddocks, and this paddock, actually it was
the first time I was signing autographs and this one
(19:40):
guy says to me, what lap are you going to
crash on? And I was just like, excuse me? What?
Like how how does that make you feel? To ask that?
I don't get this psyche behind it? And so I
knew that coming in, I'm gonna have to earn the
respect to the fans, and I know that they're definitely
(20:00):
going to be a little bit tougher because I didn't
go through and prove myself like I did in Atlantics
for the IndyCar on the open wall route, like I
did in sports cars by winning sports car races. So
those fan bases know me, know of me. I'm part
of the furniture, right and I still get grief over
(20:22):
there too, But this I'm totally new. I've come in
and they're like, who is this chick? And so I
have to earn their respect and earn earn a place
over here because I didn't do it traditionally by winning
in the in the Lattic series, and so I understand
that it doesn't make it any easier when you get
(20:42):
so much negativity. But come I'm going to prove I'm wrong.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
I think I resonated with that. And the reason I
wanted to ask that is because I'm very much the
same way. I just it shouldn't matter, but I want
people to like me so many so so again, I
think that's why that stood out to me listening to
you too talk about that. Why do you think it
is because you've said it to me, you've said it
in the past, of how much you love this. Why
do you think it is this form of racing you've
(21:08):
taken to so much and you like stockharts so much.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
It's so fun. I can't explain it. It's like you
driving the kind of like on the edge all of
the time, and it's just so fun. I don't know.
I think part of it's because new, right, Like you
try a new challenge and you're invigorated for that new
challenge and you want to conquer that new challenge. So
part of it's definitely that. Part of it's because everybody
(21:34):
seems really nice and kind and supportive, and part of
it's because it is one of the most competitive championships
in the world, and so all of that combined makes
you want to succeed.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
I guess you ran four Infinity races in twenty eighteen,
then there was the gap, you came back, ran another
one in twenty twenty three. Now here you are just
again completely in love with it. I want to do more.
What made you want to come back to it? I guess, right,
because there was that gap in there, and I know
you were doing sports cars and other things. But what
(22:11):
was it that either a light bulb or something that
after running those starts so many years ago that you
now have come back really kind of renewed and really
want to hammer down and do it a lot more.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
A couple of things. Firstly, I wanted to do it
back then too, as soon as I did it in
twenty eighteen, I wanted to find a way, but I
don't know anybody really in the NASCAR world, or I
didn't know anybody in the NASCAR world, So it's not
that easy to find opportunities over here. Plus that coupled
with running full time in sports cars. When you're running
(22:42):
full time in something else and you're earning good money
and that's your bread and butter, and that's where you
see your future, it's hard to pivot and take the
take the jump, make the jump, I guess, But for
me it's like, okay, it's now whenever I think going
back to Indy, you know, the last couple of years
and realizing that I want to do the things that
(23:06):
make me happy and that make me want to get
out of bed in the morning and want to go race,
and this is that. So instead of being comfortable and
doing the things that you know, take the risk, like
make the jump, do whatever it is that you think
will make you happy in the long term. And like,
I've done sports cause I've done Indy Car and like
(23:29):
I haven't done stock cars, and so it's like the
last thing completing this circle, if you like. And so
I really wanted to do that, and I really thought
it would make me a better all round driver and
I really thought that for whatever comes next after racing
in the however many years it is because I still
think I've got a couple of good years left in
me yet. You know, if I do help the next
(23:50):
generation or whatever, then I have a real well rounded
view and contact in every paddock, and I am, you know,
just a better human for it.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
You spoke really well about that with Marshall, and I
pulled some quotes and wrote a story on that. Feeling
more well rounded. Okay, So I feel like that's a
good segue into what I wanted to ask next when
you were talking about doing the things you love, because
you've mentioned not just stock cars, but there's other things
that you want to do as well, and kind of
like bucket list items and again, wake up, do the
(24:21):
things you want to love, not be comfortable. Do you
feel almost like the clock is ticking though, like because
it feels like you're kind of really hammered down this
year to accomplish that.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Yeah, I mean, I don't think the clock is ticking
per se, but I think I think my eyes have
been opened to the possibility of doing all of those things,
and I want to accomplish them.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
I don't want to just keep on doing the same
thing over and over again, you know, Like it wasn't
supports fars. It was comfortable. It was like I knew it,
I was good at it. I could just like go
from race to race. I didn't have to think, right,
I just I was on all the time, Bilo, and
I love st car racing, don't get me wrong. And
I still absolutely want to do the major sports car races.
(25:04):
But I think it was doing Indy and I'm like,
you know what, I could just do the races that
I want to do, the cool races. I just have
to make it work. And what is it that I
actually do want to do. Of course I want to
do Indy. Of course I want to do NASCAR, Like
I really see a future in NASCAR for me, And well,
(25:25):
I want to, I should say, And there are a
couple of other races that I that I want to
take off from on my bucket list. Just to have said,
then I've done everything. I mean, I feel like I
have one of the most diverse careers in racing right,
Like I've driven DTM, I've driven electric cars, both tintops
and open wheel, I've driven Indy Car, I tested f
(25:47):
one car, done sports cars prototypes, the Delta wing like
you name it, I've driven it pretty much now, yeah,
apart from I've never driven Ozzieba and I really want
to drive on Zba a Backhurst and that eludes me,
so at some point I intend to do that. But
(26:07):
that's about it down the road right now. I am
like a dog with a bone on the NASCAR thing,
and so I'm gonna focus on that and doing the
IndyCar races that I can do because I love to
do that too. And I'm going to make myself be
comfortable being uncomfortable from here on out because that's how
I made my career and then I forgot that a
(26:27):
long way, and I think it's important to stay true
to who you are.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Is that also tie into I was reading the description
of your podcast and you say in there about basically
come along as you're going to compete in some of
the toughest races and you want to make history. So again,
it seems like you just want to lay it all
out there and just not so one minded. If I
can do it, I want to try it. If I
haven't tried it, I want to try it. And as
you said, just make yourself uncomfortable all over it.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. I felt that way with the
chili bowl too, you know, like I did that and
I've never done anything like that, and I'm like, why not,
because it's scary that, Like, You've got to get back
to being comfortable, being uncomfortable because that's how you made
a career in the first place. That's what makes you you,
that's what inspires the next generation, that's what's special. So
(27:17):
why not do that again rather than just kind of
fade into insignificance by doing the things that you're okay doing.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
You know the podcast title Throttle Therapy. I love that.
Just what's the backstory or how did you come up
with that? Is there any special meaning? I feel like
I on my own I could come up with if
there's behind it, But I want to hear from you.
I don't want the words in around.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
So there's a couple of things. We went back with
the forwards with a bunch of different names. And firstly,
when you're behind the wheel, it always feels like yours
in a happy place, right, It's like therapy being behind
the wheel. Secondly, Christina comes on once a month and
we do that. It's that time of the month, which
I was like, can we say that? I'm like, are
(28:02):
we gonna say it anyway? Because like we're each other's
therapist in a way? Well, no, she's more like mine.
But anyway, there's just something cathartic about talking about racing,
about racing itself, about driving, about the competition. It's just, yeah,
I feel like you probably would have guessed all of
that in for a thing.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
I love that though. I think that's perfect. What are
you hoping Catherine should accomplish in the podcast space because
it's still relatively new, right, I think you only started
it a couple months.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Ago, that's the first week of January, and I didn't
know that I wanted to do a podcast, but I
was persuaded that I wanted to do a podcast because
I have a lot of things to talk about, and
to my detriment, I'm very open and honest about things,
and people use it against me all the time. So
(28:56):
I'm totally expecting that it's fine. But they have a
very unique view in racing, right, you get it.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
You do too.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
You're a woman in a male dominated sport. We come
about things slightly differently, and there's not many people with
the same life experience that we have. So I think
if I can use that as a platform to help others,
inspire others, get my point of view across entertain others,
(29:28):
like whatever it may be. I actually have really really
enjoyed doing it. I did not know that I would,
but I really have. And some of the people I've
interviewed have been super interesting, and some of it's been lovely,
like working with Christina's been lovely, and we've got one
with Lindsea James coming up which is amazing as well.
Like it's just been a really neat experience and seeing
(29:51):
I was against it because I didn't want to jump
on the podcast bandwagon, right like everybody's got a podcast
now and they're all starting. But I think I was
pleasantly surprised by the number of people who were actually
interested in what I had to say. So I said, oh,
this is cool, Okay, I love it.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Well, give listeners the promo of where they can find it,
what days it comes out again. It's called Throttle Therapy,
but I'll turn it over to you if just again,
where they can find it listen to it? Is there
a set day it comes out? What they can look
forward to. That's what you were just kind of talking
about a little bit there.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
It comes out on a Tuesday, and you can find
Throttle Therapy. You can search my name more throttle Therapy
on any place that you listen to podcasts, but it's
on iHeartRadio Women's Sports Podcasts is where it originates. But
you can listen to anyone.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
All right, one last thing I wanted to ask. We've
recapped again NASCAR. You hope to run some IndyCar races?
You said they're about basically you just want to run
whenever you can run. What's immediately up next for you?
Do you have something on your calendar, Catherine that you
can talk about? When's the next time we'll see you
on track somewhere TBD.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
We're at the moment we're trying to figure out all
the pieces of the jigsaw and depending on what sponsors want,
because they have particular markets that they want to hear,
and I have particular races that I want to do,
and then what am I allowed to do in the
NASCAR space? What can I do in the IndyCar space?
And then those two will jigsaw together and then fit
in everything else like auxiliary around that all.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Right, you just said there about what can you do
in NASCAR? So to clarify, do you know what you're
approved for going forward?
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Yes, I'm basically I think NASCAR would like to see
me run some Exfinity races because I think they've got
a lot of heat from people about me not coming
up through the Ladder Series. I'm obviously approved for anything
in Exfinity, but I'm approved for road courses, road and
street courses in NASCAR because that's what my background is.
(31:45):
I probably it's difficult because there's not like a certain
list of guidelines they want to see you do this
here and that there, Like how can you say you
ran really well but you got taken out? Like does
that count against you? How many laps do you have
to do? What is it that you want to see?
Is there a centain speed that you want to see?
Do you want to see me getting out of the
way of people? Like what is it that would then
(32:07):
allow me to get to the next step? Because you
have to start on one mile ovals, which is where
I'm at right now, right, and then at some point
they'll say, okay, you're approof for a mile and a half,
and then after mile and a half. Your A proof
is superspeedway, so it's tricky to know like at what
point you get to graduate. It's not like you can
tick some boxes. So it's very objective and at the
(32:27):
moment we're just trying to understand what that looks like
to see what I can do next.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Absolutely, okay, before we go, as we wrap up, is
there anything else going on or anything else you want
to share or talk about, I'll turn that over to you.
I'll let you have the final say if there's anything else.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
I think there is. I feel like I've put on
the spot and I should be doing something exciting, and
I'm not just more training. I think you know. I'm
working really hard on staying as sharp as I can
inside and outside of the car, and doing as much
stemwork and as much physical training and everything else to
put myself in the best position because I don't want
to leave anything on the table. So I will continue
(33:05):
to do that. I'll continue to work with the teams,
and I'll be ready for the next time.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Well, I appreciate your honesty. I wish for you it
had gone better, because it did get of course, plenty
of positive attention going into it, so it was unfortunate
that it ended like that, but I love that it
hasn't dissuaded you that you want to do more. So
now it'll be fun to watch the process of how
it plays out, as you said, kind of building it
back up. So I appreciate the conversation. Catherine, Thank you again,
(33:32):
and all right, so TBD where we see you next,
but we'll be tuned.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
In, yes, perfect, all right, And as.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
We wrap this up, one more thank you to Catherine
for coming on the podcast, being open, letting me ask
what I wanted to ask about Phoenix, and then looking
at bigger picture items. I love the fact that she
loves NASCAR so much. I can't wait to see what
she does in the future, as well as her determination
to be uncomfortable again in motorsports. That will be fascinating
to see how much she is going to do this year.
(34:05):
So I really enjoyed the conversation. Thank you Catherine again.
I also want to thank Sonia Hendrix for coordinating and
getting this finally set up. We had actually intended to
talk after Atlanta Motor Speedway. I got sick was unable
to talk to Catherine. Then it wasn'nn ounced she was
gonna make her Cup Series debut, and we went back
and forth trying to find the right time, the right days,
(34:26):
and even after everything that happened to Phoenix, this stayed
on the calendar and I'm very appreciative of Catherine and
Sonya for making it happen. If you like the conversation,
please leave a rating and review. You can also go
to social media and interact with me. Go to x, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
It's very easy to find me. My handle is at
Kelly crandall. Thank you for clicking, thank you for listening,
(34:48):
Thank you for downloading every week. I hope you're enjoying
the podcast, and we're going to keep rolling right along.
Next week, we're gonna head to the NHRA. We're gonna
chat with one of my favorite people. It's Antrom Brown.
He is the most recent winner on tour from Gainesville,
getting ready to go to Phoenix, and we're going to
catch up with Antron as both driver and team owner
(35:09):
and see what he's got going on. That will be
next week right here on The Racing Writers Podcast.
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