Katherine Legge Returns To Watkins Glen Ready To Rewrite The Ending

TL;DR

Katherine Legge returns to Watkins Glen for the Go Bowling at The Glen, aiming to improve on her previous performance. This race marks her first NASCAR Cup appearance of the 2026 season.

Key points

Katherine Legge returns to Watkins Glen
She aims to improve on last year's performance
This is her first NASCAR Cup race of the 2026 season
Legge drives for Live Fast Motorsports
The race is the Go Bowling at The Glen

Mentioned in this story

Watkins Glen

Katherine LeggeLive Fast MotorsportsGo Bowling at The Glen

NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 - Practice

SONOMA, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: Katherine Legge, driver of the #78 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet, walks the grid during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on July 12, 2025 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

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Katherine Legge is going back to the scene of the crime. Not even a year removed from being robbed of a decent finish at Watkins Glen last August, the 45-year-old veteran driver will once again race a Live Fast Motorsports entry in this Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen.

It will mark her first NASCAR Cup race of the 2026 season.

Last year she started 37th in the 39-car field and while she showed flashes of pace early on in the race, was left with a 36th place finish, one lap down, her worst finish of her 2025 NASCAR Cup season. The finish was made even more disappointing coming after top 20 finishes earlier in the 2025 season at the Chicago Street Course (19th) and the Indianapolis Road course(17th).

Across seven Cup starts and six more in what was then the Xfinity Series, the season never quite found a rhythm. The low point came at Rockingham, where she was caught a lap down and tangled with William Sawalich, who had been running third, and Kasey Kahne, making his much-anticipated return. Kahne limped home. Sawalich didn’t. The reaction from fans was swift, loud, and not especially charitable.

So, then it would seem the 2026 effort is more of redemption tour of sorts, whether Legge wants to call it that or not. It’s a tour that starts at Watkins Glen this Sunday. It’s a sensible place for the accomplished road racer to search for glory, and a circuit where Legge’s résumé actually raises an eyebrow. She’s made 10 previous starts there across various disciplines, including a class win in the 2017 Six Hours of The Glen, where she took the GTD victory from pole in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Q&A

What happened to Katherine Legge at Watkins Glen last year?

Katherine Legge was robbed of a decent finish at Watkins Glen last August.

When is Katherine Legge's next NASCAR Cup race?

Katherine Legge's next NASCAR Cup race is on Sunday at the Go Bowling at The Glen.

What team is Katherine Legge racing for in the 2026 season?

Katherine Legge will race for Live Fast Motorsports in the 2026 season.

How old is Katherine Legge as she returns to Watkins Glen?

Katherine Legge is 45 years old as she returns to Watkins Glen.