Mark Martin drops a 1-word reaction on Katherine Legge’s career-best Cup Series finish at Indy

Katherine Legge's stunning charge at the 2025 Brickyard 400 wasn't just another highlight reel moment. It was a career-defining performance that turned heads across the NASCAR community, including NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin.

Katherine Legge's valiant run on Sunday saw her claw from 38th on the grid to an astonishing 17th-place finish in the overtime-heavy race at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Martin reshared an in-car clip of her final restart on X and dropped a one-word reaction.

"Respect🙌🏼"

In just her fifth-ever Cup start, Legge gave Live Fast Motorsports their third top-20 result on a non-superspeedway, and her first-ever lead-lap finish in the NASCAR Cup Series. She qualified 38th in a field stacked with full-time racers and playoff hopefuls. But once the race was underway, especially in the final two restarts, she made the most of the opportunity.

Katherine Legge (78) and Michael McDowell (71) during the Brickyard 400. Source: Getty

The first overtime saw Legge momentarily lose ground to Shane van Gisbergen's No. 88 WeatherTech Chevy after Turn 2. But rather than giving up, she fought back. Staying on the outside line through Turn 3 and into 4, the No. 78 LFM Chevrolet surged ahead in clean air as SVG faded.

Joe Gibbs Racing's Chase Briscoe, who started on his fifth pole this year, looked set for a top-15 finish, but was forced to settle for 18th as Legge edged ahead of him in the final scramble.

The performance was made even more impressive given the tools at her disposal. With a developmental pit crew handling stops in the 16-second range, and a car many still view as underfunded, Legge made every lap count. This was also her second top-20 finish, after a gutsy P19 in Chicago.

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"Very impressive": Mark Martin applauds Katherine Legge's rise through part-time grind

Katherine Legge before the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250. Source: Imagn

Katherine Legge's Cup Series resurgence has not been linear. A rough debut at Phoenix Raceway earlier this year, where she triggered a crash involving Daniel Suárez, raised doubts about her stock car viability. Her second start didn't arrive until Mexico City in June. That too, like her Sonoma run, ended outside the top 30.

But before that came Chicago. In a stacked 41-car entry list for the third edition of NASCAR's street course experiment, Legge muscled her way into the show by out-qualifying Corey Heim in a 23XI Racing entry. Despite bouncing off walls and limping to P33 on the grid, she finished 19th, becoming the first woman in eight years to claim a top-20 finish in a Cup race.

Mark Martin hailed her crew chief and owner in an earlier post on X:

"Very impressive @bjmcleod78 @katherinelegge @BoziTatarevic"

It was a nod to Live Fast Motorsports' leadership team - B.J. and Jessica McLeod, who've given her a genuine shot amid a crowded and competitive field. And their faith is paying off.

Apart from her Xfinity Series involvements, next on the Cup calendar for Legge are Watkins Glen International on August 10 and Richmond Raceway on August 16, with both races likely serving as her final Cup starts of the season. While she's not eligible for the playoffs, a good result in the Cook Out 400 could offer Katherine Legge a chance to draw a longer schedule for 2026.

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Edited by Rupesh