Women in NASCAR continue to make headlines in 2025, with drivers like Hailie Deegan, Katherine Legge, and Toni Breidinger each taking unique paths through the sport. While Deegan transitions to Indy NXT after struggling in NASCAR’s national series, Legge brings global racing experience to a busy Cup and Xfinity schedule. Meanwhile, Breidinger’s ARCA success has earned her a full-time Truck ride. These developments reflect both the progress and challenges women face in stock-car racing. With support from diversity initiatives and growing opportunities, NASCAR’s landscape is gradually shifting, offering hope for a more inclusive future in the traditionally male-dominated sport.
Hailie Deegan’s Next Chapter
Hailie Deegan’s recent departure from NASCAR underscores the steep climb women still face in stock-car racing. After three tough seasons in the NASCAR Truck Series (69 starts, only five top‑10 finishes, best points finish 17th) and a lone Xfinity campaign in 2024 that produced no top‑10s, Deegan “just couldn’t find traction in the NASCAR National Series ranks”.
AM Racing announced mid‑July 2024 that Deegan would part ways after 17 races (she averaged a 26.8 finish in those starts). Deegan, reflecting on the move to Indy NXT, acknowledged the challenge ahead: “I have much to learn, but I am ready to go,” she said, crediting her new team’s experience. In context, Deegan’s story is a reminder that all drivers – regardless of gender – need results to stay in the line-up.
Her struggle also illustrates that the pathways Danica Patrick once opened are still narrow; even a driver with Hailie’s lower‑division success (she was the first woman to win in NASCAR’s regional K&N/ARCA West series, with three wins and a third‑place points finish in 2019) can falter amid NASCAR’s intense competition.
Danica Patrick’s Lasting Legacy
Danica Patrick remains NASCAR’s most high-profile female pioneer. During her career she was “the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race” (2008 at Motegi) and “the first to secure a NASCAR Cup Series pole position” (the 2013 Daytona 500). Patrick still holds multiple female records in NASCAR’s premier series – including the most starts, laps led and top‑10 finishes by a woman. These milestones set benchmarks for those who followed.
For example, Danica famously insisted after retiring that she wanted to be remembered “as a great driver” above all and not merely a “female driver”. In effect, her on‑track achievements and profile “proved talent knows no boundaries,” inspiring a new generation of racers.
As one observer noted, Patrick “inspired a new generation of racers and left behind a legacy” that continues to empower up‑and‑comers. Even though no woman has secured similar headlines since Danica’s 2018 NASCAR exit, her example – both in achievements and in attitude – still resonates strongly among fans and drivers alike.
Katherine Legge’s NASCAR Journey
Katherine Legge is a seasoned international racer making waves in NASCAR this year. A former IndyCar and sports‑car veteran (she was the first woman to win a major North American open‑wheel race, back in 2005), Legge is now splitting 2025 between NASCAR’s top divisions. She debuted in the Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway on March 9, 2025 (finishing 30th) and is signed to five additional Cup dates for Live Fast Motorsports. Her schedule also includes seven oval Xfinity races with Jordan Anderson Racing.
In those races, Legge will pilot the No. 78 Chevy in Cup (at Mexico City, Chicago Street Course, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Richmond) and the No. 32 Chevy in Xfinity (Rockingham, Talladega, Texas, Charlotte, Nashville, Atlanta, Indianapolis).
Legge speaks with genuine excitement about the transition: “NASCAR is kind of new to me… I’m just kind of like a kid in a candy store again – I get to go play with a new toy,” she said of tackling stock cars for the first time. Her team principals also praise the move: Live Fast co-owner Jessica McLeod says Legge “embodies the spirit of female empowerment… breaking barriers and inspiring the next generation”.
- 2025 NASCAR Schedule: Five Cup races (Mexico, Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Richmond) and seven Xfinity ovals (Rockingham, Talladega, Texas, Charlotte, Nashville, Atlanta, Indianapolis).
- ARCA Debut: Legge’s ARCA Menards Series debut came at Daytona in Feb. 2025. After an early incident, she was credited with a 39th-place finish.
- Background: Legge raced 117 IndyCar events (including four Indy 500s) and competed in IMSA and Formula E. Now she’s using that experience to learn NASCAR.
Toni Breidinger’s Momentum
Toni Breidinger’s career has been on a rapid upswing through the ARCA ranks. In 2024 she recorded 11 top‑10s (including four top‑5s) in ARCA competition, finishing fourth in the final standings. That steady performance helped earn her a full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ride for 2025 (driving the No. 5 Toyota for TRICON Garage). “Racing full-time with TRICON is a dream for me… It’s been a 15-year process to get here,” Breidinger said after signing her Truck deal.
Breidinger’s rise was nurtured by NASCAR’s development programs: she was a standout in the Drive for Diversity program and was honored at the 2021 D4D awards as the first Arab‑American woman in NASCAR. (She even made headlines off the track as the first NASCAR driver featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2025.) Breidinger’s progress – from karts to ARCA to now the Truck series – exemplifies the pathway NASCAR is trying to build for women and minorities.
- ARCA Highlights: Four top‑5s in 2023; 2024 ARCA Menards Series standings – 4th place with 11 top‑10s.
- 2025 Move: Full‑time No. 5 Toyota in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with TRICON Garage.
- Diversity Program: 2021 Drive for Diversity Developmental Series Driver Award winner (first Arab‑American woman in a NASCAR event).
The Road Ahead
These stories – Deegan’s shift, Patrick’s legacy, Legge’s entry, and Breidinger’s ascent – show that women are gradually building momentum in NASCAR. The data backs it up: Patrick’s records still stand as targets, Breidinger’s ARCA success earned her a Truck seat, and Legge’s multi-series schedule highlights new opportunities. NASCAR’s diversity programs (like Drive for Diversity) are part of this trend, and more teams are now willing to field female drivers.
It’s a balancing act of talent and opportunity: Deegan’s example reminds us that regardless of gender, drivers need results to survive in Cup and Xfinity. But the growing presence of women – and the high-profile names championing them – suggests the field is finally broadening. As Legge’s crew chief put it, she and her peers are “breaking barriers and inspiring the next generation”. For fans and teams alike, the message is clear: the 2025 season is just getting started, and a more inclusive future is on the horizon.
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