Legge Sends NASCAR’s Top Prospect Packing at Chicago Street Course
Qualifying for the Grant Park 165 was highlighted with drama and heartbreak, resulting in one of the most surprising outcomes we’ve seen all season. Katherine Legge, the seasoned motorsports veteran from Live Fast Motorsports, now making starts in NASCAR, secured her place in the main event with a lap time of 92.368 around the Chicago Street Course. She edged out Corey Heim—the 23-year-old, Truck Series driver, who is regarded by most as NASCAR’s top prospect—by a mere 0.138 seconds, clocking his best effort at 92.506. Legge’s performance locked her into Sunday’s race as the 33rd starter. For Heim and 23XI Racing, they had to pack it up and go home, as their time was not quick enough to make the main event. It was a cruel twist on a day full of so much promise, as Corey Heim was celebrating his birthday.
For Legge, this qualifying achievement is monumental. Overcoming a practice crash into turn six that inflicted damage on her No. 78 Chevrolet, she and her crew mounted a tremendous comeback in just minutes before qualifying. Reflecting on her run, Legge admitted the pressure was intense—“I tried my best to mess that qualifying up,” she said, expressing the thin margin for error on a street circuit with little practice time. She praised her team’s resilience and expressed pride in getting her car into the show. This marks a deep personal milestone for Legge, who becomes the first woman to start a NASCAR Cup street race and a rare success story for an underfunded, open-entry team.
Meanwhile, the disappointment for Heim and 23XI Racing is evident. Heim entered the session in a strong position after being mid-pack on the speed charts in practice, but a bent toe link caused by contact with the turn ten wall undermined his bid to qualify. Despite efforts to recover, his car simply lacked the pace to fend off Legge’s lap. The result leaves the promising young driver sidelined from what would have been just his sixth Cup Series start. Heim instead faced the brutal reality of missing out on a major moment in his young career.
The big picture cannot be ignored. For Legge and Live Fast Motorsports, this qualifying run provides a major confidence boost. It sends a message that even small teams and inexperienced drivers can still challenge the status quo in NASCAR’s most competitive series. For 23XI Racing, however, it’s a rare blemish; their open-seat backfired on a day when momentum and strategy seemed fully in Heim’s favor. Missing the field on his birthday is a blunt reminder that in NASCAR, even the smallest issues can have outsized consequences.
As the Grant Park 165 approaches, a lot of eyes will be on Legge. Her entry over one of NASCAR’s best up-and-comers is sure to inspire many females in motorsports. Heim, meanwhile, will have to regroup and refocus, knowing that his career is just beginning, and he is not defined by this mistake. In the end, yesterday’s qualifying not only reshaped the race lineup but also underscored the raw drama of motorsports, where birthdays can turn bittersweet and every lap counts.
