Suarez unhappy with NASCAR, not Legge after Phoenix incident
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Daniel Suarez had a “good” conversation with Katherine Legge earlier this week after the two were involved in an incident at Phoenix Raceway during Legge's Cup Series debut.
Suarez was running sixth last weekend when he ran into Legge, who had spun off Turn 2 on lap 99. Afterward, the Trackhouse Racing driver, in his vlog, explained he was more upset with NASCAR's approval process allowing Legge to compete than with her. When they talked, he reiterated that sentiment to Legge, who initiated the call.
"I give her a lot of credit for reaching out a couple of times, and it's good," Suarez said Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "My position didn't change. I was mad at the situation and I believe that she got set for failure. It doesn't matter if you're a great driver or a bad driver. Regardless of that, if you are thrown in one of the most difficult series in the world to be competitive, it's just not fair. That was the way I saw it.
"I was more disappointed NASCAR than her, and I mentioned that to her."
Live Fast Motorsports fielded Legge in her debut. It came together in 10 days and Legge felt as prepared as she could be to run the event, which was only her second on an oval in NASCAR. There was 45 minutes of practice for teams last weekend before qualifying, and Legge improved her pace into qualifying.
She is approved to run short ovals and road/street courses in NASCAR. Phoenix, which is one mile long, races faster than a short track, a characteristic Suarez also noted.
At the heart of all of the conversations was not Legge's credentials but the process in place by NASCAR, of which Suarez was one of multiple drivers who felt she was put in a bad situation and didn't reflect her ability and broad racing background.
"I hope that she gets another opportunity because I'm part of the diversity, and I think that having diversity in the sport is something that is extremely important and very, very valuable," Suarez also said. "Having Hispanics, having African Americans, having women — it's super important. There's nothing wrong with her; it's just the process. I think the process has to be so much better.
"We're talking about an elite series. I believe I'm one of the best racing drivers in a stock car in the world, and if I wanted to run Formula 1 or Formula 2, I can't. I'm not qualified to do that, and I shouldn't because I don't know the car and I don't know the tracks. I have to go through a process. I'm good enough that I can do it, but it's going to take a process. So I believe the process to allow somebody to run in the Cup Series should be a little bit harder — for respect to the driver who is trying, to respect the fans, and to respect the drivers and teams that are running full time because we work very hard to get into silly accidents like the one from last week."
