Katherine Legge says she wants to make NASCAR her “home” ahead of her 𝓰second Cup Series start in Mexico City this weekend.

Having become the first female driver to contest a NAS🗹CAR Cup Series race in seven years at Ph🙈oenix in March, Legge will 🥂return behind the wheel of the No. 78 Fast Live Motorsports Chevrolet at Autodrome Hermano Rodrigo on 14-15 June.

Legge, now 44, said h﷽aving an extended presence in NASCAR has been herꦿ target ever since she made four Xfinity starts with JD Motorsports in 2018.

“I loved𒈔 it and wanted to do more, I just didn’t know how to go about it,” Legge told NASCAR.com. “I’m lucky that my sponsors pivoted with me and we’re all in on NASCAR.

“It was something that I felt incredibly passionate about doing. I have so much fun doing it and am so motivated. I’m working hard at it. I really want to🎀 make this home.”

Legge’s highly-anticipated Cup Series at 🉐Phoenix ended in disappointment, an accident with the No. 21 Wood Brothers ♔Fo🐭rd of Josh bringing her outing to a premature end.

Recalling the race, she said: “It was a big uphill battle, but I ꧙respect the challenge and am not blind that it is a challenge going in with a team that wants to set out to be an entry to people like me into Cup.

“They know where they are at and what they want to achieve. It was going to be my first foray and fly under the radar and that didn’t happen. I wanted to use it to♛ gain experience.”

Live Fast team owner BJ McLeod admitted that it’s difficult for Legge to turn u🎶p to a race and be competitive against Cup drivers who race 🌼every weekend.

“It’s the toughest thing that she’s ever ⭕come across,” McLeod said. “I don’t know that she would tell you that, but I can tell you that the group of driv𝔍ers that get to do [Cup] every week are truly some of the best drivers in the world.

“All of them are that good. Not one, not 20, not 30, all 36 or however many are there. They truly are that good, and it makes it extremely difficult for her because even if she’s equally as talented, she doesn’t get to race every wꦑeek. She is the only part-timer that’s trying to get out there, get up to speed and she has very limi꧙ted stock car experience.”

Legge has further Cup Series starts lined up in Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen and Richmond. She will also make two additional appearances in the Xfinity Series, having🌃 already raced five times in NASCAR’s se𒁏cond-tier national series this year.

“NASCAR is especially challenging for the sheer number of good drivers,” Legge admitted. “It꧙’s a tough beast to tame, but I’m up for the challenge.”

“I thought that I was a lot better than I am,” Legge joked. “I have no doubt that I’ll get there. But how quickly? I thought I would💖 drive the car a couple of times and then be up at the sharp end, but it’s taking a little longer than I anticipated.”