In the recent NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway, an incident involving Daniel Suárez and Katherine Legge has sparked discussions about NASCAR’s driver approval process.
Legge, a seasoned driver with experience in sports cars and IndyCar, made her Cup Series debut at Phoenix. During the race, she spun off Turn 2, leading to a collision that ended Suárez’s day.
Following the incident, Suárez expressed his frustration, not towards Legge personally, but towards NASCAR’s decision to approve her participation without sufficient preparation.
He stated, “There’s nothing wrong with her. What is wrong with NASCAR? They cannot allow somebody with no experience to run in the Cup Series. It is that simple.”
Suárez elaborated on his concerns in his vlog, emphasizing the challenges of driving in the Cup Series, especially on ovals like Phoenix. He felt that Legge was “set up for failure” due to inadequate preparation time and experience with the Next Gen car.
This incident has reignited conversations among drivers about the adequacy of NASCAR’s approval process.
Suárez, along with other drivers like Kyle Busch, advocates for a more rigorous system that ensures drivers are adequately prepared for the unique challenges of the Cup Series.
Busch commented, “I think it’s broken. I think there’s a lot of work that could be done to make it better.”
The consensus among these drivers is not to discourage diversity or new talent but to ensure that all participants are sufficiently prepared to handle the demands of the series.
Suárez emphasized the importance of diversity in the sport, stating, “I think that having diversity in the sport is something that is extremely important and very, very valuable.”
However, he believes that the current approval process needs improvement to prevent similar incidents in the future.
As NASCAR continues to evolve, addressing these concerns will be crucial in maintaining the safety and competitiveness of the sport.
Implementing a more stringent and experience-based approval process could be a step towards ensuring that all drivers are adequately prepared for the challenges of the Cup Series.
