OAKLAND, Calif. — e.l.f. Cosmetics and professional race car driver Katherine Legge are revving up their partnership to Empower.Legendary.Females. as Legge expands her involvement in stock car racing across the world of NASCAR.
Legge is the only woman currently competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series, and this past March became the first woman since Danica Patrick in 2018 to start a NASCAR Cup Series race.
NASCAR is the most popular motorsport in the U.S., and e.l.f. and Legge are showing up for the community as beacons of positivity, inclusivity and accessibility in the world of motorsports. Last year, NASCAR grew its engaged audience, with new fans 2X more likely to be younger and 60% more likely to be diverse.
Legge and e.l.f. are teaming up for a number of races, with Legge driving an e.l.f. sponsored car in at least seven races this year, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series races on April 19, in Rockingham (North Carolina Education Lottery 250 presented by Black’s Tire) and during the Coca-Cola 600 weekend in Charlotte, for the BetMGM 300 race on May 24.
She’ll make her triumphant return to the NASCAR Cup Series in her e.l.f. sponsored car at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City on June 15, a track she made history at in 2019 when she won from the pole position to become the first female driver to win a race during an ABB FIA Formula E weekend for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
“I’ve never felt more empowered than I do with e.l.f. by my side,” said Legge. “e.l.f. truly walks the walk when it comes to putting its community—and especially women in sports—in the, pun-intended, driver’s seat. I’m thrilled to work towards achieving my racing goals with my e.l.f. team alongside Team Chevy. I want to be respected as one of the best drivers in motorsport and there is no better place to hone my skill set against the best of the best in front of the largest motorsport audience in the U.S. With the pivot to go all in on NASCAR, we are diversifying my own racing legacy as well as the paddock for future generations.”
e.l.f. first partnered with Legge in 2023 when she became the fastest woman to ever qualify for the Indianapolis 500 with one-lap (231.627 mph) and four-lap (231.070 mph) qualification speeds. In 2024, e.l.f. was the first beauty brand to serve as a primary sponsor of a car and driver at the Indy 500, to serve as an official sponsor of the Indy 500 itself, and to have an activation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Indy 500 weekend.
“As they say in NASCAR, we have found our groove. Fueling Katherine’s dream to be one of the best motorsports drivers of all time is our mission. Inspiring young athletes to fast track their own ambitions is our passion,” said Kory Marchisotto, Chief Marketing Officer, e.l.f. Beauty. “Female NASCAR fans are more likely to watch sports on TV, listen on the radio, and attend a live event than female fans of other sports***. That’s our signal to lean the e.l.f. in with zero distance between us and the community.”
Legge’s focus on NASCAR showcases her growth and versatility as a driver. The springboard to Legge’s professional racing career was winning on the Streets of Long Beach in 2005, making her the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America. She first competed in INDYCAR (formally Champ Car) in 2006, where she became the first woman to lead laps in Champ Car. In 2012, she became the ninth woman to qualify for the Indy 500, and has been the only woman who has qualified the past two years. In January 2025, she competed on dirt for the first time in a midget car as part of the Chili Bowl Nationals and finished just three seconds off the front wheel drive record in 2024’s 102nd running of The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb as a rookie, reaching the 14,115-foot summit with a time of 10:51.359.
“Katherine is relentless in her approach to racing and is such a positive role model for other female racers to follow their dreams,” said Dr. Eric Warren, Executive Director - Global Motorsports Competition, General Motors. “We are excited about the opportunity to support her in her efforts both on and off the track.”
Legge is a member of Team Chevrolet in NASCAR, and in addition to e.l.f., her program is also supported by Sherfick Companies, Droplight, Desnuda Tequila, Sparco, and Bell Helmets.
Legge hosts “Throttle Therapy with Katherine Legge” as part of iHeart Women’s Sports Audio Network. Her episodes drop weekly on Tuesdays and can be heard on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.
