Hailie Deegan Returns to NASCAR
Kauy Ostlien
January 21, 2026
What’s Happening?
Former NASCAR K&N Pro Series West winner Hailie Deegan is returning to NASCAR action in 2026, racing full-time in the ARCA Menards Series West with Bill McAnally Racing.
- This season will mark the return of the 24-year-old to a series in which she scored three wins in 2018 and 2019. This move also reunites her and her long-time sponsor Monster Energy with BMR, with whom she raced during her time winning in the now ARCA Menards Series West.
- Deegan, the daughter of supercross and X Games legend Brian Deegan, did not race in NASCAR in 2025, instead opting for a full-time schedule in the Indy NXT Series with HMD Motorsports. During her first full-time effort in open wheel, Deegan finished 14th in points, and no higher than 11th in a race.
- Prior to this time, Deegan seemed to be on the fast track to the NASCAR Cup Series with Ford, racing full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series from 2021 to 2023. In 2024, she moved to the NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time racing with AM Racing, but halfway through the season, the two parted ways after a poor start to the year.
- Deegan is one of the more polarizing figures in NASCAR and ARCA, drawing attention to herself early on with her wins. Though this is a step back, her presence in the series will likely draw more attention to NASCAR’s developmental ranks.
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