Hailie Deegan Will Return to Racing This Season

What’s Happening?

NASCAR free agent and reigning Craftsman Truck Series Most Popular Driver Hailie Deegan has scheduled her next non-NASCAR race. Deegan will compete in Nitrocross’ upcoming SXS race in Salt Lake City, Utah.

• Hailie Deegan is a second-generation racer, but not in NASCAR. Her father, Brian, is a motocross legend, but Hailie chose stock car racing rather than joining the family business.
• Deegan worked her way through NASCAR’s developmental ladder like any other prospect. She started in ARCA, moved to Trucks, and then seemingly hit a dead end in the Xfinity Series this season.
• Since her release from AM Racing this summer, Deegan’s future has been a major question. However, while it may not be a long-term plan, we now know when Hailie will get back on track.

Deegan’s Career Up and Into 2025

Hailie Deegan began her year with a promotion, moving from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to AM Racing in the Xfinity Series. While many felt this move came too early, Ford and Deegan thought it was time for her to take the next step.

Deegan has one of the best resumes for any female driver in recent NASCAR history. When she first entered stock car racing, many expected her to be competitive with her dirt racing background.

However, not only would she win on dirt in the ARCA Menards Series West, but she would also win on asphalt. Deegan took these wins in 2018 and 2019 into a full-time ARCA Menards Series schedule in 2020.

This promotion came with a switch from Toyota to Ford, and the reasoning behind the move became clear when it was announced that Deegan would go full-time in the Truck Series in 2021. From 2021 to 2023, Deegan, although racing top-notch equipment, had difficult runs in the series; this is why her 2024 Xfinity Series promotion shocked so many people.

However, Deegan’s time in AM Racing’s No. 15 would not last long, as the team pulled her out of the car prior to the Chicago Street Race. In another unexpected move, Deegan and AM Racing announced they were parting ways 17 races into a season in which Deegan had four lead lap finishes.

Deegan’s Next Step

Since this departure, small rumors have flared up about when Deegan will be back on track. Even some trustworthy rumors that she would head to IndyCar fell by the wayside.

However, while it doesn’t seem like a full-time deal, Deegan is heading back to her roots, racing in the Nitrocross’ Side by Side Series race in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Former NASCAR driver and motocross legend Travis Pastrana founded Nitrocross. The racing series has three divisions: the electric racing series E Group, the developmental series Next Evo, and SXS.

The races consist of classic rally cross racing with a circuit of multiple racing surfaces, jumps, and typical Road Course passing opportunities. Their Salt Lake City event will be on Oct. 5 and 6 and will stream live on Rumble Sports.

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