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Just one week after announcing her entry into Nitrocross’s SXS division, former NASCAR driver Hailie Deegan will enter a major asphalt racing series later this month. Toney Driver Development has announced via a press release that Deegan will race in the Formula Regional Americas Championship at Circuit of the Americas in late October.
Hailie Deegan was once a top-tier prospect in NASCAR’s developmental series. However, despite continued advancement through the NASCAR developmental ladder, Deegan’s career had lost momentum leading into 2024.
Having raced with ThroSport in the Truck Series in 2023, Deegan only added to what had been a disappointing Truck Series career. Deegan spent 2021 and 2022 with DGR-Crosley, the team now known as Tricon Garage.
With DGR, Deegan managed three top-ten finishes in 46 races. Unfortunately, these stats were a disappointment for the former multi-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series West.
However, despite the three trying seasons in the Truck Series, Deegan planned to ascend to the Xfinity Series with AM Racing this season. However, this lasted just 17 races, as the two cut ties following the Jun. 29 race at Nashville Superspeedway.
There have been rumors about where Deegan would end up, whether in open-wheel racing, back in NASCAR, or if her career was on hold.
However, it now appears that Hailie is heading in a new direction in her racing career, one away from NASCAR.
Deegan has already announced her entry into Nitrocross at the series SXS event in Salt Lake City, Utah, this weekend. However, in a professional step, Hailie Deegan will race in the Formula Regional Americas Championship season finale at Circuit of The Americas during the weekend of Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.
Deegan will race with Toney Driver Development, a new team to FR Americas. FR Americas is a developmental series in the FIA’s Formula Regional program. This series is a stepping stone into the greater realm of open-wheel or single-seater racing. As the FR America’s website states:
“Each race weekend offers plenty of track time for drivers: test and official practice sessions, 30-minute qualifying session, and three 35-minute races/rounds per weekend. Altogether, the drivers have nearly four hours of track time, allowing them to increase their experience in open-wheel racing while still making time for driver development.”
After her release from AM Racing, there were rumors of Deegan heading to Indy NXT, Indy Car’s version of, say, the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Deegan shot down these rumors on X. However, keeping with the trend of a rumored open-wheel racing future, she tested an F3 car on her YouTube channel in August.
It is unclear whether this is a short-term opportunity for Deegan or just a step in a new direction. Either way, many fans are happy to hear that Deegan is finding opportunities to stay behind the wheel.
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