Hailie Deegan Opens Up On NASCAR Exit And IndyCar Move

Hailie Deegan has opened up on her decision to move to Indy NXT in 2025 after her abrupt exit from AM Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Deegan's departure from NASCAR comes after a challenging stint with AM Racing in the Xfinity Series. Over 17 races, she struggled to secure a top-ten finish, prompting her to part ways with the team and seek new opportunities. Her NASCAR career has encompassed various moves, including her initial participation in the ARCA Menards Series as part of the Toyota driver development program in 2018, followed by her move to Ford in 2020 where she placed third in the ARCA points.

Her subsequent time in the Truck Series with DGR and ThorSport Racing did not meet expectations, with her highest ranking being 17th in 2021. The recent tenure in the Xfinity Series was supposed to revitalize her NASCAR presence, but this didn't exactly go to plan. She has now chosen to explore open-wheel racing, an avenue she believes aligns more closely with her strengths.

The decision to switch from NASCAR to Indy NXT was not made lightly. Deegan outlined her thought process in an interview with Dirty Mo Media (below), sharing that after her departure from Xfinity, she quickly weighed up her options. She explained:

Hailie Deegan, driver of the #15 VIVA Tequila Seltzer Ford, waits on the grid during practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series SciAps 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 21, 2024 in Loudon, New... Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

"About two weeks after I stopped on the Xfinity side, I was really — like I didn't really linger very much.

"I was like, 'OK, what's next?' What are we working towards next? Let's make our goals. What are we looking like budget wise and what are we looking sponsor budget wise? How are we looking for different options?

"Just kind of seeing and weighing out the pros and cons of everything. And that's when I was like, 'You know what, I feel like I'm decent friends with a few guys in the IndyCar scene and people I used to race in IndyCar.'

"I kind of was just poking around, talking a little bit. A few people that like I grew up go-karting with and like just kind of asking questions and seeing it out. I was like, 'Let's go to the IndyCar race at Iowa. Let's go check it out. Why not.' Just kind of to see what it's all about and when we started weighing out me as a driver, like my pros and cons [and] my best qualities in my driving are.

"Like, I like high grip stuff. I like places, tracks here are wide open a lot. I love road courses. Besides this past year, some of my best runs have been on road courses and best overall. Best qualifying and all that. The IMSA stuff on top of that, I did good on that side. So, I was like, 'Man, maybe we should really look at this avenue.'"

As Deegan embarks on her Indy NXT journey with HMD Motorsports, she steps into a series known for fostering some of the best talents advancing to the main IndyCar circuit. Deegan has already started working within the new team environment, preparing for the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.