Hailie Deegan is able to strive her hand at open-wheel racing, asserting final Monday she’s going to compete in Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports in 2025.
Deegan, 23, has given it a go on grime, in addition to within the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Collection, however is making the transition to a unique type of racing along with her profession at a crossroads. Kevin Harvick, talking on Tuesday’s “Glad Hour” podcast, mentioned he believes will probably be a “robust transition” for Deegan in Indy NXT, the IndyCar improvement sequence.
“I believe it’s gonna be a troublesome transition as a result of it’s a very completely different automotive,” Harvick mentioned. “I don’t know a lot concerning the Indy NXT program and the whole lot that goes with that, however I’m glad that hopefully she’s comfortable and with the ability to race and do one thing that she’s having fun with.”
Deegan confirmed promise as an up-and-comer within the Toyota driver improvement program, making her ARCA Menards Collection debut in 2018. She flipped to Ford forward of the 2020 season, ending third within the factors standings that season. Three years of combined leads to the Truck Collection adopted her standout 2020 marketing campaign and led her to the Xfinity Collection in 2024, piloting the No. 15 automotive for AM Racing.
Deegan discovered life within the Xfinity Collection to be troublesome, failing to document a high 10 end in 17 begins. AM Racing changed her with Joey Logano for the Chicago Road Race, after which parted methods along with her the next week.
Kevin Harvick pinpoints purpose for why Hailie Deegan struggled in NASCAR
As for why her NASCAR profession went sideways after an encouraging begin, Harvick cited her choice to depart Toyota’s improvement program.
“Look, we will return and discuss this state of affairs and the second she stepped out of that Toyota program right here was type of the top and turning level of the NASCAR piece of what Hailie Deegan does,” Harvick mentioned. “I assumed that she was in an important place to achieve success whereas she was in that Toyota system and as quickly as she received out and went into the scenario she received in with Ford, it simply spiraled uncontrolled within the fallacious route. Hopefully, she will get a recent restart over there.”
Harvick’s co-host, Mamba Smith, mentioned he’s glad to see Deegan “again in competitors.”
“I like that for her,” Smith mentioned. “I’m glad that she’s again in competitors. I hope she finds success there; I do know a part of the the reason why she’s there, are sponsorships are laborious over right here and so they’re laborious in every single place, however for her to get again within the automotive [is] fairly cool.”
