Hailie Deegan’s abrupt departure from AM Racing was confirmed last week. Now, questions are being asked about what marked the critical turning point in her relatively young racing career.
Deegan’s tenure in the 2024 Xfinity Series was marked by struggle rather than success; she did not manage any top-five or top-10 finishes and was ranked 28th with just 174 points at the time of her departure. This was a sharp contrast to her prior performances in the Truck Series, where she saw more positive results, including one top-five and six top-10 finishes across three seasons.
The separation with AM Racing raises concerns about the trajectory of Deegan’s career which began under Toyota’s development program in 2017. She later moved to Ford in 2019—a decision that has been sharply criticized by NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick. During his show, “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour,” he commented, as quoted by Fox Sports:
“The big mistake here was getting out of the Toyota development system. I think Ford has the worst development program as far as their drivers go. I think Toyota has the best, and I think Chevy’s somewhere in the middle.
“Getting out of that Toyota development program with all the resources, and they’re willing to give time. I think that she needed more time in the Truck Series, getting that guidance and mentorship that she needed in order to develop into what she needed to be a NASCAR race-car driver.
“She carries this fan base off the racetrack that’s a big fan base, and I think that she just got pushed through too fast and wound up in the wrong development system for her to be successful.”
Deegan’s career before NASCAR was promising. She demonstrated remarkable potential in the ARCA Menards Series West, where she secured three wins between 2018-19, and also clinched the Rookie of the Year Award in the 2020 ARCA Menards Series with four top-five finishes and 17 top-10 finishes. This early success set high expectations for her transition into higher levels of racing.
Harvick continued:
“I think the moment that she stepped outside of that Toyota development system was a bad move. … I think it’s going to be tough to get another chance. That’s going to be the hard part.”
The motorsports community will be watching closely to see where Deegan heads to next. She was recently spotted at an IndyCar race, sparking rumors of a career move for the driver, however, this is simply speculation at this stage.
Uncommon Knowledge
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