The announcement on Monday morning wasn’t unexpected. Hailie Deegan, who was ranked 27th after 16 events, was substituted by two-time Cup champion Joey Logano for the Chicago street course race on Saturday. This change likely occurred because the team needed to qualify based on speed, whereas Deegan had previously depended on owner points provisionals to enter the last three road-course races. Logano qualified 15th and finished 8th in that race.
As she turns 23 next week, Deegan, the daughter of renowned extreme sports athlete Brian Deegan, is at a pivotal moment in her career and is now searching for a new opportunity. Both Deegan and AM Racing confirmed her departure via statements on X (formerly Twitter), though AM Racing has not announced a replacement driver.
Deegan’s post on social media explained, “There are always various factors in a race team affecting outcomes, but unfortunately, our goals are no longer aligned.”
Deegan’s career has been challenging since her promising start, including three ARCA West Series victories in 2018-19 and a third-place finish in the 2020 ARCA national series despite limited stock-car experience before turning 16.
She moved to NASCAR’s truck series in 2021, where over three seasons she secured five top-10 finishes with an average position of 21st.
After reaching a plateau in the truck series, she transitioned to the Xfinity Series with AM Racing, which had Brett Moffitt, a former truck series champion, for its first full Xfinity season in 2023. Moffitt finished 15th in the standings with an average finish of 18th.
Driving for AM Racing, Deegan had an average starting position of 29th and a finishing position of 27th. She finished on the lead lap four times with a best finish of 12th at Talladega. That was her third top-20 finish in nine races; however, in the following eight races, her best result was 20th, with only two top-25 finishes.
AM Racing expressed their support, stating, “We wish Hailie the best in her future endeavors and look forward to her continued success on and off the track.”
Deegan has a significant social media following with 3.2 million TikTok followers, 1.6 million Instagram followers, and 583,000 YouTube subscribers.
In her post, Deegan emphasized, “My sole focus is on becoming competitive again. That is my only priority. I’m working diligently to find the best opportunities to get back on the track. I appreciate the support from my followers and everyone who stands by me. Only I fully understand what I need to succeed.”
