Hailie Deegan made NASCAR history Thursday night as the first woman to qualify on pole position for a NASCAR K&N West Series race. She finished runner-up to Sheldon Creed in the race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. And while the historical moment is promising, the 17-year old Californian said she is encouraged but not satisfied.
“Coming back in here everyone was like, ‘Good job, a top-five.’ And I’m like top-five, what are you talking about?’’ Deegan said Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“Everyone is saying, ‘You finished second, highest finishing place for a girl.’ And I’m like, no, I qualified on pole, this is actually back a position. It’s those things. First girl to qualify on pole but I don’t want to be the best girl, I want to be the best driver.
“That’s my mentality.”
The runner-up finish was Deegan’s second of the season, equaling her showing at Douglas County Speedway (Oregon.) earlier this season. She has four top-fives and nine top-10s in 11 races this season.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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