Hailie Deegan grew up racing on-dirt and off-road until she transitioned to asphalt in 2016. The teenage racer launched her NASCAR career in 2018, starting in the K&N Pro Series. Hailie’s career grew tremendously, making history as the first female driver to win the West Series races after her triumph in 2018 and 2019.
Deegan became Ford’s development driver towards the end of 2019, and she managed to record the fastest lap time during the season’s opening race at the Daytona International Speedway. In October 2020, Ford announced Deegan as a full-time driver for the 2021 Camping World Truck Series with David Gilliland Racing. Unfortunately, her 10th January Instagram post saw her receive much criticism after using a derogatory term.
The backlash was swift, but Deegan was quick to apologize to everyone who was offended later that night, regretting her inappropriate slang. Deegan moved past the event quickly, although her race in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series didn’t end as expected last Friday.
Things at the Daytona International Speedway, Florida, weren’t looking very good for Deegan. The upcoming NASCAR star wasn’t very lucky after a wall crash limited her to the 24th position in a dramatic start at the Camping World Truck Series. Ben Rhode’s chaotic finish also surprised many as he shot past Cory Roper to survive a nerve-wracking finish. While giving FanDuel enthusiasts a chance to wager on races online and cash in welcome bonuses.
Hailie’s spotter TJ Majors, who’s also cup driver Joey Lugano’s spotter, remained in her ears all night, feeding her words of encouragement, pit calls, and the number of trucks on her tail. The Ford rookie driver made her NASCAR debut on Friday with David Gilliland Racing and finished 24th. Unfortunately, Hailie was already three laps down before the wreck-fest that took out multiple trucks.
Despite her Friday results, Deegan remains among the most popular NASCAR drivers on the circuit, although it’s her first season. The teenager lost several laps after crashing the inside retaining wall in the 80th lap, although fans applauded her for the wild performance. Deegan also says she’s in the right place for her career and hopes to display better results in her upcoming races.
Ford wants Deegan to keep shining on the tracks, and she has a team of talented veterans around her to make her transition to NASCAR easy. Deegan leaned on veteran cup driver David Ragan to coach her simulator sessions, with TJ Majors being her eyes on the track. As such, Hillman hopes that 2021 will be the year for Haile Deegan to stack up.
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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