Hailie Deegan splits from NASCAR team after rejection in Chicago; promises return
In a move that should have come as no surprise, Hailie Deegan and her Xfinity Series team AM Racing have parted ways.
Deegan’s announcement on social media Monday morning came two days after Joey Logano replaced her in the seat of the No. 15 Ford Mustang for the Xfinity race in Chicago. The two-time Cup Series champion finished eighth, incidentally the team’s only top-10 finish in 18 starts this year.
In 17 starts in her first full-time season in the Xfinity Series, Deegan averaged 26.8 points, her best finish was 15th, and she never led a lap. This came after three lackluster seasons in the Truck Series, despite not being on a team that was considered a top organization in either series.
However, the 22-year-old California native was voted the Truck Series’ most popular driver in all three years at this race track.
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As racers often do in such situations, Deegan hinted at behind-the-scenes issues that may have affected her chances this season.
“There are always multiple reasons why things work or don’t work on a racing team, but unfortunately our goals no longer align,” she wrote.
Deegan promised to work quickly to find a way back on track and “become competitive again.”
She ended her social media post with the barely veiled suggestion that the disappointment was not only due to poor results.
“I’m grateful for the following I have and everyone who supports me… Really, only I know the whole story and what I need to be successful.”
In 2020, before moving to NASCAR full-time, Deegan had a decent stock car season in the ARCA Series – no wins, but 17 top-10 finishes in 20 races and a third-place finish in the season championship. Before that, she won three times in two seasons in the lower-tier ARCA West series.
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