Hailie Deegan made a bold move in 2025, shifting from stock cars to open-wheel competition with a full 14-race campaign in Indy NXT, the developmental ladder for IndyCar. The 24-year-old, daughter of action sports icon Brian Deegan, previously ran three Truck Series seasons and the first half of 2024 in Xfinity.
Advertisement
After breaking through as ARCA’s Rookie of the Year in 2020 with a third-place finish in the standings, she endured four difficult seasons across NASCAR’s third-tier series, scoring just five top-10s in 85 starts.
Now, more than a year removed from her last NASCAR start and nearly a year into her tenure with HMD Motorsports, Deegan is showing steady growth in the Indy NXT Series. With 12 races in the books, she sits 17th in points with 169, among 27 drivers, with two rounds left to run. She has posted top-20 finishes in every outing, highlighted by an 11th-place result at Laguna Seca.
For Deegan, the step to Indy NXT has provided clarity about who she is as a driver and what she must improve to reach the goals she set for herself. By her own admission, she knows the road ahead remains long.
Appearing recently on Off Track with Hinch and Rossi, Deegan opened up about her journey and the challenge of staying authentic in a sponsorship-driven sport. While many drivers scramble for backing, she has drawn a hard line, refusing to compromise her identity.
She explained, “I’m super big on like, I won’t work with people. I’ve turned down quite a few deals because it just doesn’t align with either I don’t like the brand, I know I won’t use a product, or it’s something that I’m like, ‘That is not me. I do not want to be associated with that whatsoever.’ And so, I think there’s a lot of that that does happen.”
She continued, “I think when it comes to that side of things, I’ve tried to stay true to myself. I’m so thankful that the deals I do have with Monster, like I’m a caffeine addict… I try to align myself with brands that are going to truly portray me, and I’m going to use a product. I won’t do it if I’m not going to use it.”
For now, Deegan is focused on building strength and conditioning, noting that while NASCAR demands less physically, IndyCar requires peak fitness. With two races left in the Indy NXT season, she will next tackle the Milwaukee Mile oval on August 24 at 11:30 a.m. ET, before closing the year at the Music City Grand Prix on August 31.
