Hailie Deegan’s new team AM Racing has announced that Joe Williams will serve as her crew chief in 2024. Williams was already associated with the team this year, leading Brett Moffitt to one top-five and nine top-10 finishes. They ended up 15th in the final Xfinity standings.
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With Williams taking over as the chief of Deegan’s #15 crew, her chances of proving her mettle stand high, given that both worked together when she made her Xfinity debut back in 2022.
Expressing her delight at the reunion, Deegan said, “I am looking forward to working with Joe (Williams) next year as my crew chief. With Joe’s knowledge and experience with AM Racing, alongside the support from the Ford Performance team, I’m really excited to see what we can accomplish together.”
Joe Williams will be calling the shots as Crew Chief from on top of the No. 1️⃣5️⃣ pit box for @HailieDeegan for the 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ @NASCAR_Xfinity Series Season pic.twitter.com/kW3V0fBo4V
— AM Racing (@AMRacingNASCAR) December 19, 2023
Williams is no stranger to success in the Xfinity Series. Having worked with popular drivers like Chase Briscoe and Cole Custer, he has also scored multiple top-5 finishes with them. Talking about joining Deegan again, he said, “With Hailie behind the wheel, it presents us an opportunity to continue showcasing our efforts [at AM Racing] but also put her in a position to not only contend for top-10 finishes but hopefully challenge for a win throughout the year too.”
Deegan spent the last 3 years struggling to find her pace in the Truck Series and now has yet another golden chance in the Xfinity Series.
Hailie Deegan’s debut Xfinity run offers a glimmer of hope after 2023 disappointment
Deegan’s latest year in the Craftsman Truck Series with ThorSport Racing was another one on the list of disappointments. To facilitate the chances of reaching her potential, the team went as far as moving the championship-winning crew chief Rich Lushes from Ben Rhodes to her truck.
Unfortunately, that did not help Deegan on the track and the team ended up reversing their decision back in September. Deegan fell down the ladder quickly and finished the season 19th in the standings. Though she comes from the back of a string of losses, she can turn that around along with Joe Williams.
When the duo worked together back in 2022 for SS Greenlight Racing in Xfinity, they finished P13. Should they end up following through on the competitiveness that they displayed then, the sky would be the limit in 2024.
