“I Was Mad”: When NASCAR Driver Hailie Deegan Lost Her Cool Because of Todd Gilliland’s Off-Track Antics

After her half-season run in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with AM Racing, Hailie Deegan announced on October 14, 2024, that she would be joining the Indy NXT series for the 2025 season. While the California native often comes across as a vibrant personality, Deegan has occasionally let her temper flare on and off the track.

For instance, back in 2019, before her tenure in NASCAR and while competing in the K&N Pro Series West and ARCA Menards Series, Deegan described to Jeff Gluck during his “12 Questions” segment an incident involving Todd Gilliland that tested her composure. She recalled,

“One time, Todd Gilliland — I was getting on the freeway in Mooresville, and all of a sudden this guy in this Toyota, he goes and he like pinches me in the wall and I was like so man, laid on the horn, and then Todd pokes his head out the window and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’… I had no idea it was him. He knew it was me…  Yeah, I was mad.”

In line with her fiery spirit, Deegan has also been at the center of on-track controversies herself. Whether it was at the Monster Mile [Dover Motor Speedway], where she initiated a crash that ultimately ended JJ Yeley’s race day, or being part of a wreck at Darlington, Deegan has frequently found herself in the thick of the action.

With a background that spans dirt tracks in midget cars, the ARCA Menards Series, the K&N Pro-Series West, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the Xfinity Series, Deegan is well-equipped to navigate future open-wheeled challenges on the track. Moving forward, she might consider steering clear of confrontations that could escalate tensions on the track.

If she can manage to keep her nose clean during her stint in the Indy NXT series, it might just pave the way for a flourishing career and potentially catapult her into the IndyCar series.

Her initial stint in single-seater racing suggests she might be well-suited for the format. Deegan marked her debut in formula car racing with a commendable performance in the first week of November, securing points by finishing in the top 10 at the Formula Regional Americas season finale.

Competing for Toney Driver Development at the Circuit of the Americas, Deegan showed a lot of improvement throughout the event, which culminated in a P10-place finish.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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