“It Hurts and Affects You”: Hailie Deegan’s Candid Admission on Negativity Around Her

The SRX race at Eldora ended in spectacular fashion, with Tony Stewart taking the checkered and climbing the fence in his signature celebratory move. While Stewart enjoyed the sights and sounds of victory, right behind him was Hailie Deegan. The young and upcoming talent received a lot of appreciation from the fans who witnessed Deegan put on an impressive show.

With consecutive finishes in the top five, Deegan’s confidence is at a level it hasn’t been for much of the season. After the race, the Truck Series driver spoke to the media where she mentioned how the negativity around her often affected her mentally.

Hailie Deegan addresses the criticism around her

Asked about the confidence boost she has received after an impressive couple of weeks, Deegan said, “That’s something I’ve been lacking, I think. It happens over time, and you don’t even realize it, you let what people say to you get in your head or you have bad races and it hurts and affects you.”

“There’s a reason there’s mental coaches out there to keep you confident. But you’re right, it was awesome, and an awesome moment for me too.”

Deegan has often been ridiculed by several for her driving style and statistics in the NASCAR Truck Series. But ever since she stepped into the SRX Series, things have seemed to be going in her favor, both in terms of individual growth and her overall racing skillset.

SRX CEO appreciates Hailie Deegan for her progress and talent

Even the SRX CEO, Donald Hawk, spoke fondly about Deegan and her racing prowess in the Series. After the race at Eldora, he said, “It’s exceedingly great for me to watch Hailie succeed and progress. Having talked to her during the break when she was struggling to get the car driving right, and I want to be a cheerleader. She has a lot more potential than people realize.”

“So, when she battles with, at Eldora with this crowd, finishing second is something you don’t back into, so I leave tonight thinking we had two winners but only one trophy.”

Deegan’s performance at Eldora has surely turned some heads around, but it is a win that still eludes her. After the race, Deegan did explain the reason she did not push Stewart for the win at the closing stages, suggesting that an overly aggressive driving style is something she does not advocate for and won’t try on the track.