Xfinity Series inbound Hailie Deegan has impressed many with her skills behind the wheel over these last few years. One of the prime NASCAR heads that the 22-year-old has turned with her potential is that of 3-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. Deegan drove in Stewart’s SRX Series in 2023 and earned his admiration by making him fight for the win in a race at the Eldora Speedway.
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Finding herself in the good books of Stewart, Deegan recently voiced her opinion of him to Jason Stein of Cars & Culture. She said, “He’s one of those guys that when you build a relationship with him you can pretty much ask him any question you have about racing. He’s always been super good to me and I know he has a lot to do with the SRX series helping run it and stuff. So I’m just super thankful that he lets me be a part of that series.”
Deegan was also appreciative of the experience that she gained from racing against the many stars in the SRX Series and the lessons that she learned from them. Some of the icons who drove alongside Deegan were Bobby Labonte, Ken Schrader, and Greg Biffle.
She opened up about a key advantage of racing with them, “I think it’s more of a confidence booster for myself because I’m able to go and say, ‘Okay, you are doing something right because you’re able to run with these guys. You’re able to battle with these guys.”
Unsurprisingly, Deegan has not only battled with these legends but has also managed to best them. The tough competition that she posed to Stewart in the past serves as a testament to that.
Tony Stewart heaps praise on Deegan after close-cut 2023 race
Back in 2021, after Deegan first participated in the SRX Series, she mentioned her dream to race for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Cup Series someday and said, “After meeting him [Tony Stewart] and seeing his personality and what he’s all about, that would be a dream to run for Stewart-Haas.”
To Deegan’s pleasure, Stewart was all praise for her after the 2023 race at the Eldora Speedway. With the 2nd placed finish she had replicated the results of her first-ever SRX race at Knoxville in 2021. The NASCAR champion said at Eldora, “That’s the one thing people don’t realize. Hailie Deegan is one hell of a dirt driver.”
Stewart’s words of praise have for sure got her one step closer to achieving her dream. Should she manage to replicate her dirt track performances in the paved tracks of the Xfinity Series, she could very well end up driving for SHR in the future.
