Hailie Deegan emerged as a promising contender to fill the void left by Danica Patrick’s retirement in NASCAR. With her exceptional talent and growing popularity, Deegan showed the potential to redefine the role of women in the sport. However, her plans were halted by her recent exit from NASCAR as she parted ways with AM Racing due to her poor performance.

She was already on the path to becoming the next female icon in NASCAR, capturing the hearts of fans and inspiring a new generation of drivers. Hailie Deegan made history in 2018 by becoming the first female driver in three decades to win a NASCAR Touring Series race. Her victory at Meridian Speedway in the K&N Pro Series West marked a significant milestone for women in a male-dominated sport. While it is uncertain what’s next for her in motorsports, she has recently been testing an F3 car.

Hailie Deegan is intrigued by the F3 car

Deegan’s 2024 Xfinity Series campaign was disappointing, marked by a lack of top-tier finishes. Following a promising start in the Craftsman Truck Series where she achieved one top-five and six top-10 finishes across three seasons (2021-2023), her future in NASCAR is now uncertain. Her departure from AM Racing further complicates her career trajectory, raising questions about her next steps and the challenges she will face.

The 23-year-old was sharply criticized for her short-lived Xfinity career. Seventeen races are not enough for a driver to get comfortable at a higher-level series. Regardless, the youngster has a vast ocean of motorsports in front of her, and it looks like she’s already made the dive. Deegan runs a personal YouTube channel where she keeps her fans updated about the events of her life. In the most recent video, she was seen testing a Formula 3 car.

Deegan was quick to capture the nuances of F3. Having experience with stock cars, Deegan quickly noticed the differences between them and open-wheel cars. She found the tire differences between the two quite intriguing. Talking about it in the video; she said, “So these tires are so different from oval tires because when you fire off on the oval tires they’re good immediately and they fall off quick so you go immediately when you go out High grip, but it falls off within two laps. But with these, you got to build them up and kind of like ease into it a little bit.”

The massive difference piqued Hailie Deegan’s interest, and she wants to get better at understanding them. Reiterating this, she said, “So it’s different and I think that’s something I’m going to have to learn today is like okay how these M qualifying runs feel like is it like okay is it just kind of skating around does it not turn does it want to step out.” She went on and on about the details, sharing the same excitement as a kid in a candy store. Who knows, open-wheel racing might be the next thing she adds to her resume. Maybe IndyCar is a possibility. Moreover, Deegan already has a base for it and certainly enjoys the sport.

Hailie Deegan’s new career path?

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Deegan’s racing career began with dirt bikes, following in her father’s footsteps. She quickly transitioned to karting, where she excelled, winning her first race in 2009 at only 8 years old. By the age of 12, she was already winning races. She quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with, winning multiple races and capturing her first championship at just 13 years old. She became the first female driver to clinch a LOORRS championship by winning the Junior 2 Karts class. Two years later, she went on to become the Modified Kart Regional Champion. In 2016, she made the move to asphalt racing, demonstrating her versatility and adaptability as a driver. Maybe open-wheel racing is where she belongs, as she seems to find joy in it.

Deegan, in another recent YouTube video, talked about how she bought a new Kart. Deegan had her old kart since she was a child and now felt the need to upgrade it. In the video, which was captioned, “Best Purchase We Have Made!” she said, “Well guys, today’s pretty exciting because we are buying two road course go-karts. I’m super excited about it because I’ve had the same go-kart since 2015. The one that I had is absolutely trash.” The new kart, along with the recent F3 experience, suggests that something big is brewing in Deegan’s career. We’ll have to wait and watch.

She could follow in the footsteps of Danica Patrick, who had a successful career as an open-wheel racer. Patrick’s victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman in an IndyCar Series race. Maybe Hailie Deegan will be successful there if she chooses to go that route. What do you think is next for Hailie Deegan? Let us know in the comments below.