Hailie Deegan’s 2024 season was a far cry from her bold days in the K&N Pro Series. Back then, she was assertive and ready to tackle challenges head-on. But as she moved into the Truck and Xfinity Series, her confidence seemed to wane. Deegan herself admitted to overthinking during races, and by the time she felt comfortable, it was already too late.

This lack of assertiveness was evident in her rookie season with AM Racing, which ended prematurely after 17 races, with her being let go mid-season. Although performance wasn’t entirely on her, she bore the brunt of the team’s decision.

Hailie Deegan finally opens up on her struggles in NASCAR

To better understand Deegan’s change in race style, let us compare her number from the K&N Pro Series to that of Trucks.

• During his stint at Billy McAnally Racing from 2018 to 2019, the 23-year-old knew how to win races.
• In 28 starts, she had three wins and eleven top 5 finishes. However, she wasn’t herself as she moved up the ladder in the Truck Series. In three full-time seasons, she was only able to manage five top 10s.

So why the big disparity while moving from K&N Pro to Truck Series? This is what the driver had to say about her struggles. “I used to be super aggressive in my racing, like back in the K&N days, and I kind of shifted that a little bit. Especially in the Truck Series, you cannot damage the body of those trucks. Like you are so screwed if you get any damage on it just the way they are so reliant on the downforce and side force.” Hailie Deegan said this on the Kenny Conversations.

Moreover, Deegan further highlighted the issues that didn’t help her case, especially in her rookie year. “Trucks, I had no practice, no qualifying, right into the race, and like at all new tracks I’ve never been to. Like 90% of the tracks I had never been to before, that is something that I definitely eased into it and maybe a little too much where I lost that aggressive ability in my driving. I was okay with moving people and doing this and doing that, but it’s more so of me trying to get comfortable.”

Despite the heartbreak this year, those who supported Deegan were hopeful that she would script a comeback on the ovals in NASCAR. However, in a surprising move, she switched lanes and moved to open-wheel racing in the INDY NXT Series for 2025. And this might suit her style of racing and allow her to prosper.

Open-wheel racing could see Deegan return to her element on the racetrack

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Hailie Deegan certainly took the racing fans by surprise when she announced she would move to the INDY NXT Series on a full-time basis. She will be driving the No. 38 HMD Motorsports entry for the full 14-race calendar year in 2025. From the outside looking in, it might look like Deegan’s ducking the NASCAR challenge, but in reality, she is trying to reinvent herself. Get back to a style of racing that allows her craft to be nurtured without any unrealistic expectations.

Comparing the two different disciplines of racing, Deegan added, “I think I never in the Truck Series found a good balance. But in the Indy NXT stuff, obviously, you can’t really touch each other. Or else you’ll damage your front wing like you’re done. So that’s something for me. I’m like, okay, I like that side of it. I think that’ll be better suited for me, like how I changed as a driver over time.”

At 23, Hailie Deegan has a lot of time to experiment with her racing, and who knows, down the line she might return to NASCAR racing.