Hailie Deegan Perfects Her Craft Amid Crumbling NASCAR Dreams

In the male-dominated world of motorsports, Hailie Deegan has certainly carved out a niche for herself, especially on the NASCAR circuit. While she’s scaled the heights of the NASCAR truck series and even graced Tony Stewart’s prestigious Superstar’s Racing Experience Series, the Xfinity Series remains her white whale.

But it seems instead of twiddling her thumbs waiting for that dream to materialize, she’s currently dipping her toes into other racing waters. A recent video dropped on her official YouTube channel showcases Deegan behind the wheel of her micro, which she’s confident has ironed out its earlier flaws, gearing up to hone her skills even more.

If Hailie Deegan can’t break into NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, might micro sprints be her silver lining?

Deegan isn’t the first to wade into the waters of micro-sprint car racing in NASCAR. Heavy hitters like Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman, and Kyle Busch, among others, have already kicked up dirt on the sprint car tracks.

Yet, from the recent video, it’s clear that Deegan is still finding her feet on these compact dirt tracks and has some miles to go before she can tango with the best. But judging by her commitment in the video, she seems poised to soon be a force to be reckoned with on the dirt track.

Before taking the plunge on the track, Deegan shared with her viewers, “We made it here to Mountain Creek, and it is a little track, literally not that far from my house. We are going to be testing my micro last Maurice, we had quite a few issues with the micro. Finally, I think I got them resolved. And I just want to get some laps, plus it’s close to my home, easy, convenient.”

However, there’s a murmur among NASCAR enthusiasts: Is Deegan’s foray into micro sprints a fallback due to potential financial hurdles blocking her Xfinity Series path, or is her heart genuinely set on mastering the dust and drama of dirt track racing? Maybe is it just because of the recent changes made to her team?

Watch This Story: Hailie Deegan Faces Another Setback in Her Quest To Reach the Xfinity Series

Might a shift in the wind be the result of her recent crew chief shuffle?

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The ties that bind drivers to their crew chiefs in the NASCAR world are deep, often deeper than what meets the eye of the average spectator. Remember Chase Elliott‘s incident at Watkins Glen? Despite an error from his crew chief, Alan Gustafson, causing a race-ending scenario, Elliott was quick to circle the wagons around his long-time partner, showing that they were thick as thieves.

But now, rumblings from the pit suggest a curveball in the NASCAR truck series concerning Hailie Deegan. Championship contenders, ThorSport Racing, have thrown a spanner in the works by making a pivotal crew chief switch, placing Deegan in the eye of this storm.

Deegan had earlier teamed up with Rich Lushes for the 2023 season, a partnership that spanned the first 19 rounds. However, this has created problems, bringing in just one notable top-10 finish in Texas.

With the finish line of the season in sight, ThorSport Racing played its hand by handing over Deegan’s crew chief reins to Brian Ross for the upcoming races. Meanwhile, Lushes will roll back to garage 99, rekindling his winning magic with champ Ben Rhodes.

Though Hailie Deegan’s recent 17th-place finish at Bristol wasn’t a leap from her past performances, if micro sprints are indeed the next string to her bow, she’ll need to pull up her socks and better her race craft.

Read More: Hailie Deegan Dealt With Another Blow Amid Slipping Xfinity Dreams