Truck Series’ ThorSport Racing had decided to let go of the rising star Hailie Deegan after just one season in their Ford F-150. As equally reasoned as this decision was from the team, it was also equally surprising that Deegan found herself a seat in the Xfinity Series. The only question that remained over the ordeal was, who was taking her spot behind the wheel at ThorSport? That question has been answered now. In the latest revelations from ThorSport Racing, the 18-year-old Jake Garcia will be replacing Deegan.

ThorSport Racing confirms that Jake Garcia will step in for Hailie Deegan

Racing for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, Jake Garcia finished 13th in the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series and will be a strong replacement in the place of Hailie Deegan. The youngster said in the team’s press release, as per Frontstretch, “To have the chance to race for a championship organization like ThorSport Racing is huge for me. I’m extremely excited for this opportunity and cannot wait to get the 2024 season started.”

Garcia rode the #35 truck for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in 2023, in all races except at the Daytona Speedway considering that he wasn’t yet 18 years old at the time. Despite the seeming disadvantage, he managed to score three top-5 finishes and nine top-10s. His best run came at the season finale Phoenix race when he finished runner-up. Though the youngster’s truck number has not been finalized yet, it has been announced that Quanta Services will serve as his primary partner, as per NBC.

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Hailie Deegan moves on as she prepares for 2024

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In the season that just ended, ThorSport Racing fielded the four trucks of Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, Hailie Deegan and Ty Majeski. Going forward, it has been confirmed that Jake Garcia will step into one of those. But the rest of the lineup is yet to be announced by the team.

Deegan herself will be moving to race in the car of AM Racing in the Xfinity Series next year. The month of October was one of the big changes for the 22-year-old. She began the month with her professional step-up and ended it with news of her engagement to long-term boyfriend Chase Cabre.

Deegan’s stint in the Truck Series was marred by failures and inconsistencies. Though she was hyped to be one of the most potential-filled stars to come up the ranks, she couldn’t make something out of it in the last three seasons. Her father, Brian Deegan, had blamed the aggressive nature of the Truck Series for her failures. He said in a recent interview for SpeedSport, “The Truck Series was pretty gnarly as far as how aggressive everyone races. It’s tough to learn and her coming in at the time of the year with the pandemic and just got so many less laps. Trying to learn how to drive and race in NASCAR with literally no practice. It was a tough hand to be dealt.”

Hopefully, her moving back to cars will bring back her knack for high-speed racing and help her achieve her true potential. With old alliances ending and new ones beginning to form, the 2024 season is bound to be more exciting than the one that just went by.

Read More: Hailie Deegan’s Father Admits Daughter’s Shortcomings in Truck Series After She Moves Up to Xfinity