Hailie Deegan’s future in NASCAR is looking increasingly uncertain. She hasn’t made an Xfinity Series start since her last appearance at Nashville Superspeedway, after which the 23-year-old and AM Racing parted ways. The former Truck Series star has been linked with a move to the Haas Factory team, but it seems like Gene Haas’ team is now leaning towards Joe Gibbs Racing driver Sheldon Creed for one of their vacant seats.

With Stewart-Haas Racing ceasing operations at the end of the 2024 season, the Haas Factory team will take over their two-car Xfinity Series team operations. While Sheldon Creed is all but confirmed regarding his place in the team, it remains to be seen who will partner him for the 2025 season. As things stand, reports strongly suggest that Hailie Deegan would not be in contention for that role.

Why does Hailie Deegan not fit into Haas Factory Teams’ vision?

When Sheldon Creed moved to Joe Gibbs Racing at the start of the 2024 season, the expectation was that he would get the No. 18 Toyota in the Victory Lane. With the best equipment in the Xfinity Series at his disposal, why would anything less than race wins be expected from the 26-year-old? However, his season hasn’t gone as planned, as Creed is currently winless after 20 races, with nine top-five and twelve top-ten results in the season so far.

But why would Sheldon Creed consider joining the Haas Factory team from Joe Gibbs Racing? That’s because the team will be taking over from Stewart-Haas Racing in the 2025 season, and their performance in the Xfinity Series has been beyond impressive. As things stand, Cole Custer, who will be joining the Haas Factory team in the Cup Series next season, is ranked first in the Xfinity driver standings, while Riley Herbst is currently fifth. Both have outperformed Creed in the opening 20 races, indicating that the Joe Gibbs Racing driver could be making a step up if he joins Gene Haas’ team for the 2025 season.

As for Hailie Deegan, the Haas Factory team has previously expressed their interest in the former ThorSport Racing driver. The team’s president, Joe Custer, has said, “We believe there’s more in [Hailie Deegan], and we want to be a part of that. But that’s for future conversations…The situation with us at Haas Factory Team is we have to win at that level. We are willing to look at all options as far as drivers go. Maybe somebody that is already in the sport. Maybe somebody that’s a [NASCAR Cup Series] driver that comes down.”

While Deegan remains on their radar, the Haas Factory team would be justified in opting for a driver with Cup Series experience to partner Sheldon Creed for 2025. After all, Stewart-Haas Racing has performed admirably in the Xfinity Series season so far, and they would like to keep the momentum going during a period of transition between the two teams. Opting for a driver with experience at NASCAR’s highest level could be their best route towards remaining competitive, and Hailie Deegan, who hasn’t finished higher than 12th in the series, doesn’t fit their lofty ambitions as of now.

With Deegan effectively ruled out of a seat in the Haas Factory team, fans took to social media to express their views about Sheldon Creed’s potential switch for the 2025 season.

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It didn’t take long for fans to take to social media to share their opinion about Sheldon Creed’s impending arrival at the Haas Factory team. A fan on X (formerly known as Twitter) questioned the teams’ judgment, as Creed has failed to secure a single win with Joe Gibbs Racing so far, despite having the best equipment at his disposal. The fan wrote, “Creed has underperformed. I’m a fan but JGR cars are the best you can get.”

Echoing that sentiment, another fan expressed their belief that leaving a team like Joe Gibbs Racing, particularly for an unknown entity like the Haas Factory team, is a risky decision. The fan said, “Why would Creed leave JGR? Seems like career suicide to me.”

Another fan was supportive of Sheldon Creed joining the Haas Factory team, praising the 26-year-old’s talent while recommending a part-time Cup Series driver to partner him in the Xfinity Series. The fan wrote, “A Sheldon Creed signing bodes well—the priority is talent. Although I want to see him in Cup full-time, I wouldn’t be upset one bit seeing Kaz Grala over there.”

Another fan speculated that a JR Motorsports driver could partner with Creed for the 2025 season, saying, “I been seeing it’s Mayer and Creed. It could be wrong but if true that’s a good lineup.”

As for Hailie Deegan, a fan of the former NASCAR driver expressed their unwavering support for the 23-year-old, irrespective of their next career destination. The former Truck Series star has been spotted at IndyCar events recently, prompting speculation about her next move. Writing on X, the fan said, “Interesting. Maybe those rumors of her joining Andretti Globals IndyNXT program might have some truth to them after all. Either way, I will gladly support Hailie Deegan all the way no matter what she may choose next in her career.”