“Junking Them Is Not Cool”- Victim Hailie Deegan Unearths Why SRX Wreckfest Is Backbreaking for $90 Million Worth Tony Stewart

SRX, the brainchild of Tony Stewart, has been serving up a high-octane feast for NASCAR aficionados, seasoned with an eclectic mix of familiar and fresh faces. The indefinite suspension of Paul Tracy, coupled with Ken Schrader’s choler, has added a generous dash of spice to the series.

However, as armchair spectators, we may be missing the full magnitude of these events when viewed from outside the fishbowl. In fact, it appears that SRX might not take kindly to the seemingly cavalier car-wrecking and competitive edgework, as the $90 million worth Tony Stewart and his team are acutely aware of the blood, sweat, and tears expended by an army of diligent individuals who labor around the clock to ensure an enthralling spectacle. This viewpoint was underscored by Hailie Deegan, a two-season SRX driver, during a conversation with Large Barstool and Dan DiOrio on their show.

“There’s a lot of money invested into the Series,” says Hailie Deegan, shedding light on why it upholds its rules and regulations with unwavering strictness

The past week bore witness to an unprecedented SRX race at Pulaski County Motorsports Park, peppered with a series of unfortunate accidents and mishaps. The skirmish between Paul Tracy and Ken Schrader, which culminated in the suspension of the former, was among them. However, Deegan, in rallying to SRX’s decision, voiced her empathy for the situation stating she herself has been a victim of similar incidents, while providing a rare peek into the labyrinth of hefty financial commitments required for a series, shedding light on the substantial implications of any potential financial setbacks.

As per Deegan, “When you have a door on them like they’re expected to check up. But in stock racing it’s not like that until you’re clear like; until you’re not clear- until your car is in front of their car. I mean it has happened to me quite a few times getting cleared upon in the SRX stuff, by him.

There’s a lot of money invested into the Series. It’s a new series; they got no new partners, and they don’t have as many cars to be able to go. It’s not like there’s a backup car for every single person. They are on the road for six weeks straight, and they have to bring a certain amount of cars every race, and they don’t really plan on coming home, back to North Carolina, to rebuild cars.”

She went on to add, “So, that’s a lot of work on those guys, and I hate it for the guys who have to put in the hours and after-hours work to get those cars because junking them is just not cool for them.”

Ironically, it’s interesting to note that these views come from a driver whose three victories in the K&N Pro Series West were all hard-fought and involved contact with other cars, even leading to her spinning out her own teammate on one occasion.

Yet, people evolve, and it appears that this once aggressively competitive driver has switched gears, voicing a newfound appreciation for clean racing.

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Is Hailie Deegan in agreement with Paul Tracy’s suspension from Tony Stewart’s Series?

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Deegan, known for her aggressive driving style—a trait she attributes to her family’s motocross lineage—seems to strike a different chord this time around, diverging from her on-track persona. Could this be deemed as two-faced?

In the course of a candid conversation on Rubbin is Racing, when asked about her stance on Tony Stewart suspending Paul Tracy, she responded with a light-hearted chuckle, “I mean, I am not complaining. Sure, it sucks from his side, and if I were in his position and it went like that, I wouldn’t be happy about it, but I enjoy clean racing. I enjoy racing hard but making it clean.”

Do you concur that suspending Paul Tracy was a judicious call? While intentionally causing a wreck to clinch a win certainly doesn’t pass muster, do you think the suspension—even after he clarified his actions post-race—is a decision worth appreciating?

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