This week brought a dramatic turn of events in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The sport’s only female driver, Hailie Deegan, has found herself in a precarious position after parting ways with AM Racing. This news comes right after Joey Logano led the No. 15 to a season-best 8th-place finish for the team. Deegan’s early exit from Xfinity is as notable as her early entry.

On the flip side, Kurt Busch has made a successful jump to a higher tier in NASCAR. So, is inexperience really the culprit behind Deegan’s early exit, or is there more to the story?

Busch’s rise to fame echoes Hailie Deegan’s story

Kurt Busch is hailed as a NASCAR veteran with several glittering medals to his name. But he needed somebody to see that spark in him. In a recent interview with RFK Racing, the team that kicked him to glory, Busch recalled his inspiring story. He said that even his early years were like a rollercoaster ride: “Six years: not even doing go-kart stuff, straight up doing Legends cars, what I started in. Yeah, it went that fast.”

Then came the life-changing jump of his career, echoing Hailie Deegan: after a single Truck win, Kurt Busch received an offer to race in the Cup. He added, “Jack Roush came up to me when we won Milwaukee. It was the July 4th weekend, it was my first-ever win in trucks. He says, ‘Hey, would you like to go to Cup?'” 

Despite being flabbergasted at first, Busch quickly gathered his senses. “I’m like, ‘What? We win one Truck race and now you want me to go to Cup? Sure, I’m ready if you’re ready but we’re gonna wreck a lot of stuff’…so yeah, it was a quick transition.”

Hailie Deegan has a similar story. After snagging three wins in the ARCA Menards Series West in 2018-19 and also the 2020 ARCA Rookie title, Deegan entered NASCAR’s national series in 2021. Yet over three seasons in Craftsman Truck, she failed to make a mark, with only five top-ten finishes. Despite her lack of success, AM Racing offered her an Xfinity ticket to 2024, which, as we all know now, has crumbled.

Many NASCAR insiders and fans opined that it was too early for Hailie Deegan. As an established dirt racer, it was too early for her to shift to stock cars. Yet as we saw a faintly similar story for Kurt Busch, a parallel argument could suggest Deegan’s inexperience was not the problem. Busch himself highlighted Deegan’s special talents after her runner-up finish at an SRX Racing event in Eldora. “Way to go, girl! Dirt racing is in your blood. Hollah for some asphalt tips! I got you!” 

As the Hailie Deegan-AM Racing debate rages on, Kurt Busch stands as a bright example of how Deegan could have fared better. Who knows? Maybe with more able guidance. Busch’s tendency to jump reflected post-career as well.

Busch had to make a career jump again

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After Jack Roush signed him into the Cup, it was an upward climb for Kurt Busch. He started winning in 2002 and snagged the 2004 Cup Championship title. Over 20 years, the elder Busch brother secured 34 Cup wins. And his exit was not timely. In 2022, the faulty Next Gen car caused a lot of injuries to drivers. It particularly crippled Busch, as he suffered a concussion in Pocono. Then Kurt Busch decided to call it quits, and offers of becoming a racing consultant came rushing in—a tad bit sooner than he expected.

Busch started working for 23XI Racing, the team with which he ran his last race. Busch said in February 2023, per Forbes, “Everything just happened a year sooner than I expected them to and I’m happy with where everything sits.” He added, “There’s no question where my role is with the team, it’s everywhere with the team. And doing different interviews with the team and with our other sponsors. I’m doing everything the same, but not putting a helmet on and instead putting a radio on for practice, qualifying, and the race.”

Evidently, Hailie Deegan can tap into Kurt Busch’s racing history for inspiration. But for now, the former Xfinity Series driver is struggling to find a footing, and we hope she finds her place soon.