NASCAR Insider Reveals Hailie Deegan’s Truck Series Mismatch Amidst Bizarre Jimmie Johnson Claim

The promotion of Hailie Deegan to the Xfinity Series has been a talking point. After three unfruitful seasons in the Craftsman Truck Series, she is yet to secure a top-5 finish in a race or a top-15 finish in season standings. However, AM Racing wants to explore the extent of her abilities in an Xfinity car. Unlike most, they feel that they can help her register better results. But can they?

The fluctuation in her performances is considered a big factor at play here. Drivers often turn out to be more suited to certain competitions due to their style of racing. However, Deegan has led only 2 of 8,978 laps in her 69 starts in the Truck Series. Could her move turn out to be better than her Truck Series stint? The latest episode of the podcast, Door Bumper Clear, discusses that.

The uncanny similarity between Hailie Deegan and Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson is as legendary a figure as there can be in NASCAR. With seven championships to his name, he is arguably the greatest driver of this century to grace the sport. However, back in the day, no one could have predicted the success he would bring to the Hendrick Motorsports stable, considering his performance in the Xfinity Series. Johnson has just a single win in 93 races in the second-tier competition and only 9 top-5 finishes to his name. These numbers look improbable, but they also make the 7x Cup champion’s turnaround even more commendable.

In comparison, Hailie Deegan has fared worse in the Truck Series, but despite the chances being slim, redemption is partially possible. Brad Keselowski‘s spotter TJ Majors believes that Xfinity can help bring the best out of her as he said, “I mean, there’s other opportunities. It’s gonna be tough. I think she is a good fit for the Xfinity car when she can separate herself.”

Joel Edmonds, Aric Almirola’s spotter in the #10 team joined the latest edition of the podcast as a guest. Expressing his views on her promotion, he was the one to start the comparison with Johnson. “She could be the Jimmie Johnson of the Truck Series. She ran well in the Xfinity race,” claimed Edmonds.

TJ added that AM Racing has proven to grow as a team in recent times and their latest performances in the series stand proof to that. With some more help from their sponsors and research team, they could become title contenders very soon. TJ stated, “Honestly, they have had a lot of speed here lately. They’ve been decent. I’m sure they are going to get some more backing.”

With the charter system coming in, Hailie Deegan, a marketable figure, can also pay dividends for AM Racing. Deegan has been voted as the Truck Series Most Popular Driver two years in a row and is very likely to win it again this year. Her ability to attract sponsors is definitely something that AM Racing would want to bank on.

TJ Majors claims Deegan is reluctant to wreck her competitors

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Hailie Deegan finished 15th on Friday in the Truck Series championship race. However, she could have fared even worse; she could have gotten caught in the crash between Conner Jones and Jake Drew during the final stage of the race. Though she was able to maneuver past the crash on Friday, the 2023 season has been painful to Hailie in terms of collisions and wrecks. Even in the Tony Stewart-owned SRX Series, despite running a lot better than in trucks, she has had to face the brunt of some unruly driving by the likes of Paul Tracy.

Watch This Story:  Hailie Deegan’s Surprising Sponsorship Shift

AM Racing also has a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing. SHR has come out as the strongest Xfinity team of the year after Cole Custer laid the finishing touch to a championship-winning season on Saturday. Owing to this, the #25 Ford of AM Racing will receive some major boosts. Edmonds emphasized the same as he said, “The old Stewart-Haas stuff is pretty phenomenal. It’s going to be better next year. I hope she does well.”

TJ Majors then went on to speculate how a debut Xfinity season could fare out for her. In his opinion, there will be a stark contrast between her Truck Series stint and 2024. Majors claimed, “I think she has an opportunity to finish 8th to 15th in most races.”

“You know, some attrition and I think she can do well. She can do well when it’s her versus the car or the track. She’s a very good driver with stuff like that. She doesn’t do well whenever they drive into the corner 7. Why? Because she doesn’t want to go in there and wreck somebody. That’s not how she races.”

Director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, had earlier hinted at a dip in performances from Deegan in Truck but also hoped the Xfinity move went through. Ford has been a loyal partner of Deegan’s since she was 19 when she enrolled in the Ford Performance Driver Development program.

Considering all the factors at play here, Hailie Deegan will not have much room for error. While AM Racing can surely experiment to test her abilities in an Xfinity car, her recent track record doesn’t suggest a favorable outcome. With Xfinity being a pedestal for racing talent across the sport, Deegan’s performances will be scrutinized even more.

Read More: Hailie Deegan Dealt With Harsh Blow as Ford’s Evaluation Reveals Lackluster Performance