NASCAR Truck Driver Hailie Deegan to Compete in Two SRX Races This Season

Last year, former NASCAR champion Tony Stewart announced the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX). The Ray Evernham and Tony Stewart brainchild is debuting next week with its six-race calendar. Now the latest news has revealed that Truck Series rookie Hailie Deegan will join for two races.

Admittedly, the 19-year-old is only coming on as a substitute in place of Tony Kanaan. The David Gilliland Racing driver is expected to make an appearance at the Knoxville Speedway and the Slinger Speedway. Knoxville kicks off on June 19th, while the Slinger race takes place on July 10th.

As it turns out, Kanaan will be indisposed for those two weekends due to scheduling conflicts. As a result, Deegan was roped in, as her June 18th Truck race is in Nashville, so she will probably have to rush to get to Knoxville. Meanwhile, she will probably have to rush between states once again. This because she is competing at Knoxville on July 9th and Slinger Speedway on July 10th.

Hailie Deegan is definitely going to enjoy herself

Already the series boasts of a rich cast of drivers for the inaugural season. This includes Kanaan, Stewart, Helio Castroneves, Bobby Labonte, Paul Tracy, Willy T. Ribbs, Bill Elliott and Ernie Francis Jr. Others include Marco Andretti and Michael Waltrip and a cameo appearance from Deegan. It is worth mentioning that Formula One veteran Mark Webber was expected to compete, but he has pulled out.

“It’s an honor to be a part of SRX and I’m grateful for the chance,” Deegan said. “I love racing. I started when I was eight in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series and, for the last five years, I’ve been on pavement working my way up the racing ladder. The challenge of SRX really appeals to me. Competing on different tracks – asphalt and dirt – with other drivers from all sorts of disciplines is a unique opportunity that doesn’t come around every day.”

For the moment, Deegan is preparing for the June 12th Truck race at the Texas Motor Speedway. It is also note-worthy that there are just five races left until the Truck Series Playoffs begin.

READ MORE: Schedule, Drivers, Prize Money, and More: All You Should Know About Tony Stewart’s Superstar Racing Experience