Tragedy Befells Hailie Deegan & Brother as UTV Trial Goes Horribly Wrong

Sep 12, 2024 | 7:03 PM EDT

Link Copied!

Debate

What's Your Perspective On

Does Hailie Deegan's brother's accident highlight a need for stricter safety measures in UTV trials?

Not long ago, Hailie Deegan was making waves in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 15 car for AM Racing. But after a series of disappointing performances, AM Racing made the tough call to part ways with her mid-season. It was a harsh setback for Deegan, who had high hopes for her rookie Xfinity season, but it ended on a sour note.

Undeterred, Deegan has since branched out into new racing challenges and personal projects. One of her latest? Preparing her younger brother, Hudson, for an upcoming UTV race, where the two will go head-to-head. Now, it looks like, despite Hailie’s spot-on advice, Hudson’s trial run didn’t go as planned, taking a surprising turn that put a dent in their preparations.

Hailie Deegan’s kid brother lands the UTV on his first attempt

Now Hudson is the youngest member of the Deegan family and is trying to learn the tricks and trades of racing. Ahead of the UTV race event, it turned out that Hudson just wasn’t ready to control the simulator. The only way he was going to be race-ready was by the practical coaching, and it didn’t end well.

Hudson wanted to ride solo with no one in the passenger seat to guide him. Now, to make sure her baby brother didn’t junk his first trials, Hailie Deegan, like every elder sister, gave him a quick list of the dos and don’ts with the UTV vehicle. She said, “You have to be wide open on the on-off. If not, get the slow roller. You gotta go around the long way and go wide open. Like you cannot check up; if you check up, you will not make it.” Deegan said this via her YouTube channel.

Her major concern was Hudson could flip the UTV upside down if he missed out on controlling the speed coming off the corners. “I’m saying you’re making a hand corner and it hikes up on two wheels you’re supposed to turn right. Turn the opposite way of the corner. I just told him to just kind of cruise roll the jumps. I told him to not hit the on-off,” she added.

But despite all the prep talk and instructions, Hudson eventually landed upside down, and his elder brother and Deegan rushed to his rescue. Fortunately, he was locked in with his seatbelt inside the UTV and made it out without any injuries. But a flip wasn’t going to dampen Hudson’s spirit, and he got in for a second attempt. Only this time around he completely broke the axle of the racing vehicle.

Article continues below this ad

It’s not that Hailie Deegan isn’t keeping her competitive racing hopes alive and preparing for the next big project. In fact, she might also return to NASCAR racing in 2025.

What’s your reaction?

Can you believe what happened to Hailie Deegan's brother? React!

Reactions

What does 2025 hold for Haile Deegan?

Article continues below this ad

After Danica Patrick, Deegan has emerged as the likely contender to lead the charge of women drivers in America. But with those comparisons also comes pressure and the relentless demand to give her very best on the racetrack. This is why her first Xfinity race ended mid-season as AM Racing lost patience with their driver.

Initially, the Haas Factory Team revealed that they were in talks with Deegan about the potential of linking up for next year. When NBC Sports asked the team president, Joe Custer, about their future collaboration with Hailie Deegan, Custer didn’t have a straight answer. He said, “We believe there’s more in her 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 Cup driver that comes down. We’ve got to put cars in the winner’s circle.”

It looks like business is what is important after all. Every other team needs money to survive the sport. However, with the new charter deal coming in, newer teams like HFT would need someone who is at least taking a chequered in 10 races and finishing in the top 10 and top 5 consistently.

Article continues below this ad

What’s your perspective on:

Does Hailie Deegan's brother's accident highlight a need for stricter safety measures in UTV trials?

Have an interesting take?

However, there is a possibility that HFT has announced that Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer will take up the seats for their two race cars in 2025. Recently, Hailie Deegan also posted a video about testing an F3 race car, which could suggest that she might be interested in open-wheel racing.

Another option would be to return to Truck Series in a full-time role. She does have five top-10 finishes in the series, and a strong season could lead to more opportunities for her in the future. At 23, Deegan does have a long road ahead in her racing career and has enough time to script a NASCAR comeback story.