Will Hailie Deegan’s Reunion With Former Crew Chief Joe Williams Be Her Winning Edge in Xfinity?

We all heard about Hailie Deegan jumping into the Xfinity Series. It was big news back in October 2023, right? But we were left hanging about who her crew chief would be and who’d be sponsoring her. Well, as per the latest updates, Joe Williams Jr, who’s been making waves at AM Racing since 2022, is all set to mentor Hailie Deegan. He has got his sights set on helping her bag the Rookie of the Year title and pump up her NASCAR game as the team accelerates up for its second go-round.

Joe Williams Jr is the one who put AM Racing on the map in the Xfinity Series. He led the team with Brett Moffitt in the driver’s seat for the 33-race series last year. Under his watch, Moffitt grabbed a top-five finish and an impressive nine top-10s. So, he isn’t new to the winner’s circle; he’s racked up a win, eight top-5s, and a whopping 30 top-10s in over 131 starts in the series.

Hailie Deegan shows faith in Joe Williams’s knowledge and experience for her upcoming season

When she debuted in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2022, it was quite the moment. Brian Deegan’s daughter—the X-Games superstar—was in charge of the No. 07 SS Green Light Racing Ford. Joe Williams was, for her debut race, her crew chief and is now set to be her full-time crew chief. So, Hailie Deegan might already have an idea about how Joe Williams works. Not to mention, she nailed it with a 13th-place finish! Next up, she’s all set to rock the No. 15 Ford Mustang for AM Racing.

Watch This Story: Hailie Deegan’s NASCAR Journey: A Tale of Triumph and Tribulation

Deegan’s pumped about working with Williams. She said, “I am looking forward to working with Joe [Williams] next year as my crew chief. With Joe’s knowledge and experience with AM Racing, alongside the support from the Ford Performance team, I’m really excited to see what we can accomplish together.” And Williams? He’s just as stoked about leading AM Racing in the series. He’s proud of how far the team’s come, and he’s all about making their mark even bigger in the Xfinity Series. With Deegan driving, he’s not just thinking about top-10s; he’s eyeing the winner’s circle big time.

But hey, 2023 was filled with a lot of ups and downs for Deegan. There was a huge shake-up with her crew chief at ThorSport Racing. She started with Rich Lushes for the first 19 races, but then, boom, they brought in Brian Ross. They were aiming for the kind of success they had with Ben Rhodes, the 2021 champ, but things with the Lushes just weren’t cutting it. This time, however, with Joe Williams steering the ship, Deegan’s looking to steer clear of those kinds of bumps.

But that was all about her upcoming on-track endeavors. Off the racetrack, Deegan’s been having a blast. She and her buddy hit up an awesome car fanatic’s place, where she got to drive her dream car.

Deegan is currently living it up in her off-season, spending some quality time with a Ford GT40

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As per what she revealed in her YouTube video, Vinny, who runs the garage, decided to show off what the GT40 can do first. He hit the gas and, boy, did that engine roar! Hailie Deegan was taken aback—it was a real ‘Oh my god!‘ moment for her. And that was just the start of the fun because she got to drive this beauty next.

At first, Hailie Deegan was kind of thrown off by the car’s retro gears. She’s a pro on the track, but who would always be ready for the old-school gearshift, which was a whole new ballgame? Thankfully, Vinny was there to help her get the hang of it. And she did, pretty quickly too. She got so into it that she started thinking about racing the GT40 for real. She was like, “It would be hard for me not to take it to the track every single week.”

Read More: Hailie Deegan Goes Head Over Heels for the “Gnarly!” GT40 as She Obsesses Over the American Beauty

While the GT40 won’t be part of her Xfinity races, the whole experience just shows how much of a powerhouse Deegan is in the world of NASCAR driving.