NASCAR racing isn’t forgiving for any race car driver. It absolutely demands the very best from the driver, irrespective of their experience level and skill in the game. And one of the prominent features of being put to the test is comparisons, which allow the fans to pick their preferred choice of a driver to back during race weekends. Going by the recent trends online, it seems Hailie Deegan’s racing credentials are now being questioned and compared to the likes of Danica Patrick.

After competing for three seasons in the Craftsman Truck Series, Hailie Deegan decided to make a big switch to the Xfinity Series in 2024. She took charge of the No. 15 Ford from AM Racing and embarked on her rookie season. While she was expected to run well in his debut attempt but competing against some of the future NASCAR star drivers has proven to be a tough ordeal for the 22-year-old.

She is leading the charge as the only female race in the division, but with that popularity also comes a lot of attention. Out of the 13 starts the AM Racing driver has made this year, six of those have resulted in 30 or worse finishes. The only notable positive outcome of all 13 races was at Talladega (P12), where she blamed a fellow Ford driver, Riley Herbst, for not helping her get a better finish.

Despite the tough going, Deegan is always optimistic about her chances in her next race. And in trying to turn a corner for good, she is now focused on her task of getting good results at Sonoma Raceway. After a good practice, run, she took to her Instagram account and posted, “Practice ✅ This @vivaseltzer @fordperformance car was feeling pretty good in practice. Made some good changes headed into qualifying in the morning! @monsterenergy.”

But this gesture by Deegan wasn’t taken well by several NASCAR fans, who soon shared their opinions on her racing credentials in the comments section.

Fans unimpressed by Hailie Deegan’s prep talk ahead of the Sonoma race

Being the sole female driver running a full-time schedule in the Xfinity Series, her performances were pitted against those of Danica Patrick. The former SHR driver is known for her exploits when competing against the top dogs in the Cup Series. “You will never be anywhere near as good as Danica was”.

As mentioned above, Deegan has been underperforming with the equipment at her disposal. While a couple of disappointing runs are expected from a rookie driver, but it’s hard to sweep the mediocre runs under the rug if they are repeated regularly. Questioning her preparedness for the race, a fan in a sarcastic tone replied, “What spot in the 30’s will you finish in this week?”

Some fans were still fuming with the team’s decision to get rid of his crew chief, Joe Williams, after a streak of disappointing results. It’s hard to predict that Deegan had a say over William’s exit from AM Racing, but the fans couldn’t care less and blamed the driver for the decision. “Remember when u got your crew chief fired for your terrible driving”.

Usually, the promotion of a NASCAR driver is on the back of strong, consistent performances. But as far as statistics go, it is hard to argue a case that Deegan’s promotion was purely based on merit and progression, “Four seasons in the truck series she raced 8900 laps and led 2 under yellow. This does not justify anyone moving up to the Xfinity series”.

Another user even predicted a mediocre starting position for the driver despite the good practice run. “Yeahhh Lets practice so we can end UP dead last Again”. Call it coincidence or bad luck, the prediction by this fan came true as Deegan landed P37 on the starting grid for today’s race.

Ever since her career-best results, a P12 finish at Talladega, Deegan has been unable to contest for a top 10 finish. Hopefully, with the road course race in the mix, she gets herself in a position for a strong finish that could bring her season back on track.