About Hailie Deegan
Hailie Rochelle Deegan (born July 18, 2001) is an American professional stock car racing driver. She competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 15 Ford Mustang for AM Racing. Deegan is currently a Ford Performance driver and formerly a Toyota Racing Development driver.
Deegan grew up racing off-road and on dirt, but transitioned to competing on asphalt in 2016 to pursue a career in stock car racing. She began her career in NASCAR in 2018 in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. She became the first female driver to have won races in the West Series, doing so in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. She is the daughter of Brian Deegan.
2021:Full-time In Truck Series
On October 17, 2020, Ford Performance announced that Deegan was in line to drive full-time in the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for DGR-Crosley, which was renamed David Gilliland Racing in January.Deegan's truck number, No. 1, was revealed on January 18, 2021.
In August, she finished seventh at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Besides being her first Truck Series career top ten, she became the first woman in series history to score such a finish outside of a superspeedway.
She ended the season with the Gateway top ten and a 17th-place points finish. Due to many races not having practice and qualifying as part of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Deegan regarded her rookie season as a "learning experience" in growing accustomed to life in the Truck Series. She also regarded her social media presence as a boon in her racing development as her popularity provided patience among sponsors.She was voted the 2021 Truck Series Most Popular Driver, marking the second straight season that a rookie received the award after Zane Smith did so in 2020.
2022:Xfinity Series Debut
On October 4, 2022, Deegan announced she would make her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the SS-Green Light Racing No. 07 at Las Vegas.She finished on the lead lap in 13th, the best result in Xfinity Series history for a woman in a series debut.
2024:Full-time In Xfinity Series
On October 5, 2023, Deegan signed a multi-year deal with AM Racing to drive the No. 15 starting in 2024.
Driving Style
Known for her aggressive on-track moves, all three of Deegan's wins in the K&N Pro Series West came after making contact with another car,while her last one saw her spin out her teammate entirely.Racer's Kelly Crandall wrote in 2019, "Deegan doesn't care what anyone on or off the track thinks, and she has repeatedly made it clear she's here to win races, will do so at any cost, and then climb out and tell you all about it.Deegan has embraced her reputation as an aggressive driver,attributing it to her family's roots in motocross.
At Roseville in 2018, one week after scoring her first career victory on a bump-and-run pass, Deegan was penalized one lap late in the race for contact with Trevor Huddleston.In 2019, driving in her ARCA debut at Toledo, Deegan finished last after contact with Joe Graf Jr. and declared she was "done playing nice."Deegan's rough driving in the K&N West race at Gateway led to an argument with series veteran Todd Souza. Souza stated that her on-track behavior was "full-on disrespect" and was quoted as saying Deegan "drives like she's a spoiled rotten little baby."
In the 2020 season-opening ARCA race at Daytona, Deegan's aggressive bump drafting nearly spun teammate Tanner Gray into the tri-oval.Despite her spotter, Eric Holmes, encouraging her to relax the aggression, Deegan later sent Chuck Hiers into the wall coming off of turn 2, leading Autoweek's Matt Weaver to write, "Such drafting tactics are generally disapproved of at Daytona and Talladega, and that's something she will have to learn."Later that season at Lebanon I-44 Speedway, series officials gave Deegan a warning for her rough driving after she spun out two cars within the first 70 laps of the race.The second incident involved owner-driver Bret Holmes, who was spun as he and Deegan battled for the lead. Holmes said after the race, "Some drivers just don't understand what it's like to run your own team and have to pay for their own stuff, so they just...knock people out of the way every time they have to take the lead."
Philanthropy
For Thanksgiving in 2020, Deegan partnered with Ford to deliver 3,325 pounds of turkey to families in Detroit.The amount of weight was the maximum payload rating of the new 2021 Ford F-150.During the Christmas holiday season the following month, Deegan partnered with fellow Ford driver Joey Logano to deliver hams and facemasks to North Carolina-based foundations.
Controversies
In September 2020, Deegan was criticized when comments surfaced from an audio podcast in which she called the COVID-19 pandemic a "hoax."On January 10, 2021, she again attracted criticism for using an ableist slur during an iRacing livestream on her Twitch channel.Deegan subsequently apologized after video of the incident was posted to social media.The next day, NASCAR announced that Deegan would be required to take sensitivity training prior to the start of the 2021 season.
Politics
At the 2020 Daytona 500, Deegan expressed interest in meeting President Donald Trump, tweeting the morning of the race, "Today's goal. Get my helmet signed by Trump."Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., also attended the race and connected Deegan with President Trump, leading him to sign Deegan's helmet and pose for pictures with her.
Personal Life
Deegan is the daughter of Brian Deegan, a motocross rider, off-road racer, and former X Games athlete.Her younger brothers Haiden and Hudson have also competed in motocross. Deegan is in a relationship with dirt track racer and former NASCAR driver Chase Cabre.Cabre served as her co-driver in the 2022 Mint 400.On October 27, 2023 Deegan announcers her engagement to Chase Cabre at instagram post.
She attended Rancho Christian High School in her hometown of Temecula, California.Deegan currently splits time between her two residences in California and Mooresville, North Carolina.
