Hailie Deegan's NASCAR past interferes with new Indy NXT path

Hailie Deegan has revealed a major challenge she is facing after jumping from the NASCAR Xfinity Series to Indy NXT, the top step of the IndyCar series.

Deegan started racing in NASCAR in 2018 when she debuted in the K&N Pro Series West with Bill McAnally Racing. In her rookie season, she became the first woman to win a race in the series. She continued to race stock cars by competing full-time in the ARCA Menards Series in 2020 after two years of part-time involvement there.

This was followed by three years in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and her final year of stock car racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024, which was cut short midway because of sponsorship struggles. In 2025, Hailie Deegan made a brave jump to open-wheel racing, signing with HMD Motorsports for their Indy NXT campaign.

A key difference between NASCAR and IndyCar is the evolution of tire performance, which Deegan is struggling with. Speaking about her tests with the team, the 23-year-old said (via Pit Debrief):

"Like we did a lot of runs on old tires, getting used to it and I struggled a little bit going out on new tires, because like for me, the first lap on new tires in stock cars is your fastest lap usually per second. And so that’s the best lap. That’s the best the car is going to feel."

She then elaborated on how the tires on Indy cars are at their worst state performance-wise during the start of a new stint and need to be warmed up over a few laps to improve the lap times.

"Then you come on these (Indy) tires and, which is so normal for open-wheel racing, they take quite a few laps to come in, and they’re like straight ice when you get on new tires. And so, I had to learn that side of things. I was like, okay guys, like bear with me on new tires because this is all so new for me. I got to see like when they feel good," she explained.

Hailie Deegan is one of only two female racers in the 2025 Indy NXT season, alongside HMD Motorsports teammate Sophia Floersch.

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Hailie Deegan sets "realistic" goals for her rookie Indy NXT season

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Hailie Deegan had a tough time on her first outing with HMD Motorsports. She finished last on the timesheets on the first day of the Indy NXT Sebring test in mid-January, nearly 3 seconds off the pace.

However, by the end of Day 2, she showed considerable improvement, reducing the gap to 1.8 seconds. Going into the season opener on March 2 at St. Petersburg, she has kept her expectations humble.

"I know I’m probably not going to go out there and win my first race. I’m realistic. I’m a very realistic person. Going out there, I haven’t really set any finishing goals because I want to see how I do at the first race. I have no clue how everyone races. I have no clue how many wrecks there are going to be or anything like that. So that’s something I really want to keep it broad going into the first race," the California native said via Pit Debrief.

Hailie Deegan has also changed her training routine to cope with the increased physical demands of open-wheel racing.