Hailie Deegan shares BTS conversation with Cleetus McFarland about Freedom 500 plans with her dad

The sixth edition of the Freedom 500 hosted by Cleetus McFarland saw a father-daughter partnership take part when Hailie Deegan and Brian Deegan joined in. With the two partucipating together, the 23-year-old had supposedly formulated a plan with her father to take him to the race victory, which was revealed in the female driver's latest YouTube video.

The Freedom 500 hosts a 27-car grid for a 100-lap race at the Freedom Factory in Florida. The drivers race Ford Crown Victorias to win the elated race and bring home a special prize.

Hailie Deegan was one of the last drivers to have made the cut for the race, which made the it feature another storyline between a father and his daughter. Hailie's father, Brian Deegan, is a previous winner of the race, in 2022, when he bagged a Lamborghini Murcielago as the grand prize.

Hoping to recreate her father's success, the 23-year-old revealed how she had formed a coalition with her father for the race in a conversation with Cleetus McFarland, and said:

"So I think we are working with each other [Hailie Deegan and her dad] till the last lap. I have a full plan." (8:45 onwards)

When asked about why she was helping her father in the first place, as he has previously won the title, Hailie Deegan said:

"I know, I need someone on my team to at least let's work together to get there and then once it gets to the end, I already have a plan if I need to take him out."

The Indy NXT driver finished fifth in the race, while Travis Pastrana won the 100-lap clash.

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Hailie Deegan reveals the intricate problems of racing open-wheel racecars

Hailie Deegan at the INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Deegan made a full-time switch from racing stock cars to open-wheel racecars in 2025. With the open-wheel racing world still being a relatively new affair, the female driver talked about a peculiar issue that troubled drivers during their novice years.

Hailie Deegan drove the Indy NXT car at the Nashville Speedway for her first oval test and faced a major issue with her safety helmet on her first run, and she said (via Motorsport.com):

"Everyone I talked to goes, 'Oh yeah, my first year, I had that same issue.' I thought I fixed it for the road courses, but things are gonna be exaggerated when you're going 190 mph on an oval.

"I made one lap, I wasn't even up to speed, just getting the tires warmed and stuff and it grabbed under my helmet and started strangling me back. I was like, 'Okay guys, coming in. I'm bringing it to you.'"

Meanwhile, Deegan's Indy NXT venture has been halted due to a big break after the St. Petersburg Grand Prix in March. The next IndyNXT race is scheduled to take place on May 4 at the Barber Motorsports Park.