"I'm bummed" - Hailie Deegan left disappointed as IndyCar mess-up ends her final test midway

Hailie Deegan has been working tirelessly to cement her name in the motorsport world. After leaving the stock car racing scene amidst the AM Racing saga, she switched realms and joined HMD Motorsports for her first season in IndyNXT. However, the 23-year-old's final day of testing was hampered by logistical problems.

Deegan had been racing in the NASCAR ladder since 2018 and aimed to reach the Cup Series. She made 69 race starts in the Craftsman Truck Series and secured five top-10 finishes, before making the jump to the Xfinity Series with AM Racing.

However, this relationship was short-lasted as the California-born driver was sacked mid-season by AM Racing. Hailie Deegan was then spotted around the IndyCar paddock in the following months and her efforts landed him a seat at HMD Motorsports for the 2025 IndyNXT season.

With the 23-year-old's inexperience in open-wheel racecars, pre-season testing appeared crucial for her acclimatization with the new racing genre. Regardless of this, IndyNXT ran into a problem on the final day of testing in Laguna Seca.

The series had a fuel shortage, which capped each driver to a maximum of 50 laps, and Hailie Deegan expressed her frustration with the hurdle, as she said:

"Unfortunately the fuel that the series ordered isn't here so, there's only a little bit of fuel and you have enough for 50 laps a person or a driver... Especially being a rookie being new to this so, it's kind of like not much we're not going to get a whole lot out today we get 50 laps but still, we would probably run closer to like 80 to 100 laps if we could." (1:54 onwards)

Hailie Deegan has years of experience racing stock cars and the jump to open-wheel racing is a big one for the female driver.

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Hailie Deegan compares stock car racing to IndyNXT

NASCAR Xfinity Series Hy-Vee Perks 250 - Practice - Source: Getty

While both series involve drivers to push to their maximum, there is still quite a big difference between the two racing realms. Moreover, Hailie Deegan has first-hand experience of the two types of machinery and said (via Xiomara Gerardo's interview on LinkedIn):

"I've always been into fitness. I've always loved working out, but it's not something I ever needed for NASCAR, ever. Like, it's one of the—most unphysical forms of racing, to be honest. Yeah, it's warm in the cars but I never had an issue with heat and I think that came from growing up racing in California, Arizona, where it's a 110, 115 (degrees Fahrenheit) when you are racing during the day. I never had the cool suit or anything like that in the NASCAR side."

"When it comes to the IndyCar of Indy NXT side of things, it is so much more physical, which I love. I love being able to train with a purpose. Before, I was just training to be in shape and be healthy."

The IndyNXT season will mostly run parallel with the IndyCar season. The season opener for both series will be hosted at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.