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Hailie Deegan took part in her first Indy NXT test on an oval this week. The former NASCAR driver shared behind-the-scenes footage from the open testing on her YouTube channel on Friday, detailing an unusual 'head ripper' problem.
Deegan was one of 19 drivers testing their Indy NXT cars on the Nashville Superspeedway. Her previous experience of racing stock cars on the 1.33-mile oval aided her run plans. However, the 23-year-old encountered a problem with her helmet, which kept capturing excess airflow. Describing the feeling in her YouTube Vlog, she said:
"We did the install lap for the gears and stuff, but I haven't got to really make a lap just yet. I'm having an issue with my head trying to rip off on the straightaways. Air is getting under my helmet and I think it was my seating position that I was in the car. So we worked on it a little bit, working on the header, working on a few things."
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The HMD Motorsports driver explained how her fellow drivers admitted to experiencing the same issue during their rookie years:
"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 (on the team radio), 'Okay guys, coming in. I'm bringing it to you.'"
Hailie Deegan's performance at Nashville was impressive. She was 15th-fastest out of 19 drivers, which was a step up, considering how she was massively off the pace during the preseason tests and the first race of the 2025 Indy NXT season at St. Petersburg.
The last time she raced in Nashville was during the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, after which she parted ways with AM Racing.
Hailie Deegan feels "accomplished" after Indy NXT test at Nashville
The best lap time of 25.5273 seconds in the Nashville test was set by Dennis Hauger, who won the opening race of 2025. In the initial runs, Hailie Deegan struggled to get into the 25s like most of her rivals. However, she took charge of her No. 38 car in the latter stages to record a lap time of 25.9388 seconds.
Explaining the feeling of crossing that hurdle on her YouTube Vlog, Deegan said [7:04 onwards]:
"I don't think you understand how accomplished I feel right now. I was like, 'Dude, if I could get two-tenths off of it...' and I'm like telling myself, 'Dude, hold it wide open.' In (Turns) 3 and 4, it is so sketchy over the bump and this is the last session... I was like driver wide open, when you're like 80% and then you're back into it. Dude, I'm still running in the 26s, like 26.15, I couldn't break it for multiple laps in a row."
The daughter of X-Games legend Brian Deegan explained how she 'locked' her left foot behind the right foot on the throttle to gain those precious two-tenths, which turned her day around.
Hailie Deegan labeled her No. 38 HMD Motorsports car the "best-turning car" she's had in Nashville. She recorded a 14th-place finish in the first race of the season at St. Petersburg and expects to fare better at the Grand Prix of Alabama up next on May 4.
