"Austin Cindric drive the 15 Xfinity car" - NASCAR fans speculate on Hailie Deegan’s AM Racing replacement

After replacing Hailie Deegan for the Chicago Street Race, NASCAR Xfinity outfit AM Racing announced on July 8 that they would part ways with Deegan with immediate effect.

Stepping up to the Xfinity Series this season, Deegan had a dreadful start to her rookie campaign. To evaluate the car's performance, the team placed 2-time Cup champion Joey Logano in the #15 Ford for the Chicago Street Race, sparking speculation about Deegan's future with the team.

Logano's eighth-place finish in the Chicago Xfinity race marked the best result for the team this season. The dust settled after the race weekend, as AM Racing announced on Monday, July 8, that they would part ways with Hailie Deegan. The team has yet to name a replacement for the remainder of the season.

NASCAR Cup Series drivers are expected to make cameo appearances in the #15 Ford for the rest of the regular season. As Cup drivers are barred from entering Xfinity races during the playoffs, it remains unclear who will fill the seat once the playoffs begin.

After Hailie Deegan's exit, NASCAR fans began speculating on who might fill the seat for AM Racing. One X user desired Logano's teammate, Austin Cindric, to get behind the wheel of the #15 Ford.

"Yo @AustinCindric drive the 15 Xfinity car!" the comment read.

A majority of fans expressed a desire to see Brett Moffitt return to the #15 Ford, as he initially had to vacate the seat for Deegan.

"Can we put @Brett_Moffitt back in this ride? 🤝" a user on X suggested.

Another fan reckoned the team shouldn't have fired Moffitt for Deegan:

"You should have never gotten rid of Brett Moffitt," the comment read.

Here are a few other speculations concerning the future of the #15 Xfinity team:a

"Bring back Brett Moffitt" one X user suggested.

"Harrison Burton?" pondered another fan.

"@ChadFinchum deserves a shot," one comment read.

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Hailie Deegan releases statement after AM Racing exit

Hailie Deegan said that she stepped up to the Xfinity Series with plenty of excitement and hope; however, her rookie campaign with AM Racing has not transpired as she had anticipated.

The 22-year-old Xfinity Series rookie released a statement concerning her split with the team, explaining that their goals no longer align. As a result, she will be parting ways with the team immediately.

"Beginning this season, I had a lot of excitement and hope in taking my next step in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. It’s something I’ve been working towards for years and always dreamt about. I worked hard to prepare for this season after the team pursued me to drive their car," the statement read.

"Unfortunately, it has not turned out the way that I expected. There are always several reasons within a race team as to why things do or do not work, but sadly our goals no longer align. With that being said, myself and AM Racing will be parting ways."

Deegan added that she remains focused on returning to a competitive level and is actively exploring opportunities to get back on the grid.