Hailie Deegan returns to action at Milbridge Speedway Dirt race after Xfinity heartbreak

After parting ways with the Xfinity Series and AM Racing, Hailie Deegan returned to Micro Sprint car racing at Millbridge Speedway. She recently shared a story on her social media, featuring a photo of her car with chassis number 38, announcing that she qualified second for the race.

During her time with AM Racing, Hailie Deegan participated in the first 17 races of the season but managed a season-best finish of P12. In the Xfinity Series, she recorded eight finishes outside the top 30. However, upon her return to the Micro Sprint series, she immediately secured a P2 qualifying position.

Hailie Deegan at Micro Sprint Racing

Royal Chassis also celebrated her return on their official Instagram account. They posted photos of Deegan racing her number 38 chassis, accompanied with a welcoming message.

"WE’RE BACK, baby 🤙🏼 We’ve got @hailiedeegan and @chase_cabre coming back to wheel their #RoyalChassis TONIGHT at Millbridge Speedway! Hot laps start at 6:30 pm (ET) 🔥"

Deegan grew up racing off-road and on dirt tracks before making the switch to asphalt in 2016 to chase a career in stock car racing. She was in her rookie year as a full-time Xfinity driver, but her performances fell short of expectations and did not sit well with team officials.

A week ago, AM Racing announced their decision to bring in Joey Logano, aiming to upgrade the team's competitiveness. Since then, Deegan has removed all mentions of AM Racing from her social media profiles.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares his confidence in Hailie Deegan

After he came to know of Hailie Deegan's departure from AM Racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed optimism about her potential in racing, given the right circumstances. On the latest episode of "The Dale Jr. Download," Junior shared his thoughts saying:

"I think that she absolutely should pursue more opportunities in either Truck or Xfinity Series. I do not know enough about AM Racing to be able to make a decision on what talent Hailie has and whether she truly deserves to continue." [at 0:57]

While Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes that in a favorable scenario Deegan has the potential to become a very successful racer at some level, he appeared somewhat doubtful about her prospects at the NASCAR Cup level.

On the other hand, according to Freddie Kraft, Bubba Wallace's spotter, Deegan's departure from AM Racing didn't come as a surprise, especially after the team announced Joey Logano's arrival at the Chicago Street Race. He also noted that financial considerations play a significant role in the team dynamics but emphasized:

"She [Deegan] is a talented race car driver, this is not on Hailie either. She's won races in the regional series. So, you know, it's just a weird combination of bad timing."

While Joey Logano took the wheel of her #15 car in Chicago, Stewart-Haas Racing driver Josh Berry will be taking over the ride at Pocono.