Hailie Deegan’s next racing destination revealed following NASCAR exit

Hailie Deegan has confirmed her ride in next weekend's Nitrocross race at Utah Motorsports Campus. The 23-year-old Californian will be wheeling the No. 38 machine in the return of the series for the first time since 2021.

During the early days of her career, Deegan raced in the ARCA Menards Series West for Bill McAnally, where she won three races during her two-year tenure (2018-2019). She was named the ARCA Menards Series Rookie of the Year in 2020.

Deegan made her Truck Series debut in 2021 as the driver of the No. 1 Ford for David Gilliland Racing (renamed TRICON Garage following its move to Toyota in 2023). She drove trucks for three years before switching to the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

In October 2023, Deegan signed a multi-year deal with AM Racing in the Xfinity Series. However, she parted ways with the team in July 2024.

Following her NASCAR exit, Deegan has shifted her focus to the upcoming Nitrocross event. Speaking of her feelings ahead of the same, this is what she told Racer.com:

"Looking forward to racing some UTVs and getting back to the dirt."

This is not Hailie Deegan's first time competing in off-road racing. The last time she ran a Nitrocross event in the side-by-side class was back in the 2021 season finale at Florida International Rally and Motorsports Park, where she finished fifth and fourth, respectively.

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Kevin Harvick gives his opinion on Hailie Deegan's career switch

Kevin Harvick before the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 on April 14, 2024 at Texas Motor Speedway - Source: Getty

According to former NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, the biggest mistake that Hailie Deegan made in her career was to quit the Toyota development camp and transition to Ford.

"The big mistake here was getting out of the Toyota development system," Harvick said in an episode of his Happy Hour Podcast from July. "I think Ford has the worst development program as far as their drivers go."

"I think Toyota has the best (development programs), and I think Chevy's somewhere in the middle. Getting out of that Toyota development program with all the resources, and they're willing to give time," he explained.

Before she departed from AM Racing, Deegan was 28th in the Xfinity driver standings with 174 points, and no top-5 or top-10 finish to her name. The 2014 Cup Series champion felt that it would have been beneficial for Hailie Deegan to stay in the Truck Series and hone her skills rather than move up the ladder.

"I think that she needed more time in the Truck Series," Harvick said. "Getting that guidance and mentorship that she needed in order to develop into what she needed to be a NASCAR race-car driver."

Will Hailie Deegan return to driving trucks in the future? Or will she look for another landing spot in the Xfinity Series itself? Only time will tell.