Hailie Deegan’s playoff hopes face a major setback amid Joey Logano’s Chicago involvement 

Joey Logano will step in to handle the driving for Hailie Deegan in the AM Racing #15 at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the streets of Chicago this weekend. However, with Hailie Deegan not participating in all the regular season races, she will automatically be disqualified from playoff contention.

In Hailie Deegan's debut season in the Xfinity Series, she holds an average finish of 26.8 and has managed to place P20 or better in just four out of 17 races. The performance places the only current female Xfinity driver at P27 on the standings - the lowest among full-time drivers who have competed in every event. Her top performance this season was a P12 finish at Talladega Superspeedway.

According to a recent update from Bob Pockrass, Hailie Deegan's absence from the Chicago race will render her ineligible for the playoffs, with no waiver being granted in this situation. Also, since Joey Logano is a full-time Cup Series driver, even a victory by him won't qualify the team for the owner's playoffs. But it will contribute valuable owner points.

Pockrass wrote:

"Deegan would not be eligible to make the playoffs if she misses Chicago. A waiver wouldn’t be given in this instance. And because Logano is a Cup driver, a win wouldn’t get the team in the owners playoffs (but they do get owner points, which is important for owner standings)."

Last season, Brett Moffitt piloted the #15 Ford car to a top-five finish and nine top-tens, wrapping up the year in P15 on the points standings.

Joey Logano, fresh off a win at Nashville Superspeedway last Sunday, is ready for his first Xfinity Series race since 2019 at The Loop 110. His last stint in the Xfinity Series was in August 2019 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has collected 30 wins, 95 top-five finishes and 143 top-tens, out of 176 starts, in NASCAR’s secondary division.

Wade Moore, president of AM Racing, stated that the team is looking to tap into Logano's vast experience and insight in hopes of igniting a competitive edge for the latter half of the Xfinity season. The announcement by AM Racing did not clarify whether Hailie Deegan would resume driving duties at Pocono Raceway or in subsequent races.

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How would Joey Logano replacing Hailie Deegan benefit the AM Racing team?

The #15 Ford is currently last on the championship standings, with the fastest 33 cars automatically qualifying for the race. Positions 34 through 37 are filled based on points, and the P38 spot is reserved for a past race winner from either this year or last, provided that the driver was registered for that team owner in that vehicle at or before the time set as the entry deadline. If no driver meets this criterion, the slot then goes to the next highest car in terms of the owner's points.

So, this year, #15 rookie driver Hailie Deegan's season has been so challenging that her Ford team needed a driver capable of not only qualifying on Saturday but also earning enough points to escape the peril of not making the field subsequently.

With 43 cars entered for the Downtown Chicago race, if Logano performs well on Saturday, he can secure the car a provisional safety net for future races.