"It's how I grew up racing" - When Hailie Deegan reflected on her aggressive driving style in NASCAR

In a 2020 interview, Hailie Deegan discussed her aggressive racing style and justified it by citing her roots in professional racing. Deegan is a Ford Performance driver who last competed in the Xfinity Series for AM Racing.

Before competing in NASCAR's national series, the 23-year-old competed in the ARCA Menards Series West and secured three wins for Bill McAnally Racing in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Deegan then transitioned to the ARCA Menards Series and drove the #4 Ford for DGR-Crosley.

During her 2020 ARCA season, Dirty Mo Media's Andrew Kurlans asked the youngster about her aggressive driving style in the stock car series. Here's what she said in response:

"Sometimes I don't even try to be, it just happens. Like someone come up to me and like say something to me after the race, I'm like, 'I'll be totally honest. I'm sorry. I didn't even realize i did that. So it's just my driving style, it's how I grew up racing. It's hard to unlearn stuff when you built a foundation of your driving style. So I'm working around it, trying to figure out what's right and what's not... I'm trying to be nice." [0:31]

After her impressive performance in the ARCA Series, the California native started her full-time NASCAR journey in 2021. She made her debut in the Truck Series for David Gilliland Racing. Later on, she transitioned to the NASCAR tier-two division and drove #15 Ford for AM Racing. However, after a string of underwhelming performances, Deegan and her Xfinity team parted ways mid-season, leaving her NASCAR future in limbo.

---

Hailie Deegan once opened up on laying "ground rules" as a female racer

Former AM Racing driver Hailie Deegan once discussed the challenges faced by a female racer in a male-dominated sport. Moreover, she emphasized how being "aggressive" helps her overcome those obstacles.

In a 2023 interview with Jason Stein, Deegan said:

"Everybody I think has certain challenges in their life. I think there's some different challenges for girls but I've also seen other girls attempt to make it in the sport of racing and I think I've kinda learned from it." [0:11]

"It's hard because there are a lot of challenges when you are a girl in racing. It’s tough because I feel like you’re automatically looked at as you can easily be taken advantage of on the track. That maybe you're not gonna be as aggressive, or fight as hard as someone else. But I think once you kind of lay the ground rules, (you) almost give off the impression that you aren't going to be a pushover," she added. [1:14]

Despite a series of disappointments and an uncertain NASCAR future, Deegan remains connected to the racing world. She is set to make a comeback in off-road racing with Nitrocross. She confirmed the news through a post on Instagram: