Kenny Wallace’s guest “curious" about how a** hauling Hailie Deegan’s IndyNXT debut would turn out amid NASCAR exit for IndyCar

Kenny Wallace's guest, Ken Schrader, has expressed his curiosity about Hailie Deegan's IndyNXT debut. Schrader, a former NASCAR driver with four Cup wins, said he has limited experience racing against Deegan but was clear about Deegan's a** hauling capability.

Despite retiring from NASCAR, 69-year-old Schrader races on local dirt tracks. He posted fifth place in the final standings of the 2023 Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) season. Schrader has locked horns against Deegan in the SRX, where the cars, crew, and setups were 'pretty well matched.' And he was impressed by her skills.

Wallace mentioned that Deegan left NASCAR for IndyCar NXT and could land in the Indy 500 if she did well. Schrader told Wallace he is curious to see how 'talented' Hailie Deegan would perform in her rookie season.

"I got to race with Hailie, not a lot, but in the SRX Series, where it wasn't different teams and different caliber of cars and different crews, everything was pretty well matched. She fairly hauled a** and did a great job. So it'll be curious to see, that's a hell of a learning curve to go to a different vehicle like that but from when I have run with her, she got a lot of talent," Schrader said via Dirty Mo Media (0:16).

Earlier this year in October, it was announced that Deegan would debut in the 2025 IndyCar NXT season, fielding a full-time #38 entry for HMD Motorsports. The news emerged months after the Temecula, California native parted ways with AM Racing in July, after a partial Xfinity Series schedule.

Hailie Deegan "excited" to run with HMD Motorsports in the IndyNXT Series

Hailie Deegan has a diverse motorsports racing resume. She boasts three ARCA West Series wins, five top-10s in the Craftsman Truck Series, three wins in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, and more. Even though she inked a multiyear deal with AM Racing, both parties decided to terminate their partnership mid-season.

Deegan will run a 14-race schedule in the IndyCar development series. While she has no experience piloting an Indy ride, she has been meticulously working to produce an optimum rookie season. The 23-year-old immersed herself deeply into the know-how of the vehicle, with HMD Motorsports' former engineer Nathan Toney, which even garnered praise from the team president Mike Maurini.

“I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to working with a proven program in HMD Motorsports. I have much to learn, but I am ready to go. The team brings a wealth of knowledge for me to pull from, and I look forward to soaking up as much of that as possible before my race debut next March in St. Petersburg,” Deegan said of her upcoming debut via IndyNXT.

Hailie Deegan recently debuted in the Formula Regional Americas at the Circuit of The Americas and secured a top-10 finish in the single-seater car for Toney Driver Development.