“So surreal”: Hailie Deegan makes her feelings known after debut Indy NXT stint as she encounters ‘different nuances’ post-NASCAR exit

Hailie Deegan has reflected on her maiden Indy NXT test run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The former NASCAR driver called it quits with America's most-watched stock car racing after securing a seat at HMD Motorsports.

Deegan was running her rookie Xfinity Series season with AM Racing, but after 17 races behind the #15 Ford's wheel, her contract was terminated in the middle of the season. She posted her best Xfinity finish at Talladega Superspeedway, settling her machine in 12th place.

While her NASCAR future was hanging by a thread, Deegan didn't exit the sport until another opportunity knocked on her door. That said, the 23-year-old got a chance to showcase her racing prowess albeit in a different realm- open-wheel racing.

Hailie Deegan has secured a full-time contract with HMD Motorsports and will field the #38 entry for the entire 14-race schedule in the IndyCar NXT, the development program for the premier-level- IndyCar Series.

Though her test run didn't go well and she settled her run in last place, Deegan outlined the takeaways from her stint in a different sport. She said (via Bob Pockrass on X).

"First time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in general, so it's definitely a lot to take in all at once. These cars are very, very fun to drive, very different from what I’m used to. I drove an open-wheel car one other time, so this is definitely a lot to take in," Deegan said.

"This track is so iconic, so surreal. There’s so much history that has happened here. Just to be here, driving, testing, practicing, it’s great. The open-wheel side has so many different nuances to this world in itself. There’s so much more data and resources to go off of. I think learning how to utilize things to their fullest potential is what I'm going to have to learn," she added.

Deegan completed 67 laps during the test run while several other drivers crossed the 75-lap mark.

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"I look forward to soaking up": Hailie Deegan comments on her signing with HMD Motorsports

In 2016, Hailie Deegan marked her NASCAR entry as a Drive for Diversity driver and graduated to K&N Pro Series West in 2018. The year 2020 witnessed the Temecula native's debuting in the Truck Series, during which she competed at the Kansas Motor Speedway.

After four years and 69 races, where she collected five top-10s, Deegan was promoted to the Xfinity Level for AM Racing. However, being unable to align with the team's goals prompted her to look elsewhere. And she seems to have found her interest in open-wheel racing. Before kicking off her test run, the 23-year-old devoted herself to the sport and worked closely with the former HMD Motorsports engineer, Nathan Toney.

After securing the deal with Henry Malukas-owned outfit, Hailie Deegan expressed her readiness to reap the benefits of her team's program before beginning her debut run.

"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 via IndyCar official release.

Hailie Deegan will register her first competitive IndyCar NXT run at St. Petersburg in March 2025.