“The kids like to go fast”: Hailie Deegan’s father Brian shares glimpses of ex-NASCAR racer preparing for Indy debut

Hailie Deegan's father, Brian Deegan, recently took to his official Instagram account to share a picture of his daughter. In the picture, Mr. Deegan showcased the former NASCAR driver, who is all set to take on the Indy NXT series in 2025.

Hailie Rochelle Deegan, popularly known as Hailie Deegan, was born on July 18, 2001, to Brian Deegan and his wife, Marissa Deegan in Temecula, California. Coming from a racing background, the 23-year-old was into race cars as a child.

For someone who grew up racing off-road and on dirt, her achievements in NASCAR and the decision to move to IndyCar meant a huge deal for her father, Brian Deegan. As the former AM Racing driver joins the Indy NXT, her father shared a post celebrating the same.

Here's what he wrote:

"The kids like to go fast. Hailie is taking on Indy Next. Looking forward to seeing her work on her race craft taking on the next challenge."

Brian Deegan is a former motocross and racing driver, who won the 2011 Pro Light class at the Off-road Racing World Championships. He won multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals during the summer, winter, and gravity games, representing the United States.

His daughter, Hailie Deegan, has been a NASCAR driver for the past couple of years. She debuted in the Truck Series in 2020, followed by the Xfinity Series two years later. As of 2024, she registered 69 Truck Series races in over four years, with a win and five Top10 finishes.

In the Xfinity Series, Deegan featured in 18 races in over two years. Her last race was with AM Racing in the 2024 Tennessee Lottery 250 in Nashville. After her Xfinity Series journey was over, she signed up to race in the Indy NXT in 2025.

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Hailie Deegan gears up for new life in Indy NXT

Brian Deegan (left) and daughter Hailie Deegan during the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After a short and formidable half-decade of racing in the NASCAR Truck and Xfinity Series, Hailie Deegan is all set to make her debut in the IndyCar NXT Series. The IndyCar NXT is the second tier of American open-wheel racing under the NTT IndyCar Series.

Preparing for her new life, the former NASCAR driver shared an update on her social media. She uploaded an image on her Instagram story, and wrote:

"Getting ready to test tomorrow."

The transition from stock car to open-wheel racing isn't easy, and Hailie too found some notable differences. Speaking about this, the 23-year-old driver said back in October last year:

"I could tell you that it's different not having a windshield. That’s something when you race at Daytona, you don't think about. On this side of things, you feel like your head's going to rip off. That’s something that I'm definitely having to get used to. Not having the windshield and being able to really feel everything is unique."

Hailie Deegan will race as the #38 challenger for HMD Motorsport in the 2025 IndyCar NXT Series.