“This is a difficult jump”: NASCAR insider makes his feelings known about Hailie Deegan’s Indy move

Former NASCAR driver Conor Daly shared his thoughts about Hailie Deegan's switch to IndyCar. Speaking about the move, Daly hailed Deegan for "taking the risk," and shared that he respects her decision.

Daly, a NASCAR insider, and Juncos Hollinger Racing IndyCar driver, is one of the drivers to have tasted both NASCAR and IndyCar racing series. Speaking from experience, the 32-year-old revealed that they are two different series that require an entirely different driving style and adaptability.

Deegan announced on Monday that she will be switching from stock car racing to open-wheel racing. She has signed a contract with HMD Motorsport in the IndyCar NXT for the 2025 season, which is regarded as the feeder series to the main IndyCar Series.

"I give her credit for taking the risk," Daly said on the Speed Street podcast, as per Dirty Mo Media. "This is a difficult jump, this is really hard to make a switch of an entirely different lifestyle, essentially an entirely different driving style, an entirely different style of vehicle. But I respect the effort."

Notably, Conor Daly also mentioned how Hailie Deegan could be subjected to a lot of criticism if she fails to make an impact. Here's what he added:

"And again, she's got one of the biggest followings on the internet and always the people with the massive followings have more people that decide to slander her than anyone else and that's kind of shame. But I respect what she's doing."

Deegan is indeed popular on social media. She has more than 3.2 million followers on TikTok, 1.6 million followers on Instagram, nearly a million followers on Facebook, and over 140,000 followers on X. Besides this, the California-born driver is also the defending Truck Series most popular driver of the year winner.

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Hailie Deegan on her massive switch: "Have so much to learn"

Hailie Deegan (15) races in the NASCAR Xfinity Sonoma 250 at Sonoma Raceway. (Image-Imagn Images)

Hailie Deegan opened up about the significant chapter of her life that is set to start next year. In a press release, the 23-year-old stated that she is excited to join the IndyCar NXT team and watch the story unfold.

"I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to working with a proven program in HMD Motorsports," Deegan said. "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 last competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with AM Racing in 2024. Besides this, she has made notable entries in the ARCA Menards East Series, ARCA Menards West Series, and Craftsman Truck Series over the years.