“We believe there’s more in her” - Haas factory president makes case for Hailie Deegan's Xfinity return

With Haas Factory Team solidifying its lineup for the 2025 campaign, NASCAR driver Hailie Deegan is a possible candidate for Gene Haas' Xfinity outfit. Deegan's mid-season departure from AM Racing has left her future in limbo and now is without a ride in the NASCAR national series.

However, Joe Custer, who is the COO of Stewart-Haas Racing and team president of HFT for the 2025 season, shared a positive response when asked about Deegan being a possible candidate for HFT's Xfinity ride. Custer said (via NBC Sports):

"We believe there’s more in her, and we want to be a part of that. ... But that’s for future conversations."

Moreover, Custer claimed that the team is looking at all the options irrespective of any NASCAR national series and is largely focused on staying in the winner's circle. Custer said:

"The situation with us at Haas Factory Team is we have to win at that level. We are willing to look at all options as far as drivers go. Maybe somebody that is already in the sport. Maybe somebody that’s a Cup driver that comes down.

“We’ve got to put cars in the winner’s circle. We’ve got to sort out our equipment because our business model is reliant on having technical partners to keep the program healthy." he added.

After SHR's departure from NASCAR, co-owner Gene Haas is set to continue his involvement in the sport by fielding one Cup Series charter and two Xfinity Series charters.

Moreover, the defending Xfinity champion Cole Custer announced that he would return to the Cup Series, piloting the #41 Ford for the Haas Factory Team, which leaves an opening in the Xfinity team. Even Riley Herbst is still unclear about his future for the 2025 NASCAR campaign.

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NASCAR veteran gives perspective on Hailie Deegan's uncertain future

In a recent episode of his podcast, 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick talked about how Hailie Deegan made the mistake of switching to Ford Performace from the Toyota Racing development program.

Following Hailie Deegan's recent departure from AM Racing and the Xfinity Series, Harvick shared his point of view in an episode of "Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour" podcast. Harvick believes Toyota's development program is the best among the three:

"I think Ford has the worst development program as far as their drivers go. I think Toyota has the best, and I think Chevy's somewhere in the middle."

Former SHR driver Harvick also said that Hailie Deegan needs the right guidance to develop as a NASCAR driver and claimed that she moved up faster in NASCAR. He said:

"I think that she needed more time in the Truck Series, getting that guidance and mentorship that she needed.

"She carries this fan base off the racetrack that's a big fan base, and I think that she just got pushed through too fast and wound up in the wrong development system for her to be successful,"

Hailie Deegan was in her rookie Xfinity season, but after only four top-20 finishes in 17 races, the 23-year-old parted ways with AM Racing. She claimed three victories in the ARCA Menards West Series and secured five top-10s in over 69 races in the Truck Series before her stint in NASCAR's second-tier series.