"She went out getting podiums & beating boys": When Brian Deegan discussed daughter Hailie Deegan's early racing spark

Professional Motocross rider and racer Brian Deegan opened up about his daughter Hailie Deegan's racing career on a podcast with Kenny Wallace earlier this year. During the conversation, Deegan discussed how he discovered Hailie's talent and knack for racing.

Deegan joined Wallace on episode 43 of 'Kenny Conversation' on the latter's YouTube channel. The conversation began with the duo discussing Deegan's early life in dirt racing and his rivalry with the legendary X-games rider Travis Pastrana. Deegan highlighted how he began in Supercross and Motocross as a privateer, with no support from OEMs, and gradually moved up the ladder, acquiring sponsorships.

As the conversation progressed, Wallace spoke about how Hailie credited her dad for understanding the power of social media at an early stage and how he was able to get their story out to attract more sponsors for her and her brothers, Haiden and Hudson. While talking about his time in NASCAR much later in the video, Deegan pointed out how he felt Hailie was not suitable for motorsports.

"She (Hailie) was more arts and crafts, like the girl that was, kind of like that style. I'm like I don't know you're not really race material," Deegan said (1:00:33 onwards).

However, after some persuasion from his wife, Deegan bought Hailie a cart to compete in local go-kart competitions. He later bought her a faster cart, which became a turning point for Hailie's career. With a better cart than her first season, Hailie showcased her talent, winning podiums and defeating boys in the competition.

"She went out and started getting on the podium like started beating the boys and I was like all right yeah. So then my interest right, I'm like okay I think she wants to race and so I got behind that," Deegan explained (1:01:23 onwards).

Deegan explained that he has since been a constant support for Hailie throughout her racing career.

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A quick look at Hailie Deegan's early racing career and her entry into the world of NASCAR

Unlike several of her NASCAR competitors, Hailie Deegan, the daughter of the legendary X-games medalist Brian Deegan, began her career in dirt racing. After gaining several accolades in the world of offroad racing, Deegan ventured into the world of asphalt racing with NASCAR.

Her breakthrough moment came in 2018 when Bill McAnally Racing announced Deegan as their full-time driver in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series. She scored her first top-5 finish at the Orange Show Speedway. Deegan also went on to become the first woman racer to win a race in the K&N Pro Series and won the 'Rookie of the Year' that season.

With 3 victories and 23 top-10 finishes in the K&N Pro Series, Deegan progressed to the ARCA Menards Series in 2019, Craftsman Truck Series in 2020, and eventually to the Xfinity Series in 2022. She is currently 27th in the 2024 Xfinity Series driver's standings.