Hailie Deegan has had an interesting handful of months after transitioning from the NASCAR Xfinity Series to IndyCar, taking part in the Indy NXT, a developmental series.

Deegan, the daughter of former multiple-time X Games gold medalist Brian Deegan, attempted to make her name in the Xfinity Series after finding success at various levels. However, the 24-year-old did not see the same success, as in 2024, the budding star compiled zero top 10 finishes and finished in the top 20 three times in 17 races.

In July 2024, Deegan was replaced by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, who immediately registered a top-10 finish driving her car at the Chicago Street Course, The Loop 110. A few months after that moment, Deegan landed with HMD Motorsports, driving the No. 38 car in Indy NXT.

More than a year after her last NASCAR race and almost a year since signing on with HMD Motorsports, Deegan has shown progress in the developmental series. After 10 races, the 24-year-old is currently 17th in the standings with 169 total points, with two races remaining, out of 27 drivers.

For reference, Dennis Hauger is first in the series with 523 points by way of six first-place finishes this season. Deegan, on the other hand, has finished in the top-20 in all her races, with her best finish being 11th at Laguna Seca.

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For Deegan, the step to Indy NXT allowed her to better understand who she is currently as a driver and what she needed to improve if she wanted to reach the goals she set out for herself. In that sense, the rising star admitted she had a ways to go.

“It’s a big challenge, for sure. It’s a different challenge, it’s different to anything that I have been used to. I think the biggest challenge for me is the physical side,” she said. “Getting stronger… I feel like NASCAR isn’t a super physical form of racing so I have never really hard to work on that.

“I know there’s not been many that have transitioned from stock car to open wheel like I’m trying to do. Especially full-time, so I know it’s going to be a challenge. It’ll be hard at first. It’s so different to me. There’s a lot of unknown and I don’t know what to expect. I have an idea of my baseline, but I’ll learn this over time.”

Her relative success in comparison to NASCAR comes after she posted an emotional statement announcing she was moving on from the Xfinity Series to Indy NXT. “Beginning this season, I had a lot of excitement and hope in taking my next step in the NASCAR Xfinity Series,” her statement began at the time.

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“It’s something I’ve been working towards for years and always dreamt about. I worked hard to prepare for this season after the team pursued me to drive their car. Unfortunately, it has not turned out the way that I expected.

“There are always several reasons within a race team as to why things do or do not work, but sadly our goals no longer align. With that being said, myself and AM Racing will be parting ways. The only thing I am focused on is getting back to being competitive.

“That is ALL that matters to me. I’m working as quick as possible to find the best opportunities to get back to the track. I’m thankful for the following that I have and everyone who supports me, It’s truly only me that knows the whole story and what I need to succeed. See you at the track, soon.”