HAILIE DEEGAN Survives Brutal IndyCar NXT Debut With Swollen Arm at St. Pete

March 2, 2025

by Dalton Hopkins // from frontstretch.com

• HAILIE DEEGAN made her IndyCar NXT debut at St. Petersburg, finishing 14th after battling through 45 laps without power steering that left her clutching a swollen forearm. The 23-year-old admitted this was “by far the hardest form of racing” she’s experienced, emphasizing the massive physical gap between NASCAR stock cars and open-wheel racing that caught her off guard.
• Despite qualifying last and running over two seconds off the pace, DEEGAN accomplished her primary goal of staying on the lead lap and avoiding crashes in her first street course experience. She outlasted seven other cars that suffered incidents or mechanical failures, proving that sometimes the smartest race strategy is simply finishing what you started in a completely new racing discipline.
• The transition from NASCAR to IndyCar has been a reality check for DEEGAN, who’s now hitting the gym hard to build the specific strength needed for open-wheel racing. With several weeks before her next race at Barber Motorsports Park – a track she’s actually tested at before – she’s using the time to physically prepare for the unique demands of downforce and no power steering at racing speeds.

hmd motorsports, indycar nxt, st. petersburg, street course