HAILIE DEEGAN Makes INDY NXT Debut, Finishes P14 At St. Petersburg

March 3, 2025

by Veerendra Vikram Singh // from www.sportskeeda.com

• HAILIE DEEGAN made her INDY NXT debut at St. Petersburg, trading her NASCAR career for open-wheel racing after her Ford Performance partnership with AM Racing didn’t work out. Despite qualifying last in her group and struggling in practice, she managed a solid P14 finish in her first race – just two spots behind fellow rookie teammate SOPHIA FLOERSCH at HMD Motorsports.
• The transition from stock cars to open-wheel proved brutally physical for DEEGAN, who called it “by far the hardest form of racing I’ve ever been a part of.” The absence of power steering had her hands literally falling off the wheel during training, forcing her to hit the gym hard to build the strength needed for these demanding machines.
• With no sponsor backing for another NASCAR Xfinity ride after leaving AM Racing mid-season, DEEGAN’s move to INDY NXT represents a complete career pivot. Her father Brian Deegan acknowledged the steep learning curve ahead but expressed excitement about watching his daughter tackle this new challenge, even if those “very small race cars” make him nervous as a parent.

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