HAILIE DEEGAN Cuts Time Gap in Half at Barber After Rocky Indy NXT Debut

May 7, 2025

by Pranay Bhagi // from www.sportskeeda.com

• HAILIE DEEGAN showed real grit in her transition from NASCAR to open-wheel racing, cutting her pace deficit nearly in half between St. Petersburg and Barber. The 23-year-old went from being almost five seconds off the leaders to under three seconds, proving that her methodical approach to learning the dramatically different Indy NXT car is paying off.
• The former NASCAR driver’s honesty about the learning curve is refreshing – she openly acknowledged being “way off” in early practice but emphasized consistent improvement in every session. DEEGAN’s focus on incremental progress rather than instant results shows the kind of realistic mindset that actually leads to long-term success in this unforgiving transition.
• At Barber, DEEGAN finished P17 after starting P19, gaining two positions in a field where several drivers retired. While qualifying last in her group, her familiarity with the track from off-season testing clearly helped her find more pace, setting up what should be an interesting double-header at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May.

barber motorsports park, indianapolis motor speedway, indy nxt, open-wheel racing