Hailie Deegan Exposes the Brutal Reality of Motorsport as She Enters IndyCar

Alex Harrington | Oct 25, 2024

Jun 8, 2024; Sonoma, California, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Hailie Deegan (15) smiles before the start of the NASCAR Xfinity Sonoma 250 at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images / Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Motorsport is expensive. This is the reality that Hailie Deegan laid bare in her conversation with Kenny Wallace on his YouTube series, "Kenny Conversation." As Deegan moves from NASCAR to the Indy NXT Series in 2025 with HMD Motorsports, she shared her experiences and the hard-hitting truths about the financial rigors of racing.

Deegan's journey in motorsport began at an exceptionally young age, deeply influenced by her father, Brian Deegan, a known figure in Supercross and off-road racing. Her racing career started on dirt bikes at seven, and by eight, she was competing in short course off-road events. Deegan's potential was clear when she became the first female driver to secure a LOORRS championship in 2013. As her career progressed, she moved to asphalt racing in pursuit of a stock car racing trajectory, debuting in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2018. Her talent shone through when she clinched her first series win at Meridian Speedway, making her the first female victor in series history.

However, Deegan's trajectory has not been without significant hurdles, particularly of a financial nature. She admitted the necessity of financial backing in racing, suggesting that talent alone is insufficient to progress. Referring to her fiancé Chase Cabre's struggle to advance beyond the ARCA series despite evident talent, Deegan said the following.

"He's one of the most talented drivers I've ever seen that never got an opportunity past ARCA. And that's just how racing is. Racing is money. That's what it is."

The reliance on sponsorship or family wealth is a recurring theme in Deegan's story.

"Like as much as people like don't want to admit it or like kind of fake it that it's not, like you gotta go have money. Like whether it's sponsor money or family money, whatever it is," she stated.

Her own career has been starkly defined by sponsorship.

"I am someone who runs strictly off sponsor money. If my sponsor gets cut, I'm done. Like that's just how it is."

Deegan's exploratory journey into open-wheel racing began soon after her exit from the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

"About two weeks after I stopped on the Xfinity side, I was really — like I didn't really linger very much. I was like, 'OK, what's next?'

"Let's make our goals. What are we looking like budget wise and what are we looking sponsor budget wise? How are we looking for different options?"

As she ponders the roads that IndyCar might open, Deegan is guided by past experiences that spotlight her aptitude for certain racing conditions.

"I like high grip stuff. I like places, tracks, here are wide open a lot. I love road courses." Her successful stints in IMSA and compelling performances in NASCAR road courses have influenced her decision to explore IndyCar, viewing it as a natural alignment with her driving strengths.

To further evaluate this career shift, Deegan talked with her network within the IndyCar scene, including acquaintances from her early racing days.

"Just kind of seeing and weighing out the pros and cons of everything. And that's when I was like, 'You know what, I feel like I'm decent friends with a few guys in the IndyCar scene and people I used to race in IndyCar,'" she noted. Her visit to an IndyCar race in Iowa encapsulates her due diligence.

"I kind of was just poking around, talking a little bit. A few people that like I grew up go-karting with and like just kind of asking questions and seeing it out."

The transition to the Indy NXT Series with HMD Motorsports marks a big change. Indy NXT serves as a breeding ground for future stars of the IndyCar Series, offering a platform to showcase and refine skills in open-wheel racing. It's a move that could potentially reinvigorate Deegan's career, offering new challenges and opportunities for growth in a discipline.