Hailie Deegan is leaving NASCAR.
Monday, the 23-year-old announced a full-time move to open-wheel racing. Next season she will run a full 14-race season in Indy NXT, a development series for IndyCar.
Deegan will pilot the No. 38 ride for HMD Motorsports.
“I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to working with a proven program in HMD Motorsports,” Deegan said in a release. “I have much to learn, but I am ready to go. The team brings a wealth of knowledge for me to pull from, and I look forward to soaking up as much of that as possible before my race debut next March in St. Petersburg.”
The daughter of action-sports star Brian Deegan, she finished third in the ARCA standings in 2020, earning a shot in the NASCAR Truck Series. She spent three seasons there before jumping to the Xfinity Series for the first half of 2024.
Deegan was unable to replicate her ARCA success in the Truck and Xfinity Series. She posted just five top-10s in 85 starts and never won.
On Friday, Deegan is scheduled to test out the Indy NXT car on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
“Hailie, and especially the Deegan name, are huge in motorsports, and we welcome them to the HMD Motorsports family,” HMD President Mike Maurini said. “Hailie has already been out to the shop and is taking the move to open-wheel racing seriously.”
HMD’s lineup for next year also includes Caio Collet, Josh Pieson, Tommy Smith and Bryce Aron.
