Hailie Deegan announced she has joined AM Racing to race full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 and beyond. What kind of results can she produce in 2024?
This morning at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, AM Racing and Hailie Deegan announced that they will run full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024. She will finish her third year in the Craftsman Truck Series, and then Deegan will drive the #15 Ford Mustang starting at Daytona. AirBox and VIVA Tequila Seltzers will be her primary sponsors. No crew chief has been announced yet.
We are so excited to welcome Hailie Deegan to the AM Racing Family‼️ pic.twitter.com/xP7zDS7f40
— AM Racing (@AMRacingNASCAR) October 5, 2023
Hailie Deegan’s career in the Truck Series started with David Gilliland Racing, which is now TRICON Garage. After two years at DGR, she moved to Thorsport Racing, where she drives the #13 F-150. This year she has two top-ten finishes, the most recent coming at Talladega, where she finished eighth. Overall, she has five top-five finishes in the series, with two laps led.
The AM Racing team:
AM Racing was founded in 2015 by Tim Self and competes in the Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series. Originally running in the Truck Series with a multitude of different drivers, the team graduated to the Xfinity Series for the full 2023 season, with Brett Moffitt. Moffitt has one top-five finish and nine top-ten finishes in the #25 Mustang this season. The team has a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing and runs Roush-Yates Engines.
.@HailieDeegan’s @vivaseltzer Ford Mustang is 🔥
You can pre-order the diecast thru @Lionel_Racing today! Click the link below and add to cart 🛒 https://t.co/QNv9x9NTlB pic.twitter.com/rD12cDjOkn
— AM Racing (@AMRacingNASCAR) October 5, 2023
Is Hailie Deegan ready for Xfinity?
Hailie Deegan’s truck career is a highly debated topic. Some say she is taking a top-tier ride in the Truck Series and cannot produce results and some say she is running well compared to teammates with more expansive resumes. I look at her lone Xfinity start last year in Las Vegas. Driving for SS Greenlight Racing, she qualified twentieth and finished thirteenth. A top-fifteen finish in her first start.
There is a huge difference between the Xfinity Car and the Truck. In the Truck Series, a spec engine is used across all manufacturers. In the Xfinity Series, manufacturer-specific motors are used, with Roush-Yates building the engines for Ford teams. Next, the Xfinity package has less downforce compared to the Truck Series, leading to drivers using the throttle to turn the car.
Hailie Deegan got her start in racing on dirt. I believe the package in Xfinity will suit her driving style better than the Truck Series. Furthermore, the talent level in Xfinity is also higher, leading to cleaner racing in that series compared to Trucks. With a race car that caters to her driving history, better racers, and an SHR alliance and Roush-Yates engines helping her. All things considered, I think she can earn more top-five finishes in her first year in Xfinity than her three years in a truck.
Hailie Deegan’s next Truck Series start will be at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, October 21st.
