NASCAR on TV this week

2-Headed Monster: Should Hailie Deegan Race in Xfinity Series Despite Truck Struggles?

Hailie Deegan is one of the most popular figures in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Her results, however, have not come around like many expected them to so far in 2022.

In 2021, struggles were expected. Deegan was just 19 years old and was in a top division of NASCAR. She finished 17th in points with one top-10 finish. This year after 12 races Deegan finds herself 25th in the series point standings. A jump in performance was expected, but so far that has yet to happen.

However, there is news that Deegan is considering running an Xfinity Series race in 2022.

Is it possible she’s moving up too quickly? Should she run an Xfinity race in 2022? Vito Pugliese and Michael Nebbia debate.

Toiling in Trucks Is Not the Answer

With the Camping World Truck Series at the halfway point in the 2022 season, it’s a natural time to reflect on how a driver or team has fared thus far, in relation to their goals for the year, or judging off of a past season performance.

If you’ve followed Hailie Deegan’s foray into the trucks thus far, you’d be excused for cringing at what has transpired. Following this past weekend’s race at Sonoma Raceway that started off promising with a top-10 qualifying effort, a solid pace in the first stage, only to be undone by pit issues and an off-road excursion on lap 66.

To say she’s had a sophomore slump would be an understatement – and also suggest that her freshman year was an unbridled success … which it was not. So what is the resolution to correct this path of mediocrity? Switch crew chiefs? Change manufacturers?

No — move her up a level.

Last week Deegan had intimated that an Xfinity start or two was in her future this year. Given how things have gone thus far, that seems like the opposite of what anyone offering responsible career guidance would suggest. In her case, I think there’s more upside than down at this stage in her development process. As Viper told Jester in Top Gun when Maverick couldn’t get back in the saddle, “Keep sending him up…”

Let’s take a step back to last season, her rookie year in the Truck Series.

See also
Truckin' Thursdays: Trucks Having Something to Prove at Knoxville

We were still under COVID protocols from the year before, so teams had no practice and as a rookie driver in the series, most of the time her first look at a track was taking the green and sailing off in the first turn, hoping it stuck. She’d spend most of the first stage trying to learn how to drive the track, and the second stage trying to get the truck comfortable to try to go fast. That’s a really challenging position to put someone in, in equipment they’ve never driven, tracks they haven’t seen, and starting around guys who probably only have a year or so to prove something and in perpetual desperation mode doing really smart things.

This season seems to be a point of regression unfortunately. The last month or so, the No. 1 team has been starting in the mid-20s, and ends up somewhere in the mid-teens if there isn’t a crash or some catastrophic failure. By comparison, her David Gilliland Racing teammate Tanner Gray usually qualifies around where she is, and after the first few races this season that saw him racking up top 10s, hasn’t exactly fared much better.

And he hasn’t had to deal with a stalker either.

When Deegan arrived in 2019 in the ARCA Series, she showed much promise, finishing in the top six (in a series with 10 decent cars) regularly, and contending for a couple of wins, without any embarrassing ARCA-brake incidents – or letting off in the corners at Daytona International Speedway or Talladega Superspeedway. She was moved up to the Truck Series perhaps a little too soon, but there’s only so much you’re going to learn running in such a diluted series such as that. The Truck Series is remarkably competitive and overly aggressive at times – but such is the nature of a stepping stone series when drivers need to get noticed early and often.

A shot at Xfinity isn’t such a risk either, as the expectations can’t be that high given the lack of any significant Ford presence in the series. There’s no longer any Penske cars, Roush has been long gone for a couple of years now, and other than Riley Herbst’s Stewart-Haas Racing entry, you’re left with B.J. McLeod and the Sieg family. If there’s anything that she can pull from Ford and SHR at this point it would be some coaching.

Deegan’s biggest issue to date seems to be a lack of guidance. She’s 20 years old in one of the top 3-4 series in North America, living 2,500 miles away from her family, and desperately needs some kind of mentor with the requisite experience and success to help get her up to speed and sustain her confidence at this level of racing.

Her greatest asset thus far besides her ability has been her attitude. She hasn’t succumbed to the pressure and scrutiny that seemed to plague Danica Patrick when she arrived on the scene as the top female in an obviously male dominated environment. However, her focus appears to be with selling branded merchandise and content creation for her YouTube channel. I get it, it’s part of the game now, and mandatory to master the art of social media to attract sponsorship and remain relevant – coupled with the obvious monetization opportunity is part of the equation now for any modern competitor getting started.

See also
Tanner Gray on Playoff Pursuit, Brotherly Competition & Team Stability

That said, being forced to focus on solely being a driver at a higher level, with some Cup Series influence while doing so might be what gets her on the right track.

To suggest she’s a bust at 20 years old is terribly unfair and a baseless argument if you consider the circumstances she was learning under last year. She took the jump to trucks after a year in ARCA, and her first truck race while she was a rookie in ARCA was an uneventful but clean run at Kansas in 2020. After all, Ty Gibbs has seven wins so far in Xfinity and he’s never started a Truck Series race before. Perhaps being among some higher caliber talent and a more solid foundation will is what she needs to see where her potential lies. – Vito Pugliese

No Need to Rush

I do not think Deegan is mentally or professionally ready for the jump to Xfinity. We’ve seen drivers rushed up through the ranks before and it did not turn out well. Remember Dylan Kwasniewski? He had all the talent in the world and was successful in the lower ranks of NASCAR. He had a big money sponsor behind him. He was the 2012 NASCAR K&N West Series champion and was rushed up to the Xfinity Series in 2014 and had a disastrous year, with just three top-10 finishes in 33 starts. What happened next? He ran six races in 2015 and was out of NASCAR at the age of 20.

And for what reason? Because a sponsor couldn’t wait to get him to the Xfinity Series? How does that make sense? There are countless examples of rushing drivers through the ranks and it’s the same story. They’re not ready for it, they lose their confidence and shortly thereafter it’s over.

I think that was part of Danica Patrick’s problems in the Cup Series. I believe had she run a few more years in the Xfinity Series and got more familiar with stock cars before making the jump to the Cup Series, she would have been a lot more competitive in Cup. But because her big money sponsor wanted her in the Cup Series and she was moved up to Cup after two years in the Xfinity Series, she couldn’t compete.

For Deegan, this was supposed to be her breakout season in Trucks. Instead, she’s taken a step backwards. At this point last season she was 17th in the standings. She currently sits 25th in the points in 2022. Her focus should entirely be on the Truck Series and improving her performance there. To make the jump up to longer races and arguably stronger competition is just not a smart idea at this point.

If I were David Gilliland Racing and Ford, I wouldn’t want her to have any other distractions. She’s had quite a few so far this year and another distraction is the last thing she needs. The opportunity to run in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is something that can be done in the future when things are going a bit better and her confidence is up.

This season has been one catastrophe after another for Deegan. She needs one more full season without all this stress before she’s ready for the Xfinity Series. The last thing I want to see for Deegan is for her to become the next Kwasniewski. That would not only be a disaster for her, but it would be a disaster for the sport. –Michael Nebbia

About the author

Vito is one of the longest-tenured writers at Frontstretch, joining the staff in 2007. With his column Voice of Vito (monthly, Fridays) he’s a contributor to several other outlets, including Athlon Sports and Popular Speed in addition to making radio appearances. He forever has a soft-spot in his heart for old Mopars and presumably oil-soaked cardboard in his garage.

Sign up for the Frontstretch Newsletter

A daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.


15 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Christopher

Truly like Deegan, who seems very blunt about things and lacks the self-pity so often displayed by Danica Patrick. But clearly the stint at DGR is not working. She has nothing to lose trying an Xfinity ride. But she seems far more comfortable and competive on dirt, maybe that’s where her skill set should be directed to.

WJW Motorsports

Great topic for debate guys. I like Hailie alot – for many of the reasons stated by Christopher – and root for her. I’m not ready to make a call on whether or not this is a talent problem or a team problem. I’d love to sit at a bar next to TJ and find out what he really thinks. I’d lean towards mistake to putting her in Xfin though. Very difficult cars to drive, more competition and she’d be getting used up by the same type of run 15th-30th guys that bash her around in trucks (she’s also simply been a magnet for any kind of trouble). Look at the struggles Sheldon Creed has had.. Really hope she makes it.

STEVE COSENTINO

My view of her changed after her appearance on the Dale jr Download. You mentioned joining the good old boys club. It’s clear that some of them do not like her and she gets pushed around a bit by certain drivers. I think once she has some more confidence in what she can do in the truck you will see a vast improvement. Her timing coming into trucks during covid needs to be taken into account and there is no need to rush her or dismiss her yet. One positive to an Xfinity start is that she can see what’s ahead for her career

Steven

Still a bunch of truck races to go this year so this blind squirrel will find a big acorn like SlowDaddy eventually.
I’m not sexist. I believe Janet Guthrie should be in every Race related Hall of Fame..

Mike

I think she’s a good driver, but I think she’s rushing it & should stay in truck series for 1 or 2 more seasons as she’s better than 1/2 the truck guys…..

Brian

Totally agree with you .no dought. She still is to young having to much fun and isn’t ready .is she a race car driver no dought .can she drive anything no dought. But is her equipment on pace with others no .im a big fan have ms deegan. Wish her the best dont let money tell you what to due ..she’s young have fun .

William Ryan

Yes they need more woman racers in nascar

Dale Hobbs

She has no guts to fight back at the men .She will never make it to timid. Sorry this is MANS world in racing.

Andrew McCollum

That may be true william. But just because she is a woman doesn’t mean she deserves it. What has she won in trucks to move up? Nothing thats what

Arthur l sokoloski

Of course She should Countinue,why ask,Better sponsor with more$$ would help but She has talent more than some that buy their way in..

Tim

A lot of her problems come from her pit crew

J c Meeks

Hailie has some growing up to do still. I don’t see why she can’t at least try driving a x truck. I think if she trys to be a little more mature in her private life, and a little more mature at the race tracks, I would give her a shot at the trucks. She has to act respectful and responsible for her sponsors. If she can do that, put her in a truck and see how she does. ( And please don’t ever compare her to the spoiled lil brat Danica patrick).

Robinson

She probably needs another year in Trucks to be honest. Her big problem is a lack of seat time on pavement. Another year with a clean slate should help. The big problem she has it that Ford doesn’t have top tier rides in Trucks or Xfinity. Sure Preece won a race in a DGR truck. We all expect him too. Sure Cindric won a Xfinity championship, we expected him too. She’s not them, they have years more experience than her. A lot of her issues besides wrong place at the wrong time is not aggressive enough on restarts, mistakes on pit road, and trouble passing trucks. Time on tracks will improve these areas of trouble. Sure she’s focused on selling sponsorships, but posting on social media does not take that much time. She doesn’t run her youtube or t-shirt sales so she should have plenty of time to be at the race shop. An Xfinity start or so won’t be the worse thing in the world, but no need to move her up yet.

Michael

For starters Hailie needs to decide whether she wants to be a race car driver or a YouTube, Instagram star and if she wants to be a race car driver start spending more time on her racing and less time being a social media star and I believe she needs a better team of people guiding her in the right direction and she needs to be careful when talking about manufacturers in Nascar and don’t be burning bridges.

Howard

If she can get her head into the game finish this year strong then have a decent year next year then i can see her moving up. She needs to suck it up and play rough just like all the other truck divers. Pit crew(practice, practice, practice) with her in the truck even if its at the race shop!! She has good equipment . As a team they need to just finish putting it all together.