Hailie Deegan has opened up on the "reality" of the struggles within NASCAR, her time in the Xfinity Series, and the possibility of a return to the sport. The 2024 season began with her racing full-time for AM Racing, but the lack of top-10 finishes and an average placement of 26.8 led to her departure.

Deegan doesn't want to compete in the third-tier Truck Series any longer, and because any opportunities to advance would require cash she doesn't have, she has taken another route: Deegan will drive this year for HMD Motorsports in Indy NXT, which is IndyCar's top development series.

Hailie Deegan has left the door open for a return to NASCAR after her abrupt exit from AM Racing in 2024. Following her replacement in the team, she later confirmed that she was making the move to Indy NXT in 2025.

This is the first year since 2018 that Hailie Deegan won’t make substantial starts in a stock car, choosing her new career in Indy NXT. In the secondary series for IndyCar, Deegan is taking on a new opportunity and challenge outside of NASCAR.

After 17 races with AM Racing, in 2024, Hailie Deegan decided to part ways with the NASCAR Xfinity Series, she joined hands with HMD Motorsports in the Indy NXT series for the 2025 season.

Hailie Deegan has left NASCAR behind for open-wheel racing this season and it could be for good. She’s been one of NASCAR’s most marketable drivers but hasn’t had the performance or funding to land a top ride and advance her career.

Never say never, but Hailie Deegan likely won’t be back in NASCAR unless, as she puts it, a few million dollars happens to show up at her door. Funding for a competitive ride in the Xfinity Series, her preferred series,

Hailie Deegan has been turning heads for years. The post Hailie Deegan’s NASCAR Sabbatical Could Last Forever After Brutal Career Revelation appeared first on EssentiallySports.