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.

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.

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.

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.

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.