MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Hailie Deegan is on her way to the Indy NXT by Firestone Series as the 23-year-old female racer will join HMD Motorsports.
Deegan began her career focused on stock cars but will shift her focus to open-wheel racing in 2025. She will drive the No. 38 entry for the full 14-race calendar of Indy NXT, the premier development series for the NTT IndyCar Series.
Deegan becomes the fifth confirmed driver for HMD Motorsports, joining teammates Caio Collet, Josh Pierson, Tommy Smith and Bryce Aron.
“I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to working with a proven program in HMD Motorsports,” said Deegan, who will make her Indy NXT debut at the Chris Griffis Test on October 18. “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.”
BREAKING: @HailieDeegan is set to make her #INDYNXT debut with @HMDMotorsports, piloting the No. 38 in 2025. pic.twitter.com/T1aJfY8X25
— INDY NXT by Firestone (@INDYNXT) October 14, 2024
Deegan has never competed in any open-wheel racing. According to HMD, she has been hard at work in preparation for the upcoming season.
Deegan and HMD Motorsports will officially begin their partnership at the end of this week at the annual Indy NXT open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Working closely with Nathan Toney — former HMD Motorsports engineer and owner of Toney Driver Development — Deegan has completed test sessions at various circuits. Hailie will gain her first open-wheel race experience later this month in the final race of the Formula Regional Americas season at Circuit of the Americas.
“Hailie, and especially the Deegan name, are huge in motorsports, and we welcome them to the HMD Motorsports family,” team president Mike Maurini said. “Hailie has already been out to the shop and is taking the move to open-wheel racing seriously. She is looking for a place in the Indianapolis area to be emersed with the team and is already working with her engineer. We want to make sure she and all the other HMD Motorsports drivers are as ready as possible for every on-track session.”
Deegan comes to the series with a diverse racing resume. Her experience spans several championships, including the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS), NASCAR K&N Pro Series, ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Truck Series, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In LOORRS, Deegan earned a class championship in 2013, a regional title in 2015, and a national championship in 2016, earning Driver of the Year that same season. Competing in both the East and West Championships of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series in 2018 and 2019, Deegan earned a combined three wins and ten additional top-five finishes.
Deegan also became the first female driver to win a race in the series. In 2019 and 2020, Deegan claimed three podium finishes in the ARCA Menards Series.
Deegan’s progression continued as she made her NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2020. Across three full seasons, she earned five top-10 finishes. In 2024, she stepped up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, competing in a partial season and achieving a best finish of 12th.