AM Racing has parted ways with driver Hailie Deegan, effective immediately, the NASCAR Xfinity Series team announced Monday morning. “AM Racing and Hailie Deegan have decided to part ways, effective immediately,” the team said in a statement. “We appreciate Hailie’s contributions and dedication as the driver of our No. 15 Ford Mustang during her time with the race team.
We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and look forward to seeing her achieve more success on and off the track.” The 22-year-old Temecula, California native drove the team’s No. 15 Ford in the season’s first 17 races. , Her rookie season saw her average score of 26.8 and only four finishes above 20th place.
Deegan currently sits 28th in the season standings, dropping one spot after missing Saturday’s The Loop 110. The team opted to use two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano as their driver last weekend at the Chicago Street Course, and the Connecticut native earned his best result of the season in eighth place.
Prior to the weekend, team principal Wade Moore mentioned the driver change in a team announcement. “The level of competition in the Xfinity Series is more intense than it has ever been,” Moore said. “AM Racing’s goal through our technical partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing is to field a competitive racing team and provide our drivers with the best equipment and the opportunity to be successful on the track every weekend.
Despite this, we have not had the success we hoped for on the track during the first half of the season.” When the opportunity arose to put Joey in the car at Chicago, we knew we needed to leverage the knowledge and feedback that a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion would bring to the growth of our team. ”
Deegan also announced the decision on Twitter: “Heading into this season, I am filled with excitement and hope to take the next step in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. I have been working on this for years and have always dreamed of it. Once the team asked me to drive the car, I prepared hard for this season. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out the way I hoped it would. In a racing team, there are always multiple reasons why something works or doesn’t, but unfortunately, our goals are no longer aligned. It is against this backdrop that AM Racing and I are going our separate ways. “I’m focused on getting competitive again.
That’s all that matters to me. We’re working as quickly as possible to find the best way to get back on track. I want to thank everyone who has followed me and supported me. I am truly the only one who knows how it all happened and what it takes to be successful. See you at the track soon. ”
Deegan was accepted into Ford’s driver development program in December 2019. Her move to the Xfinity Series in 2024 was announced last October as part of a multi-year contract with AM Racing after playing three seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The series’ next race is this Saturday at Pocono Raceway (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The team is yet to announce its drivers beyond “Tricky Triangle”.
