GettyHailie Deegan
AM Racing announced Monday, July 8 that the NASCAR Xfinity Series team and driver Hailie Deegan have parted ways for the remainder of the 2025 season. The decision was effective immediately, although there is no word on who will drive the No. 15 Ford Mustang in her place.
“AM Racing and Hailie Deegan have decided to part ways, effective immediately. We are grateful for Hailie’s contributions and dedication as the driver of the No. 15 Ford Mustang during her time with the race team. We wish Hailie the best in her future endeavors and look forward to her continued success on and off the track,” the official statement read.
GettyHailie Deegan, NASCAR Xfinity Series
Hailie Deegan’s NASCAR Career
While racing is a gender-neutral sport (as in, there are no separate categories for male and female drivers) NASCAR severely lacks gender diversity. Now with Deegan departing the Xfinity Series, NASCAR has no female drivers in the Cup, Xfinity or Craftsman Truck series. With the IndyNXT Series featuring female drivers, Extreme E (an all-electric off-road racing series) providing a fully equal gender split with both a male and female driver in each car and an all-female endurance racing team, it’s clear that NASCAR is falling behind.
Deegan was in her rookie season with AM Racing, the first full-time female driver in the Xfinity Series since 2012. She drove for the first 17 races until she was replaced by Joey Logano in Chicago’s The Loop 110. After the Chicago race, Deegan was 28th in the standings.
Deegan had previously raced in, and won, the ARCA Menards Series East. Deegan was signed to Ford’s driver development program in December 2019. She spent the last three seasons in the Craftsman Truck Series. Despite her résumé, it seems that AM Racing ran out of patience for her development in the Xfinity Series.
“The only thing I am focused on is getting back to being competitive. That is ALL that matters to me. I’m working as quickly as possible to find the best opportunities to get back to the track. I’m thankful for the following that I have and everyone who supports me. It’s truly only me that knows the whole story and what I need to succeed. See you at the track, soon,” Read Hailie Deegan’s statement, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
GettyHailie Deegan, NASCAR Xfinity Series
Deegan Isn’t the Only Female Driver to Watch
If you’re searching for other female representation on the track, there are some other exciting female drivers (who could potentially feature in a NASCAR series at some point) in different series to keep your eye on. And, if female drivers on a NASCAR track are strange to you, need I remind you that Sara Christian (a woman!) competed in NASCAR’s first-ever Cup Series race in 1949?
Like Deegan, there are two other female drivers currently in the ARCA Menards Series. Toni Breidinger has made a few appearances in the Craftsman Truck Series for TRICON Garage on occasion but is in her first full-time season with Venturini after working her way up through the Toyota pipeline.
Alongside Breidinger is Amber Balcaen, the first Canadian-born female to win aNASCAR-sanctioned race. She races for Venturini as well in the ARCA Menards Series.
Finally, Melissa Fifield has become somewhat of a legend as the ‘iron lady’ of NASCAR’s oldest series, the Whelen Modified Tour Series. 2024 is Fifield’s 11th season in the tour, and she’s racked up 146 career starts.
For Deegan, the dissolution of her multi-year contract with AM Racing may spell the end of her time in the Xfinity Series, for the time being. But, at only 22 years old and with almost two decades of racing experience behind her, Deegan should be able to find another seat soon. While we wait for Deegan to find her spot, the ARCA Menards Series and Whelen Modifieds Tour Series have a few female racers to pique your interest, if you aren’t following them already.
Katherine Pitré covers the NHL and NASCAR for Heavy.com. She has worked for the NHL as an international producer, covered the San Jose Sharks for SB Nation and served as a board member for She Scores Media. More about Katherine Pitré
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