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Hailie Deegan Joins HMD Motorsports for 2025 Indy NXT Season
HMD Motorsports has officially announced that Hailie Deegan will join the team for the 2025 season in Indy NXT, the top developmental series for the IndyCar Championship. At just 23 years old, Deegan is set to compete in all 14 races, taking the wheel of the team’s No. 38 entry.
With this announcement, Deegan becomes the fifth confirmed driver for HMD Motorsports, joining an impressive lineup that features Caio Collet, Josh Pieson, Tommy Smith, and Bryce Aron. Deegan’s first experience in Indy NXT machinery will take place during the upcoming Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis road course on October 18.
Expressing her enthusiasm for this new chapter in her career, Deegan stated, “I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to working with a proven program in HMD Motorsports. 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.”
Deegan’s move to open-wheel racing marks a significant transition from her prior experience in dirt and stock car racing. She made history in NASCAR’s K&N West division from 2018 to 2019, becoming the first female driver to win a race in that series with three victories. Following that, she competed in the ARCA series in 2020, finishing third in the championship standings. Deegan’s recent career has been largely in the NASCAR Truck Series, where she raced full-time from 2021 to 2023, achieving a personal best finish of sixth place on two occasions—at Talladega in 2022 and Texas in 2023. She began the current year in the Xfinity Series, but her time there concluded after 17 races due to a split with AM Racing.
To facilitate a smooth transition to her new racing discipline, Deegan is partnering with Nathan Toney, a former engineer for HMD Motorsports and the owner of Toney Driver Development. As part of her preparation, she will also make her open-wheel racing debut in the final race of the Formula Regional Americas season at the Circuit of the Americas later this month.
Team President Mike Maurini commented on Deegan’s addition to the team, saying, “Hailie, and especially the Deegan name, are huge in motorsports, and we welcome them to the HMD Motorsports family. 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 immersed 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.”
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www.motorsport.com