Hailie Deegan’s next turn in motor racing will take place in the NTT IndyCar Series’ top development category with HMD Motorsports, where the young veteran of off-road and stock car racing will tackle a full season of Indy NXT.
The 23-year-old daughter of action sports legend Brian Deegan will make her open-wheel debut later this week on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course during the annual Chris Griffis Test on October 18.
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“I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to working with a proven program in HMD Motorsports,” Deegan said. “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 joins championship front-runner Caio Collet, HMD newcomer Bryce Aron, Josh Pierson, and Tommy Smith among the confirmed HMD drivers for 2025.
“Hailie, and especially the Deegan name, are huge in motorsports, and we welcome them to the HMD Motorsports family,” said team president Mike Maurini. “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.”
Deegan’s move to open-wheel racing comes after she recently appeared in the Side-by-Side class of Nitrocross at Utah Motorsports Campus, where she hinted at today’s announcement, saying, “We’re working on stuff, just can’t say a whole lot right now.”
In Utah she competed against her father’s rival Travis Pastrana, as well as Kira and Mika Block, children of the late Ken Block.
“It’s definitely cool,” Deegan told RACER of her brief return to off-road racing. “The Block kids are racing and they’re all great kids. We’re all here having fun, having a blast, and it’s a great time.
“It’s been really cool because I like racing UTVs. Can-Ams are great fun to drive, I drive them all the time at my house, so I haven’t really got away from dirt, but I’d say (I have) the racing side, so it was good to be back.”
Deegan finished the first day of racing in Utah in fourth, but didn’t advance to the eight-car final on the second day, highlighting the highly-competitive nature of the SxS class which as well as the Blocks and Pastrana also includes the likes of rising off-road talents Kainan Baker, Gray Leadbetter, Cash LeCroy, and Mia Chapman.
“The cream always rises to the top. There’s always a fast couple of guys and I think it’s like that in all series,” Deegan said. “There’s always so many different series that I’ve raced and there’s always the really fast guys.
“This one’s pretty competitive too, especially since everyone’s been racing all year and I haven’t been here at all, so everyone’s got it all figured out.”
While Deegan’s next move is now set, a future move to Nitrocross’ premier Group E class, where her father raced four times last season, is almost definitely not on the cards.
“I don’t think so, I’m not into electric stuff so I don’t know if I’d want to do that,” she said of the potential of racing in Nitrocross’ main game. “Plus I’ve never been into rallycross cars, that was always my Dad’s thing. I’ve never taken an interest in it, it’s just not my forte.”