Hailie Deegan has joined ThorSport Racing for the Craftsman Truck Series season. She will focus on pursuing a spot in the playoffs, but she will also look for some other racing opportunities.
The third-year Truck Series driver met with media members ahead of the holidays and provided some updates about her 2023 plans. Deegan explained that she would like to do some more Xfinity Series races after making her debut in 2022; she just has to take care of one important detail.
“I’ll look for opportunities to go do a few Xfinity races,” Deegan said. “Obviously, nothing full-time is gonna come up, but I think that being able to go and do a few Xfinity races would definitely be awesome.
“It just depends on funding and sponsors and kind of what’s going on and what comes to the table throughout the year that could decide those Xfinity races.”
Deegan Examined Multiple Options Ahead of 2023
GettyHailie Deegan prepares for a race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Deegan’s future was a prominent topic of discussion during the second half of the 2022 season. There were questions about whether she would remain in the Truck Series for a third full-time season or if she would move up to the Xfinity Series after a solid debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Deegan ultimately stuck around in the Craftsman Truck Series, but she chose to join a championship-winning organization as it made a return to Ford Performance. Quality was an important factor, but the atmosphere also played a role.
“I think whether the option came up to do Xfinity or Trucks for this being my third year, I would say wherever I ended up I just wanted to be in a quality place,” Deegan said. “I just wanted to be somewhere where I truly felt I was around the most quality equipment, people, and quality of people who care about my racing.
“I think that’s a huge thing that I’m already feeling here at ThorSport is just accepted. It feels like a family environment. You kind of get that small team, family vibe, but on a big scale of a super successful team, and I’d say that’s the same thing you feel with Ford. They are a massive company with so many different departments, but you do feel like you have that small company family, very close-knit in between that.”
There Are Limited Ford Teams in Xfinity
If Deegan does make more Xfinity Series starts in 2023, there will be some questions about potential seats. Ford Performance entries aren’t as prevalent in the series as they are in the Cup Series.
Deegan’s debut took place with SS Green Light Racing, which is a Stewart-Haas Racing affiliate. The team hasn’t announced any driver lineup plans for 2023, but it tends to run two entries with some guest drivers.
RSS Racing and MBM Motorsports have also used Ford Mustangs in previous Xfinity Series seasons while AM Racing is a new addition to the program. The Truck Series team announced prior to the 2023 season that it will expand to the Xfinity Series while switching over to Ford Performance.
Obviously, the presence of Ford teams doesn’t guarantee Deegan a spot in one of the Xfinity Series races. Though there are some intriguing options that could provide a seat if the other factors fall into place.
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Hailie Deegan Addresses Potential Xfinity Series Opportunities