Hailie Deegan took on the challenge of open-wheel racing after leaving the NASCAR Xfinity Series, competing at the World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend. The 23-year-old driver faced a steep learning curve adapting her driving style to the Indy NXT cars’ capabilities on the 1.25-mile oval, sharing how she had to mentally adjust her approach to racing in this new discipline.
Deegan was well-established in the stock car racing world before making her transition. Last year, she raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with AM Racing but parted ways with the team midway through the season. This shift prompted her to explore other racing categories, leading to her decision to compete in Indy NXT for 2025.
Her move placed her among highly skilled junior open-wheel drivers, presenting a tough learning environment where she struggled initially. Nevertheless, Deegan has shown visible progress over the season, culminating in her best qualifying effort at WWT Raceway, where she secured 10th position for Sunday’s race while driving for HMD Motorsports.
Adjusting Driving Techniques to Open-Wheel Racing Demands
Transitioning from stock cars to nimble open-wheel Indy NXT machines has required Deegan to recalibrate her instincts. The significantly higher downforce and different handling characteristics of the Indy NXT cars force drivers to alter their braking and cornering techniques.
Deegan explained the difficulty of adapting to these changes:
“It doesn’t feel like you can go that fast into turn one, like usually in any other vehicle you drive; you’re usually lifting at like the 250 mark like where the two board is just a little bit before it, and in this you’re driving past the one and when you stop seeing the one that’s when you lift. So it’s wild and you’re not allowed to lift, at least that’s the rule for me is do not lift before you turn in then lift, which is like a big no-no in any other type of racing.”
—Hailie Deegan, Indy NXT driver
She further shared how she copes with retraining her instincts to match the new vehicle dynamics:
“So doing that, like you have to trick your mind to know that it’s okay, and just like almost psych yourself out that like hey this is normal, like this is exactly what I’m supposed to do,”
she added.
Early Season Challenges and Steady Improvement
Deegan faces a significant experience gap compared to her Indy NXT peers, which has shown in her qualifying and race results. In the season opener at St. Petersburg, she started at the back of the grid and finished 14th, marking her best race finish so far. Despite this, the gap between her pace and that of the leaders has narrowed as the season progressed.
Her qualifying effort at WWT Raceway reflects her persistent efforts to close this gap. Managing a top-10 start on one of the most demanding tracks on the calendar demonstrates her growing familiarity and confidence with the open-wheel cars.
Although Deegan is yet to crack the top 10 in race finishes during her rookie Indy NXT campaign, these small gains are key milestones in her transition from stock cars to open-wheel competition. Her progress at World Wide Technology Raceway illustrates the potential for further strides as she gains experience.
What Lies Ahead for Deegan in Indy NXT
Hailie Deegan’s shift to the HMD Motorsports Indy NXT program represents a significant career change, moving into a highly competitive environment with steep learning demands. Her honest reflections on the mental adjustment required to race open-wheel cars highlight the unique challenges faced by drivers switching disciplines.
As the season continues, maintaining this upward trajectory in qualifying and race performance will be critical for Deegan to establish herself among the series’ top contenders. Her journey underscores the difficulties inherent in mastering new machinery and the mental resilience needed to succeed in front of a talented field.