NASCAR: Hailie Deegan eyeing Xfinity ride for 2022?

Hailie Deegan is currently competing in her first full-time season in the NASCAR Truck Series, but she seems to be hoping for more.

Hailie Deegan made her NASCAR Truck Series debut last year when she drove the #17 Ford for David Gilliland Racing at Kansas Speedway. From there, it was announced that Deegan would be running full-time for David Gilliland Racing behind the wheel of the #1 Ford starting in 2021.

In her first full-time n with the Truck Series, she has shown promise with three top 15 finishes, but she has an average finishing position of 20.5 and finished the regular season well below the playoff cut line.

But Deegan shouldn’t be counted out for her ability. The 19-year-old Temecula, California native is a former winner in K&N Pro Series West, and she even showed her racing ability in NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart’s SRX Series with a runner-up finish on debut at Knoxville Raceway.

With Deegan’s progression in motorsports, she now is now looking to take a step up the NASCAR ladder.

According to a recent report by Sports Business Journal‘s Adam Stern, Deegan is hoping to make her Xfinity Series debut next year while still running full-time in the Truck Series.

While several factors will play into whether or not this actually happens, it’s normal for any aspiring Cup Series driver to work his or her way through the system, with the Truck Series first and the Xfinity Series to follow.

Additionally, Deegan brings funding from Monster Energy, the former title sponsor of the Cup Series which still sponsors several drivers throughout all three of the NASCAR national series. So adding another Monster Energy car in the Xfinity Series field wouldn’t be too much of a surprise.

But David Gilliland Racing doesn’t run an Xfinity Series program, so it is unclear for which team Deegan would drive if she lands a ride in the series. It is also unclear if David Gilliland Racing would be her full-time team in the Truck Series for 2022.

So while uncertainty may present challenges for Deegan’s future, she has shown progression throughout her time in NASCAR and is looking to take her momentum to the next level of the sport.