NASCAR: 3 possible landing spots for Hailie Deegan in 2023
By Randy Smith
With her current team switching to Toyota, Hailie Deegan’s NASCAR career is set to see a change. What are some possible options for her in 2023?
Hailie Deegan will see a change in her NASCAR career in 2023. After spending the last two seasons driving the #1 Ford full-time for David Gilliand Racing, the team have rebranded as TRICON Garage, a Toyota Racing Development (TRD) team.
With Kyle Busch’s move from Joe Gibbs Racing to Richard Childress Racing, his Truck Series team, Kyle Busch Motorsports, will switch from Toyota to Chevrolet to align with the manufacturer for which he is set to compete in the Cup Series.
This created a need for a TRD team in the Truck Series, which paved the way for David Gilliand Racing to switch from Ford to Toyota. Deegan, a contracted Ford driver, will have to look for another ride next season.
Competing for Ford in the Truck Series is not a very likely option. While there are Ford teams such as Front Row Motorsports, they field only a single truck for Zane Smith, who is not only set to make his Daytona 500 debut with the team next year but looks to be a big part of their future plans beyond that. It’s highly unlikely they invest in another driver.
Deegan has a well-noted relationship with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team owner Tony Stewart, and her next move with Ford will in all likelihood be tied to her future with the team.
With the manufacturer in mind but uncertainty still looming, here are three possible landing spots for Deegan in 2023.
Hailie Deegan 2023 landing spots: No. 1 – A mix of all three series
Competing full-time in a series is any driver’s priority, as the stability and opportunity to race for a championship is a far more desirable path than hopping from ride to ride. That said, the chance to compete across a diverse schedule shouldn’t be ruled out for Ford, Deegan, and company.
SHR fielded a part-time Truck Series team under the Haas Racing Development banner for Cole Custer in 2014, and they could elect to do the same with Deegan. Additionally, Xfinity Series teams such as B.J. McLeod Motorsports, which have had SHR drivers compete in their equipment before, could find an open seat for the 21-year-old.
On the Cup Series side, Rick Ware Racing aligned their team with Ford and SHR ahead of the 2022 season and used the #15 Ford to serve as a rotational ride for several drivers, including SHR reserve driver Ryan Preece.
Preece made the most of a similar opportunity this year, when he signed a reserve contract with SHR. Now he has become a subtle candidate for Stewart-Haas Racing’s #41 Ford in the Cup Series. A reserve contract or a part-time schedule may not be the most ideal for any driver, but history shows it can pay off, and it could pay off for Deegan’s career.
While Deegan to the Cup Series may seem like a stretch to some at thie stage, keep in mind that Rick Ware Racing is the same team that attempted to move Jennifer Jo Cobb from the Truck Series to a one-off Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2021. Nothing is impossible.