NASCAR: Hailie Deegan 2023 landing spot confirmed
By Asher Fair
Hailie Deegan is set to drive for ThorSport Racing in the 2023 NASCAR Truck Series season, with the former Toyota team switching to Ford.
After spending the first two seasons of her NASCAR Truck Series career with David Gilliland Racing, Hailie Deegan is set to move on in 2023.
Deegan switched from Toyota to Ford ahead of her move to DGR-Crosley (later renamed David Gilliland Racing) for the 2020 ARCA Menards Series season, but now David Gilliland Racing have rebranded as TRICON Garage and switched to Toyota.
It had long been speculated that ThorSport Racing, which switched from Ford to Toyota ahead of the 2021 season after switching from Toyota to Ford ahead of the 2018 season, would be switching back to Ford for the 2023 season.
If that were to happen, the 21-year-old Temecula, California native was considered a prime candidate to join the team.
On Thursday, ThorSport Racing confirmed their switch back to Ford from Toyota, and they also confirmed that Deegan is indeed set to join the team in 2023.
Deegan is set to drive the No. 13 Ford, though she is effectively replacing the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing-bound Christian Eckes, who drove the No. 98 Toyota part-time in 2021 and full-time in 2022.
The team’s other three drivers from last season — Ty Majeski, Matt Crafton, and Ben Rhodes — are all set to return in 2023, piloting the No. 66 Ford, the No. 88 Ford, and the No. 99 Ford, respectively.
In 46 career Truck Series starts, Deegan has three top 10 finishes, including a career-high sixth place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in 2022 as well as a seventh place finish at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in 2021 and a 10th place finish at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2022.
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The 2023 NASCAR Truck Series season is scheduled to begin on Friday, February 17 with the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway. The race is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.