New team, new truck, but will it be a new Hailie Deegan in 2023?
It's no secret that Hailie Deegan made an off-season move to change rides in the truck series for the 2023 season, shifting from David Gilliland Racing -- which she raced for full-time in 2021 and 2022 -- to ThorSport Racing in 2023.
One of the more popular drivers in NASCAR, many believed the 21-year-old Temecula, Calif., native would likely have advanced to the Xfinity Series in 2023. But as it is, she's back in a truck for a third straight season.
Is that a positive, a negative, or a different verse, same as the first (two)?
Deegan was considered by many as the heir apparent in terms of popularity -- and certainly better in terms of finishes and overall performance -- to Danica Patrick. But she's admittedly stalled out, finishing 17th in her first full-time season as a rookie in 2021 and an even worse 21st in the 2022 final truck standings.
She managed just one top-10 in 2021 and two top-10s in 2022. No wins and no top-5s.
In the 2023 truck season opener last Friday night at Daytona International Speedway, Deegan did not have the debut she had hoped for for ThorSport, finishing a significantly disappointing 35th, wrecking out about one-third of the way through (28th lap in the rain-shortened 79-lap event).
Why she deserves the ride change?
Deegan is an enigma to fans. She is perhaps one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR with over 1.3 million followers on Instagram, 330,000 subscribers on YouTube and a somewhat surprising lowly 141,000 on Twitter. To top this off, she was awarded NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
It's not just about popularity in NASCAR of course, which leads us to what she has done on the track. Her truck series results have been inconsistent and lackluster to put it politely.
Many of Deegan's fans believe it's tough to read into the results in the truck series though. This is due to the parity in the series and the high percentages of accidents and yellow flags that happen. Her average finishing position in 2022 was 22nd (down from an average finish of 20.9 in 2021).
A way to look around the finishing results would be to examine her results in qualifying. You can gather information on the driver's speed and knowledge of the car and track by how well they qualify.
Looking at her qualifying results, her average qualifying position in 2022 was 20th place (down from 18th in 2021). Despite the less than outstanding results in almost all categories that she is scored in, it's time for another 24 races this year (well, 23 races now, after the crash at Daytona).
The two years of experience and one Xfinity Series start (13th in 2022) have definitely helped her resume. Whether or not her results vouch for her to join ThorSport, it more than likely will be a great move for her career.
Her ThorSport Racing future
The move to ThorSport Racing means Deegan will be in the Truck Series for yet another year, something that she and her father/manager, Brian Deegan, likely had not anticipated..While this may hurt her development and -- at least delayed -- her dreams of eventually racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, this will allow Hailie to race for a top team and provide hoped-for better results than in her first two seasons. And it won't hurt that she'll be racing in a Ford truck for ThorSport, as she did with DGR.
ThorSport Racing's 2023 driver lineup (from left): Matt Crafton, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski and Hailie Deegan (photo courtesy ThorSport Racing).
Expectations will be high due to the success ThorSport Racing has had in the truck series. ThorSport has 5 championships, with Ben Rhodes being the most recent title winner in 2021.
Also, ThorSport has an overall total of 46 race wins and 36 pole positions. They are regarded as a "top team" in the truck series with the results and drivers they have fielded. Speaking of drivers, Deegan will not only be able to learn more directly from her ThorSport teammates, joining forces with Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, and veteran Matt Crafton. Those are some of the most successful drivers in the series. Thorsport has fielded playoff drivers in each season. In 2022 they had Rhodes and Majeski in the Championship Four alone.
This begs the question of what Deegan needs to do this year to gain respect from owners and fans alike. It starts off with the results. Racing for a top team that puts multiple drivers in the playoffs each year, she will need to at least challenge for a playoff position if, for nothing else, to prove her mettle.
With how difficult it can be to get results, Deegan must at least show playoff speed -- and most definitely on a consistent basis. If she fails to qualify high up on the grid and fails to put in top 10s, she will struggle to gain respect.
Her performance compared to her teammates is another great way to judge results. If she consistently finishes at a higher position than her teammates, she will be judged accordingly. But that will be easier said than done, given the caliber of her teammates and all they've accomplished in a truck in their respective careers.
The verdict
Whether or not the move to ThorSport works out for Deegan, it is still a large jump in her career. A move into a top ride provides her the platform to succeed in the 2023 season.
If her season is successful, she could find herself in the Xfinity Series in 2024. Her ties to Tony Stewart could help in that, as well. The proof will be in the pudding on the track in 2023, and not in the mud, so to speak.