AM Racing and Hailie Deegan part ways
STATESVILLE, N.C. — AM Racing has parted ways with Hailie Deegan, effective immediately in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Heading into Chicago, the organization sidelined Deegan. She was last in driver points among all full-time drivers and the No. 15 team was 34th in owner points.
Joey Logano jumped in to provide feedback and turn up the wick with 43 entries vying for 38 spots. Logano succeeded, qualifying 15th and finishing eighth Saturday in The Loop 110.
Two days removed from their best finish of the Xfinity Series season, AM Racing confirmed they’re parting ways with Hailie Deegan.
“We are grateful for Hailie’s contributions and dedication as the driver of the No. 15 Ford Mustang during her time with the race team. We wish Hailie the bet in her future endeavors and look forward to her continued success on and off the track,” the team said in a statement on social media.
Deegan responded with grace, stating:
“Beginning this season, I had a lot of excitement and hope in taking my next step in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. It’s something I’ve been working toward for years and always dreamt about. I worked hard to prepare for this season after the team pursued me to drive their car. Unfortunately, it has not turned out the way I expected. There are always several reasons within a race team as to why things do or do not work but sadly our goals do not align. With that being said, myself and AM Racing will be parting ways.”
Deegan went to state she is focused on getting back to being competitive. She said she is working on finding the best opportunities “as quickly as possible.”
Deegan raced three seasons full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. She raced for David Gilliland Racing in 2021 and 2022. Then, when DGR switched to Ford, she moved to ThorSport Racing in 2023.
Near the end of the 2022 season, Deegan finished 14th in her Xfinity Series debut. That finish inspired confidence for her to move up in 2024.
Aside from a redux of her top-15 Las Vegas success, Deegan could only muster up three other finishes of 20th or better. She finished 18th at Martinsville, 12th at Talladega and 20th at Charlotte.
While some speculation has stirred about her relationship with Ford, a spokesperson told TRE that while they don’t publicly discuss agreements that they independently have with their drivers, they will continue to support Deegan as she looks for new opportunities.
There is no word on where Deegan may land.
The NASCAR roster portal lists Josh Berry as the driver of the No. 15 AM Racing Ford Mustang for Pocono.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com