Hailie Deegan scores best debut Truck finish for a female driver

Hailie Deegan scored a 16th-place finish in Saturday’s Clean Harbors 200 at Kansas, scoring the best debut finish for a female driver in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

Deegan’s 16th-place finish bested a 17th-place finish by Johanna Long at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July 2010, which was the previous-best debut for a female driver in the Truck Series.

Deegan ran as high as second during a round of green flag pit stops and spent 46 of the 134 laps inside the top 15 in Saturday’s race. Deegan ran out of fuel at one point but still managed to finish 16th, one lap down.

During the race, it was announced that Deegan will run full-time in 2021 when the Truck Series becomes the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series again.

Deegan will drive for DGR-Crosley Racing, with further details yet to be announced. The rear panel of her truck said the hashtag, #TruckinInto2021″, which was revealed to be an announcement of her full-time deal for 2021.

Deegan has said she expects to race full-time in Trucks but that there are still some deals to be worked out before she goes full-time in 2021.

Hailie Deegan finished third, 66 points behind champion Bret Holmes, in the ARCA Menard’s Series points with no wins but four top 5s, 17 top 10s, 86 laps led and a 7.3 average finish on the 20-race season.

SOURCES:
NASCAR
Racing-Reference.Info