Hailie Deegan could reportedly mark a sensational NASCAR return just a year after a failed IndyCar stint

With the NASCAR silly season in full swing, a fresh report detailing that Hailie Deegan could make a return to stock car racing has surfaced. The 24-year-old recently participated in the 2025 Indy NXT series with HMD Motorsports.

The California native who boasts a background in stock car racing has found herself linked with a return to the NASCAR series. According to a fresh report courtesy of outlet, The Daily Downforce, the IndyCar feeder series driver could well be on her way back to NASCAR only a year after her departure.

Hailie Deegan, who completed a switch to open-wheel racing series ahead of the 2025 campaign, endured a largely challenging rookie season for the HMD Motorsports outfit. The former NASCAR Xfinity Series star struggled to reach the lofty expectations many had set for her.

Deegan failed to register any top 10 finishes in her 16 races through her rookie campaign, with her best result being her outing at the Laguna Seca event in California. Despite boasting oval experiences, Deegan also largely struggled in oval events, with her best race being the 13th place she achieved during the final Grand Prix in Nashville.

With no concrete plans about her racing adventure yet to surface for the 2026 campaign, these reports have surfaced about her possible return to stock racing. So far, Hailie Deegan on her part has been tight-lipped on what could become of her racing future. While a continuity in IndyCar is not ruled out, it is worth noting that the possibility of her calling time on her stint in open-wheel racing cannot be ruled out.

Hailie Deegan on her NASCAR exit

Earlier, Hailie Deegan spoke about her exit from NASCAR. The former Xfinity Series driver highlighted a few reasons why she opted against continuity in stock car racing.

Deegan, who clinched the Rookie of the Year award during the 2020 season of the ARCA Menards Series, highlighted the financial requirements of competing in NASCAR. The American also detailed how she had struggled to attract sponsors to fund her desire to race in a competitive car in the series. She said (via Fox Sports):

“I'm not actively trying to look for a ride or anything, but if a couple million dollars falls in my lap, awesome. Same thing for everybody. Not many opportunities come unless you got deep pockets. I think a lot of people fail to realise that on the NASCAR side of things, it is such a crazy number. So if $6 million to run for a quality Xfinity team just came out of nowhere, fell off a tree, for sure I'd do it.”

“But the reality of things is in this economy right now, sponsorship and marketing budgets have been cut. It makes it a lot tougher. It’s already tough to find money to go racing.”

“It's hard to say to a sponsor, ‘You spend a couple 100 grand for this race, you’re going to get your value.’ You can’t promise that to people. So it’s very tough from that side. Obviously, I would have loved to run Xfinity full-time, but in a good car. The reality of that is, it takes a lot of sponsorship to do that,” she added.

Hailie Deegan participated in several categories of stock car racing from her debut in 2018 until the 2024 season. However, the former NASCAR Craftsman Truck series driver opted to switch to IndyCar for the 2025 campaign.

Now with the IndyCar season completed, and with rumors linking her with a return to NASCAR, what could become of her future could indeed become a topical issue, as it was ahead of her switch to open-wheel racing.