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NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Hailie Deegan's outing at Richmond Raceway ended on a sour note as her #15 AM Racing Ford suffered from mechanical issues during the final laps of the race.
Deegan lined up 24th on the grid for the ToyotaCare 250 Xfinity race last Saturday, March 30. She failed to make progress through the pack over the race distance. However, her hopes were dashed when her #15 Ford Mustang lost power with less than 10 laps remaining for the checkered flag.
Hailie Deegan was classified 31st due to mechanical failure, nine laps down on the race winner, Chandler Smith. Deegan's recent performance evoked mixed reactions from NASCAR fans on social media. While many expressed sympathy for the 22-year-old Xfinity driver, others criticized her recent results.
Following the setback at Richmond, a user on X (formerly Twitter) expressed hope that Deegan would prove her critics wrong in the future.
"What happened to her car to cause it to lose power? I always hope to see her prove the haters wrong," they wrote.
Another user on X remarked that Deegan might receive flak from critics for her low finishing position. The comment read:
"Hailie Deegan haters will be out in full force again today because all they'll see is that she finished 31st 9 laps down."
Here are a few more reactions:
Deegan's result at Richmond also drew criticism, as a few other fans compared her to former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. One user on X wrote:
"Every driver gets hate and her result today sucked. She’ll get hype from the media no matter where she finishes, it’s Danica Patrick all over again this far."
Exploring Hailie Deegan's results in her rookie Xfinity season
Hailie Deegan's luck hasn't turned around since graduating to the Xfinity Series following a tough three-year period in the Truck Series. With no top-five finishes in Trucks, her full-time debut in the Xfinity Series has been marked by setbacks.
Deegan kicked off her season with a retirement in the season opener at Daytona and was classified 27th at Atlanta. Her season-best result was a 15th-place finish in Las Vegas. The 22-year-old made her Xfinity debut on the 1.5-mile oval last year, recording her career best result, a 13th place finish with SS Green Light Racing.
Her visit to Phoenix Raceway marked her second retirement of the season, followed by a 23rd-place result at COTA. She was classified 31st in the sixth round of the season at Richmond.
Hailie Deegan currently occupies the 29th position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings.
