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Hailie Deegan's rookie Xfinity Series campaign continues to be plagued with misfortune, as the 22-year-old driver suffered yet another crash during the NASCAR Xfinity Series DUDE Wipes 250 race at Martinsville Speedway.
Deegan, driver of the No. 15 Ford Mustang for AM Racing in the Xfinity Series, had kicked off her 2024 season with a DNF after being wrecked at the Daytona International Speedway in February. The California native suffered a similar fate in Phoenix, and a late power issue relegated her to a 31st-place finish in Richmond last weekend.
Deegan has once again found herself in the midst of chaos, as a 36th-lap incident with Brennan Poole destroyed her front bumper and twisted her front bumper components. After colliding with Poole's No. 44, Deegan ran into Kyle Weatherman's No. 91 Chevy, further damaging her front.
Watch the incident below:
To her credit, despite the incident, Deegan managed to secure an 18th-place finish with her damaged front. This was her second top-20 finish of the season after Las Vegas, where she crossed the finish line in 15th.
Hailie Deegan on soldiering through her damaged vehicle, upcoming Texas race
Reflecting on her challenging race, Hailie Deegan shared her struggles with the media following her Xfinity run in Martinsville.
She stated (via Toby Christie):
"(I) had a lot of damage to the front end, to say the least. It definitely made it hard. Struggling with my turn. Getting free into the corner."
Deegan further elaborated on the difficulties she faced. Highlighting issues with her brakes and the adjustments she attempted during the race, she added:
"The brakes, all of the duct work was ripped out of it. I adjusted my brake bias — literally, I could move it one notch, and next thing you know, locking up the fronts... It was just trying to salvage what I could with what I had."
Despite her poor outing in Martinsville, Deegan expressed optimism when addressing the Andy's Frozen Custer 300 race at Texas Motor Speedway next weekend. She stated:
"Texas should be good for us. Joe, my crew chief, has run well there with his other drivers. Texas has been one of my favorite tracks, so we should have a good day there."
After seven races, Hailie Deegan has just 76 points to her name. The 22-year-old California native finds herself 25th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings with an average finish of 26.286.
