Stock car racing star Hailie Deegan will make a full-time move into Indy Nxt in 2025 with HMD Motorsports.
Deegan spent three years in NASCAR’s third-tier Truck Series, with two sixth places being her best results, then this year stepped up to the Xfinity Series with a best finish of 12th. She has won at the regional level in NASCAR, and has built a huge online following with her racing exploits.
Following reports over recent months that she would be appearing on the single-seater scene soon, Deegan will make her debut in Formula Regional Americas next month at the Circuit of the Americas. There she will race for Toney Driver Development, owned by former HMD engineer Nathan Toney, with which she has been testing at various circuits.
“I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to working with a proven program in HMD Motorsports,” said Deegan. “I have much to learn, but I am ready to go. The team brings a wealth of knowledge for me to pull from, and I look forward to soaking up as much of that as possible before my race debut next March in St. Petersburg.”
HMD president Mike Maurini added: “Hailie, and especially the Deegan name, are huge in motorsports, and we welcome them to the HMD Motorsports family. Hailie has already been out to the shop and is taking the move to open-wheel racing seriously. She is looking for a place in the Indianapolis area to be emersed with the team and is already working with her engineer. We want to make sure she and all the other HMD Motorsports drivers are as ready as possible for every on-track session.”
Deegan is HMD’s fifth confirmed driver for next season. Earlier on Monday it announced that Bryce Aron would be moving across from Andretti, with which he finished ninth in the points in his rookie campaign in 2024.
Aron previously came fourth in Euroformula Open in 2023 following two seasons in GB3.
Caio Collet, Josh Pierson and Tommy Smith are also already signed up with the team for 2025.