By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer
A three-hour lighting delay and wet conditions for the ARCA race didn’t stop Hailie Deegan from capturing her 10th Top-10 of the season on Friday evening.
When the race finally got going, Deegan rolled off for the ARCA Menards Series General Tire 100 from the seventh position. The 3.61-mile road course was very wet when the 28-lap event began. Therefore, all teams started the race on rain tires.
A scheduled race break on lap 15 saw Deegan still sitting in seventh as she brought her No. 4 Monster Energy Ford Fusion down pit road for service. The call was another set of rain tires and fill it up the No. 4 with fuel.
With seven laps to go, Deegan was able to work her way into the sixth position. That’s where she would stay until the checkered flag flew. Deegan’s result marked her 10th Top-10 finish of the season in 12 ARCA Menards Series starts this season.
“I’m disappointed with sixth since I really thought we would do better in this race,” said Deegan in a post-race team press release. “I was only able to get one complete lap in during practice. Even though I am familiar with the track from racing here in January, it’s a different feel in a heavier stock car versus a sports car. The track was dry when we practiced too but was mostly wet for the entire race. The balance was pretty close, but [obviously] lacked grip because of the wet track. We’ve got next weekend off to regroup before we head to Gateway in two weeks.”
Deegan has finished sixth in her last three starts: Toledo, Michigan, and the Daytona Road Course. Her best finish this season is second place in the season opener on the Daytona International Speedway oval.
The ARCA Menards Series will next head to World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on August 1. Live coverage can be seen on MAVTV at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
Photo Credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography / NKP Photo
