By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Fresh off her career best finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Hailie Deegan announced upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on her YouTube channel.
Deegan will drive the No. 07 Pristine Auctions Ford Mustang in the Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 15. Like her David Gilliland Racing teammate Ryan Preece earlier this season, she will bounce between the two series. Deegan will drive for SS-Greenlight Racing in the Xfinity Series.
Beyond excited to finally share with everyone that I’m going to be making my @NASCAR_Xfinity debut in this @PristineAuction @Ford Mustang at @LVMotorSpeedway !! So thankful for everyone who made this dream a reality 🙌 pic.twitter.com/2BxGgYfDIk
— Hailie Deegan (@HailieDeegan) October 4, 2022
The Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas comes during an off weekend for the Truck Series. She returns to the Trucks on Saturday, October 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Baptist Health 200.
“I’m going to be making my Xfinity Series debut October 15 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” Deegan said in the reveal video on her YouTube page. “We’re going to have some fun. I really just wanted to make my debut on a 1.5-mile because that’s where I feel most comfortable. But I wanted to get my feet wet in the Xfinity Series. I could not be more excited.
“Didn’t think this day would come so soon. I didn’t think it would be here already. I’ve been doing a bunch of sim time trying to be as prepared as possible.”
To date, the Temecula, Calif. native has three starts at Las Vegas. Her best finish at the track, 28th, came in her first start there. Deegan has 16 starts in the Truck Series on 1.5-mile tracks.
The 21-year-old finished sixth in a wild finish at Talladega Superspeedway. That finish made her the only female driver to have multiple top-10 finishes in a single season in Truck Series history. Deegan was already the only woman with multiple top-10 finishes in the history of the Truck Series.
Deegan also has four 1.5-mile starts in the ARCA Menards Series with three top-10s, all at Kansas Speedway. Her best finish on a 1.5-mile track was a sixth-place finish in the 2020 ARCA season finale.
As for the 2023 season, Deegan’s plans are still up in the air.
“I don’t know yet what I’m going to be doing next year,” Deegan stated.
Before the 2023 season starts, Deegan still has her Xfinity debut as well as two Truck races left.
The Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 15 on NBC.
The race will also be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.