Kevin Harvick, best known for his success with Richard Childress Racing behind the wheel of the No. 29, spoke out about Hailie Deegan’s recent exit from NASCAR. It’s no secret that Deegan’s NASCAR stint was less than desirable after it was announced that she was dropped from AM Racing nearly a year after her transition from the Craftsman Truck Series to Xfinity.
While racing in the Xfinity Series, she failed to secure a pole, top ten, or win and ran 18 races until Joey Logano replaced her in July. However, Kevin Harvick has been vocal about what he thinks the real reason for Deegan’s exit from NASCAR was, including a switch from one vehicle manufacturer to another. Kevin Harvick even blamed developmental strategies for contributing to the split. He also believes it will be difficult for the 23-year-old to get another chance in the NASCAR franchise and that this is perhaps why she’s moving to Indy NXT for the 2025 season, but is this the reality?
Kevin Harvick’s Criticism Of Deegan’s Exit
In a recent episode of his podcast “Harvick Happy Hour,” Kevin Harvick continued his rant about Deegan’s NASCAR exit, mentioning that once she transitioned from the Toyota Program to Ford, it was the beginning of her downfall as a driver for the franchise. Hailie Deegan’s transition to Ford occurred during her stint with Gilliland Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2022.
The decision was easy for her given that there were familiar faces from her dad, Brian Deegan, during his motocross days. Nonetheless, Kevin Harvick believes the young driver should have stayed with Toyota, pointing out that the manufacturer is one of the best in the business regarding developmental strategies. He also feels Ford has generally failed most drivers who have gotten behind the wheel of their vehicles.
Hailie Deegan’s Comments
When recently asked about exiting NASCAR Deegan mentioned she didn’t dwell on leaving the Xfinity Series and is looking forward to what’s next. She’s ready to hit the ground running and begin setting goals for what she expects from her rookie season as an Indy NXT driver. Hailie Deegan is already determining the budget she’ll be working with and who her sponsors will be.
She mentioned she has friends in the IndyCar community, so she’s continuing to be optimistic. Many fans seem shocked by her move to Indy from NASCAR, but Deegan is no stranger to open-wheel racing, spending much of her young life go-karting and spectating IndyCar races.
“I was like, ‘OK, what’s next?” What are we working towards next? Let’s make our goals. What are we looking like budget wise and what are we looking sponsor budget wise? How are we looking for different options? Deegan mentioned. “Just kind of seeing and weighing out the pros and cons of everything.” And that’s when I was like, ‘You know what, I feel like I’m decent friends with a few guys in the IndyCar scene and people I used to race in IndyCar,” she added.
Final Thoughts
Kevin Harvick hopes Deegan will succeed in Indy NXT after securing a contract with HMD Motorsports for 2025, but he knows there will be challenges, such as transitioning from a stock car to an open-wheel vehicle. Aside from her challenges in NASCAR, the veteran Childress driver supports the 23-year-old’s chance at a restart. Signing with HMD Racing and testing behind the wheel of an F3 at Putnam Park in August was a pivotal step in readying herself for her upcoming stint in Indy NXT. Deegan learned that an open-wheel’s tires are a lot more touchy than that of a stock car and was intrigued by the difference, but she’s up for the challenge.
“It’s going to be a tough transition because it’s a completely different car.” I don’t know much about the INDY NXT program and everything that goes with it. But I’m glad that she’s, hopefully, she’s happy and being able to race and do something that she’s enjoying… So hopefully she gets a fresh restart over there,” Kevin Harvick mentioned.
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