When we wrote our first article about Hailie Deegan, we knew it was only a matter of time until we saw her in victory lane. Well, it didn’t take long, as she recently won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Meridian Speedway. It came down to the wire, with Deegan only taking the lead on the final lap, but she was able to pull away for the win.
This impressive feat is just one of many. She was also the first female driver to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series pole and both compete in and win the championship of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.
“This has to be the best day of my life right here,” Deegan said in victory lane. “It doesn’t get any better than this. People don’t understand how many days, how many hours I’ve put into this. How much work I’ve done to get to this moment. It’s just amazing…this is the happiest day of my life. We did it!”
We aren't the only ones to see the incredible talent and potential she has. Not only is she a part of two of NASCAR's top development programs, NASCAR Next and NASCAR Drive for Diversity, but she is also a part of the Toyota Driver Development program.
With two more races left to go in the series, she may become the first female repeat winner as well. We can’t wait to see what she does next!
Photos courtesy of Toyota.