Hailie Deegan has a stated goal of returning to full-time FedEx Freight Truck Series competition, and she continues to inch closer while sticking with team owner Bill McAnally.
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Speaking with Jeff Gluck and Alan Cavanna on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, McAnally provided a road map of sorts for Deegan. He said that she will continue to compete full-time in his ARCA Menards Series West program while also dipping back into the Truck Series.
The plan is to put the pieces in place for her to compete full-time in the national NASCAR series in the coming seasons.
"We've got Hailie Deegan signed for that (ARCA West program), and we're going to run for the championship out west," the championship-winning team owner said. "She got us a couple wins this year. We're working on our second car for the West, but we'll continue that.
"We've had a long run out West, going for that 12th championship out West. And I really feel with the way Hailie ran last year, I'm excited about having her contend for the championship out West.
"And then (if) everything goes right, we'll get her in a few Truck races this year and get her prepped for a 2028 Truck season as we work on her development moving forward."
🥳 WHAT. A. FINISH! Hailie Deegan WINS IT in the @ARCA_Racing Menards Series West at Madera Speedway! #ARCAWest | September 26 | Live on FloRacing 📺 pic.twitter.com/yyNpiZjDyO
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) September 27, 2026
Deegan, a California native, spent this past season competing full-time for McAnally. She started all 13 ARCA West races while posting nine top-10 finishes. She won at both Madera Speedway and at Kern County Raceway Park.
This return to stock car racing came after one year in the Indy NXT open-wheel series (2025) and a partial year in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (2024).
Deegan spent the 2021-23 seasons in the FedEx Freight Truck Series, and she posted five top-10 finishes. She made history multiple times, including becoming the first female driver to have top-10 finishes at two different tracks.
She did not enjoy sustained success while driving for David Gilliland Racing — now Tricon Garage — and ThorSport Racing. This contributed to the move to other racing series and, ultimately, a return to ARCA West.
But while McAnally says that Deegan got "out ahead of her skis" at one point, he believes in her ability as a race car driver. He said that she's always known what her car needs to go fast, going back as far as her first test with the team at the age of 15.
The veteran team owner believes Deegan still has this ability, and he says that she is now 100% grounded and focused on contending for the championship.
A return to the Truck Series will come, but the goal for 2027 is to take over ARCA West.
"I think Hailie will be a contender in the Trucks, but we're just taking our time with her now," McAnally said. "We want to make sure she's ready.
"She's been there and hasn't had the results that she needed to have to continue her NASCAR career. And when we take her this time, she's going to be ready and prepared to go out there and be able to run with the Trucks and finish respectfully."
