Hailie Deegan doesn't yet know her plans for the 2027 season, but she has a dream scenario in mind as she approaches the end of the ARCA Menards Series West season.
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She wants to return to one of the national NASCAR series, a move made more difficult by the state of the sport.
"We're still working on stuff, but obviously, dream scenario would be to be able to go Truck racing," Deegan said at Phoenix Raceway. "So if everything works out and everything keeps building and growing, that would be great to end up there.
"So working on stuff. I wish I could say because I wish I knew myself, but I don't. So still working on it. We still got quite a few months left in the year to be able to figure things out and get commitments from sponsors."
Deegan, 25, has spent the last few years competing in multiple series. She spent 2020 in the ARCA Menards Series, 2021-23 in the Craftsman Truck Series, part of 2024 in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, 2025 in the Indy NXT series, and this season in the ARCA Menards Series West.
Deegan delivered some historic moments during her time in the Truck Series while posting five top-10 finishes.
For example, she became the first female driver in Craftsman Truck Series history to have top-10 finishes at two different tracks. She achieved this at World Wide Technology Raceway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The California native moved up to the O'Reilly Series in 2024 and joined AM Racing. However, she only remained with the team for 17 races before they mutually parted ways. She then made her way to the open wheel ranks before returning to stock car racing this season.
The return to the ARCA Menards Series West has paid dividends for Deegan. She scored a win at Madera Speedway in California, marking her fourth career win in the series. She is currently fifth in the championship standings with one race remaining on the schedule.
The team Deegan drives for, Bill McAnally Racing, has existing ties to the Craftsman Truck Series. This creates a potential pathway, especially with Tyler Ankrum confirming his departure after the season, but the 25-year-old still needs the partners in place to secure a seat.
"Whatever I do, I want to stay in racing for as long as possible," she said. "That's my goal. I just... I love racing. It's part of my life. It's everything in my life.
"And so next year, I mean, I would love to go Truck racing again. So working on everything we possibly can to be able to move forward and keep keep digging at it."
