SANDUSKY, Ohio (AP) — Hailie Deegan will drive full time in the NASCAR Truck Series next season with ThorSport Racing.
ThorSport formally added Deegan to its driver lineup Thursday as it announced a manufacturer move from Toyota to Ford.
Deegan, a 21-year-old California native, will race in the Truck Series for the third consecutive season. She finished a series-best sixth at Talladega Superspeedway in October and was named Most Popular Driver for the second consecutive year.
She joined Ford Performance as part of its driver development program in 2020 and drove in a variety of disciplines this year, including the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and ARCA Menards Series where she finished third in the point standings and won Rookie of the Year honors.
Deegan joins three-time series champion Matt Crafton, 2021 series champ Ben Rhodes and Ty Majeski at ThorSport. She replaces Christian Eckes, who moved to MacAnally-Hilgemann Racing last week.
Deegan, the daughter of Motocross star Brian Deegan, has a sponsorship deal with Monster Energy. Her social media stardom has helped offset her on-track results. In two seasons in the Truck Series, she has three top-10 finishes in 44 starts and has yet to lead a lap.
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