Hailie Deegan Battles the Unknown in IndyCar Debut—Overcomes Jitters, Earns Respect, and Leaves with a Swollen Arm
“The difference is wild for sure.” That was Hailie Deegan’s immediate reaction after getting behind the wheel of an IndyCar for the first time. Coming from a world of stock car racing—where fender-banging is a norm—Deegan had to quickly adjust to the precision, high-speed cornering, and intense physicality of open-wheel racing.
A Nerve-Wracking Start for Deegan
Despite being a motorsports veteran, Deegan knew she was stepping into unfamiliar territory. Her first taste of IndyCar came during an Indy NXT Series test in October, where she clocked in at a speed 3 mph slower than the second-to-last driver. That experience alone made her apprehensive about her first qualifying session.
But her resume speaks for itself—Deegan made history as the first woman to win three races in NASCAR’s K&N West Division and finished third in the 2020 ARCA Menards season. However, her Xfinity Series stint in 2024 was rough, failing to score a top-10 finish across 17 starts. Combined with a slow Indy NXT test time of 111.280 mph, her confidence was shaken heading into her first IndyCar event.
Before hitting the track for qualifying at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, the 23-year-old tried to keep her spirits up, saying, “It’s my first qualifying session, guys, I’m excited!” But as the moment drew closer, the weight of the challenge hit her. “This is all so new to me. I feel so out of place… It’s just so foreign.”
Unlike NASCAR, IndyCar lacks power steering, making every turn a battle of sheer strength. Deegan admitted, “I’m used to qualifying one at a time. I don’t know, it’s just so different. The vibe is totally different. My crew guys are cool—I got a good crew.”
Unfortunately, the weekend started on a tough note. Deegan struggled in practice, landing at the bottom of the timing sheets. Qualifying wasn’t much better, leaving her at the back of the grid. But she set her sights on one clear goal: “I think my goal is to get through this one. Have a clean, easy day for this race and then really start going from there.”
From Survival Mode to Small Victories
If there’s one thing Hailie Deegan is known for, it’s her resilience—and she proved it on race day. The 45-lap St. Petersburg race was chaotic, with multiple crashes and four caution periods taking out several competitors.
Yet Deegan kept her cool, avoiding trouble on the tight and unforgiving street circuit. She even made a few on-track passes and, despite her rough start, finished the race on the lead lap in 14th place—a respectable result for her first open-wheel race.
“I thought we accomplished what my goal was for myself this weekend,” she said.
Pain Comes with the Territory
But the hard-fought finish came at a price. As Deegan climbed out of her No. 38 HMD Motorsports car, she immediately clutched her right forearm, which had swollen from the sheer physical strain.
“It’s a little bit sore,” she admitted. Without power steering, every lap took a toll.
Reflecting on the challenge, Deegan acknowledged just how demanding IndyCar is. “Definitely, this is by far the hardest form of racing I’ve ever been a part of. By ‘hardest’, I mean physically. It’s very physically demanding. I definitely need to be in the gym as much as I can be… but I think just keep working at it so I can see the improvement myself.”
With determination and a never-give-up attitude, Deegan is proving she belongs in the IndyCar world. As she shakes off the nerves and builds her endurance, fans will be eager to see just how far she can push herself in the races to come.
