MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Hailie Deegan will substitute for Tony Kanaan in two Camping World SRX Series races as scheduling conflicts prevent Kanaan from competing June 19 at Knoxville (Iowa) Speedway and July 10 at Slinger (Wis.) Super Speedway.
Deegan is currently a full-time driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the 19-year-old racer from Temecula, Calif.,\, was tabbed by SRX co-founder Ray Evernham to fill in for Kanaan.
“Tony Kanaan is going to bring a lot to the Camping World SRX Series, both in terms of talent and personality. We’d love to have him for all six races, but we’re also not going to complain about having him for four,” Evernham said. “It did, however, allow us the opportunity to find another strong personality who has shown that she’s not afraid to race door-to-door for the win. Hailie Deegan has won on the style of tracks where SRX is racing and now she has the opportunity to win against some of the biggest names in motorsports.”
Deegan is a three-time winner in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and was the first female to win a race in that series.
“It’s an honor to be a part of SRX and I’m grateful for the chance,” Deegan said. “I love racing. I started when I was eight in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series and, for the last five years, I’ve been on pavement working my way up the racing ladder. The challenge of SRX really appeals to me. Competing on different tracks – asphalt and dirt – with other drivers from all sorts of disciplines is a unique opportunity that doesn’t come around every day.”
Kanaan is committed to the four other races in the six-race short-track series beginning with the June 12 debut of the Camping World SRX Series at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway. After Stafford, Kanaan will race June 26 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, July 3 at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis, and then July 17 in the season finale at the Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway.
“I feel like other people driving my car is the story of my season,” said Kanaan, who is sharing a car in the NTT IndyCar Series with Jimmie Johnson, running all the ovals while Johnson runs all the road and street courses. “Obviously, I want to race the full SRX schedule, but I have two commitments I cannot break. I really appreciate everyone’s flexibility, because when I first heard about SRX, I was the first one to raise my hand and loudly say I wanted to be a part of it. I’m happy that Hailie Deegan gets to enjoy this experience too because it really is a great opportunity for all of us.”
Every Camping World SRX Series race will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network with streaming live on Paramount+.