MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Officials from Ford Performance and DGR-Crosley announced Wednesday that Hailie Deegan will make her NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series debut at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 17.
The move was first reported by Frontstretch following the release of the NASCAR team rosters in advance of the event, the Clean Harbors 200. It was later confirmed via the Ford Performance Twitter account.
@IMSA ✅@ARCA_Racing ✅@NASCAR_Trucks … ✅@HailieDeegan will take another step in her Ford Developmental Driver program training, running the @NASCAR Truck race at @kansasspeedway Oct. 17th. pic.twitter.com/uuVTn7jYL1
— Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) October 7, 2020
Deegan will wheel the No. 17 Ford F-150 for the David Gilliland and Bo LeMastus-owned organization. It will mark her first start in any of the three NASCAR national divisions.
“Honestly, I wasn’t even planning on running any Truck races this year, but in order to qualify for the races that I want to run in the future, I have to run this race,” Deegan noted in a Twitter video Wednesday. “It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be a challenge. I think our goal is going to be just to finish the race.
“At the end of the day, we’re still trying to finalize our 2021 plans. Thanks to everyone for all the love and support, and stay tuned. We’re just getting started.”
Deegan is a three-time winner in the former NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, now known as the ARCA Menards Series West. She earned those wins across the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
The 19-year-old Temecula, Calif., native has driven for DGR-Crosley full time in the ARCA Menards Series this year, earning four top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 19 races.
Deegan is third in points and has a best finish of second in 2020, earned in February during the ARCA season opener at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway.
A Ford development driver, Deegan will be a teammate to Truck Series regular Tanner Gray during the Kansas event.