The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has been pretty quiet this Silly Season, but a fresh rumor’s got fans buzzing: Hailie Deegan might be headed back to Trucks in 2026. Once a golden child of Ford’s development program, the 24-year-old daughter of motocross icon Brian Deegan was a rising star with serious hype.

She tore through the lower ranks, snagging three ARCA Menards Series West wins in 2018 and 2019. By 2020, she was running full-time in ARCA’s national series, holding her own against talents like Sam Mayer and Chandler Smith. That same year, she dipped her toes in the Truck Series with DGR-Crosley, going full-time in 2021. The future looked bright until it didn’t.

Deegan’s Truck Series stint didn’t deliver the fireworks expected. Two seasons with DGR and a switch to ThorSport Racing in 2023 left her with no finish higher than 17th in points. Her lone highlight was a sixth at Talladega in 2022, but that was it for top-10s in 69 starts. Undeterred, she jumped to the Xfinity Series in 2024 with AM Racing, only to part ways after just 17 races, her results falling short of the hype.

With no NASCAR ride, Deegan took a sharp turn to Indy NXT for 2025, tackling open-wheel racing. But her rookie season there was rough, with finishes no better than 11th and 14th in points, showing the transition wasn’t clicking. Now, a report from BrakeHard hints she could return to Trucks, and the rumor mill’s churning with possibilities: ThorSport, Niece Motorsports, or even Kaulig Racing’s new Ram-backed five-truck operation.

ThorSport’s an obvious fit. They’re losing veteran Matt Crafton, and while Ty Majeski takes the No. 88 in 2026, the No. 98 could be open. Deegan’s first run with ThorSport wasn’t stellar, but a second shot with a familiar team could be her best bet.

Niece Motorsports is another option, with one or two seats potentially up for grabs after cutting ties with Kaden Honeycutt and swapping Christian Rose for Andrés Pérez de Lara mid-2025. Then there’s Kaulig, launching a big Truck program with Ram, where Deegan’s marketability could seal the deal. Her Monster Energy and Craftsman sponsorships make her a popular commodity, even if her on-track results haven’t matched the buzz.

Fans, though, aren’t all sold on her comeback. Reddit’s been a hotbed of reactions, from snarky jabs to practical suggestions, as folks weigh in on whether Deegan’s ready to return or if her Indy NXT detour was a misstep.

Fan reactions are a mix of opinions

Reddit’s been a battleground for fans reacting to the Hailie Deegan-to-Trucks rumor, and the takes are as varied as a Bristol restart. One user didn’t hold back, “You mean it was a bad idea to go from being slow in familiar cars to skipping up past 80% of the Indy progression ladder to try some formula car action?” Ouch.

Deegan’s jump to Indy NXT was a bold gamble, bypassing the usual open-wheel ladder, think USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000, that drivers like Kyle Kirkwood climbed to master high-downforce cars. Her Truck Series stats tell the story: an average finish of 22.9 across 69 starts, with just one top-10. Indy NXT’s small fields and complex machinery didn’t make things easier, with finishes stuck in the teens. The fan’s got a point. Leaping from struggling in stock cars to open-wheel racing was a tall order, and her results suggest she wasn’t ready for the shift.

Another fan kept it practical, “I don’t blame her. I think I’d also rather ride around in 25th in Trucks than second to last in Indy NXT.” Fair enough.

Trucks offer bigger fields, often 36 trucks, more TV time on FS1, and a direct path to Cup teams. Zane Smith’s journey from mid-pack Truck runs to a 2022 championship and a Cup seat shows the series can be a springboard. Indy NXT, with fields as small as 12 to 20 cars and less mainstream buzz, limits exposure. Finishing near the back there, like Deegan did, risks fading from sponsors’ radars. A Truck return, even running 25th, keeps her in NASCAR’s orbit with a shot at playoff contention if she finds speed.

One comment looked to her future, “Figured this was going to happen, considering that Hailie Deegan has been uncompetitive in Indy NXT. However, think she’s better off going to ARCA or CARS Tour before making a national series return.”

Smart take. Deegan’s Indy NXT struggles, never cracking the top 10, show she needs a reset. ARCA’s been a proving ground for drivers like Ty Gibbs, who racked up 18 wins before jumping to Xfinity, or Corey Heim, who honed his craft there. The CARS Tour, where Carson Kvapil built his rep, offers short-track battles to sharpen racecraft. A year in either could give Deegan the wins she’s lacked, rebuilding confidence before tackling Trucks again.

Another fan saw the bigger picture, “Is her Ford deal done with? Would be a solid move for either Toyota or Ram from a brand perspective. She’s clearly the best female driver in NASCAR in the last few years, and we know brands care about that. It was definitely a mistake for her to move to open wheel racing, so would be interesting to see her come back and start back at the bottom with a bit more drive and maturity.”

Deegan’s Ford ties, once her ticket through ARCA and Trucks, seem shaky after Indy NXT. Toyota or Ram could capitalize on her marketability. Since Danica Patrick’s 2018 exit, Deegan’s been NASCAR’s top female draw, backed by brands like Monster Energy. A Truck return with a team like Kaulig’s Ram program could leverage her sponsor pull, but she’ll need to show more maturity and results than her first stint.

Finally, one user zeroed in on Kaulig, “It’s Kaulig trucks. They wanted Toni but she said no, Rubusto but she said no. They want a female driver in a truck. Hailie has sponsorship.”

Kaulig’s five-truck 2026 Ram operation is a prime landing spot. Toni Breidinger and Isabella Robusto, both Toyota prospects, passed. Breidinger’s tied to Venturini and Robusto’s sticking with ARCA. Deegan, with Craftsman and Monster Energy in her corner, fits the bill for a team chasing sponsor dollars and visibility. Kaulig’s competitive setup could give her the tools to succeed, but she’ll need to deliver where she fell short before. Fans are clearly divided, some see a comeback story, others a risky rerun, but Deegan’s next move is one to watch.