“I have much to learn, but I am ready to go.” Hailie Deegan’s words at the end of 2024 showed the level of her determination. It was fueled by multiple struggles, ranging from a fruitless 3-year NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series campaign to getting ejected mid-season from her Xfinity Series team. Now that she has enrolled in a new discipline, she is willing to go all the way. That involves tapping into a key resource or the knowledge of another female trailblazer.

Indy NXT has witnessed many super women in its ranks, but only three of them could fetch glory. Ana Beatriz was the first, clinching single victories in 2008 and 2009. Then Pippa Mann won at Kentucky Motor Speedway in September 2010. Both these icons won on ovals. But Hailie Deegan’s role model specialized in another track that helped Deegan’s purpose.

Hailie Deegan gleaned insights from a legend

Jamie Chadwick created records in 2024. She may have become the third woman to win an Indy NXT race, but she was the first to do so on a road course. On June 9th, 2024, Chadwick won the Grand Prix of Road America. She had dominated the 20-lap race on the 4.014-mile Wisconsin track, keeping Louis Foster and Jacob Abel fighting on track for second behind her.

This remarkable victory set Chadwick a class apart in the IndyCar world, and led Hailie Deegan to her. The latter already made an impressive debut at St. Petersburg in early March, powering through a caution-riddled race to finish 14th. She headed towards Barber Motorsports Park last week, but sought Chadwick’s advice first.

In a recent press conference, Hailie Deegan revealed that she had been in contact with her inspiration since last year. A transition to Indy NXT can be grueling, especially because the cars require a completely different driving style, with higher cornering speeds, precise braking, and an aversion to anything resembling contact. What is more? They do not have power steering! Deegan said that Chadwick helped her, “At the first-ever Indy NXT race I came to last year, I got to meet her [Jamie Chadwick] and everything. She’s very friendly, which was awesome. I definitely felt comfortable to reach out to her, I knew that she’s going to give me an honest answer. I’ve been really working…the strength side has been a struggle for me.”

Wheeling her HMD Motorsports vehicle, Hailie Deegan could start 19th and finish 17th at the Grand Prix of Alabama. The Barber track can be trickier, as it is one of the most physical tracks in Indy NXT. Deegan shed light on how Chadwick helped her understand some things: “I was able to talk to Jamie quite a bit this last week after Barber. ‘Cause Barber was tough, really tough physically… The conversation that I had after Barber with her was kind of with the struggles I was having – not being able to carry enough speed in the center and the corners as I wanted to, and near the corners that are high-load corners. Especially Barber has a lot of those types of corners… She gave me a few things, we’re going to try them out and see. And hopefully, that helps quite a bit.”

Now, Hailie Deegan is gearing up for the Indianapolis Grand Prix this weekend. As the Indy NXT rookie gears up for her next challenge, her inspiration is creating more history.

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Dropping another banger

When Jamie Chadwick came to the USA from the United Kingdom in 2023, she faced daunting struggles. Wrestling a 450 horsepower INDY NXT by Firestone machine that weighs approximately 1,410-1,430 pounds is no mean feat. Yet Chadwick persevered and got to Victory Lane last year. Now, Chadwick has shifted gears to race for IDEC Sport in the 2025 European Le Mans Series. What is more? The trailblazer has already made jaws drop with yet another victory in her hands. Chadwick became the first female driver to win outright in the European Le Mans Series at Paul Ricard last Sunday. She had won the LMP2 class in her only previous category start at Barcelona last month.

Jamie Chadwick faced a few obstacles en route to this fresh win. After applying the power exiting Turn 2 on the opening lap, her slick-shod ORECA broke traction on a greasy surface better suited to wets. It dropped Chadwick from fourth to 14th. So she admitted post-win, “After Barcelona, to come back and win again is a bit unexpected.” Chadwick further shed light on the race, which she entered with her IDEC Sport team-mates Mathys Jaubert and Dani Juncadella: “It became quite clear that this race was going to be about staying in it and trying to make no more mistakes from there. We called the pit stop at the right time [to] go onto the wets, and then my stint was wet for the whole duration.”

Evidently, Hailie Deegan has asked the right person for advice. As Jamie Chadwick’s laurels continue to stun the world, Deegan works harder to fetch her own. Let us see what the Indy NXT driver does next.