Hailie Deegan isn’t playing it safe as she is set to make her return to NASCAR with a bold mission, and that is to challenge Danica Patrick’s long-held grip on NASCAR history

For more than a decade, Danica Patrick has been the only woman to have found much success in NASCAR. The 24-year old is officially returning to her roots, confirming she will pilot the No.16 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series West. But what’s more impressive is the goal she has set for her 2026 season. While taking a few notes from Patrick’s notebook would be helpful, Deegan is busy charting out her own ambitious path.

Speaking on her YouTube channel, Hailie Deegan sounded more determined than ever.

“Obviously, the championship is on my mind,” she said. “I feel like it’s a year-long battle, but when it comes to those kinds of smaller goals that I have, more short-term ones, is to win four races. It’d be really cool to be the first female to win a NASCAR championship. So that would be huge for me.”

To be the first female champion in NASCAR would definitely be a dream come true, and it would especially mean surpassing what Danica Patrick has managed to achieve in the male-dominated sport.

Danica Patrick has shattered barriers throughout her racing career by achieving several historic firsts that no woman had before in NASCAR.

In 2013, she became the first woman ever to win a pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series by setting the fastest lap and qualifying for the Daytona 500, a feat that marked the highest starting point for a female driver and NASCAR’s premier division.

That same year at Daytona, she also became the first woman to lead laps, guiding her car to the front of the field and finishing it, the best result by a woman in that race’s history at the time.

On NASCAR, Patrick’s trailblazing extended to open-wheel racing as well. Earlier in her career, she became the first woman to lead laps in the Indianapolis 500 and went on to become the first woman to win a major IndyCar race, triumphing at the Indy 300 in 2008.

However, a championship has always been out of her grass and that is where Hailie Deegan steps in. Deegan wants to achieve the same and more. However, it will require a lot of practice and a lot more patience.

Deegan’s NASCAR journey has been far from smooth sailing. After a failed experiment with IndyCar, the 24-year-old struggled to get on NASCAR seat.

She was racing for HMD Motorsports in the 2025 Indy NXT season. But the California native, who is unable to perform her best and ended her stint in the series with a P14 finish in the drivers’ championship, is a far cry from what she expected.

Moreover, she was hosted from her Xfinity seat all of a sudden in 2024. It definitely left her with a lot of regret.

Over 69 truck series starts, Deegan managed just five top 10 finishes. Our conference took another hit after a difficult 2025 season in IndyCar. However, she is not done yet. Deegan is ready to reset and rebuild, and she has chosen to do it when she first program ourselves, back in the ARCA West Series.

Deegan has shown she can win in the NASCAR lower division. She captured three ARCA West victories in 2018, 2019, and 2020. She ran a season in the series, finishing third in the standings despite winning that year.

And now with her résumé and grit, a championship may not seem too far, but only time will tell if she achieves the ultimate goal.

Deegan’s return to NASCAR with Bill McAnally Racing and NAPA is a headline-making move that has thrust her back into the spotlight, and the demo couldn’t be happier.

Bill McAnally welcomes Hailie Deegan with open arms

A decision to return to the ARCA Series is a major development, and it could be the research she needs to rebuild momentum. More importantly, Bill McAnally was quick to express his excitement about the 24-year-old joining the lineup and what it means for the 2026 plans.

For McAnally, bringing Deegan back feels like returning to a familiar chapter. He spoke fondly of their past partnership, highlighting the success they shared in the bins they collected along the way.

He also made it clear that her return would boost the team’s championship hope especially with Mason Massey also competing for the title.

“Having Hailie back on our team is incredibly special. We enjoyed working together several years ago and won some races,” he said. “I see the commitment she has for competing at this level, and we want to be part of her success. She has the knowledge of winning out West, and we have a great chance to chase our 12th title with her and Mason Massey in the fold.”

With 2026 on the horizon, Deegan’s return also highlights the growing presence of women in a traditionally male-dominated sport. More female drivers competing at the highest levels of stock car racing not only push the sport to greater equality but also add new rivalries and fresh energy to the track. Her comeback could inspire other women to chase their own NASCAR dreams and prove that success in racing is not limited by gender.