“I’m not actively trying to look for a [NASCAR Xfinity Series] ride or anything, but if a couple million dollars falls in my lap, awesome.” Hailie Deegan said these words in January 2025, at the cusp of her Indy NXT journey. The 24-year-old motorsports athlete bowed out of NASCAR when AM Racing let her go in July 2024, after accruing zero top ten finishes and a 26.8 average finish. Yet despite the financial and competitive hurdles in her path, Deegan may be looking for a way back.

After all, Hailie Deegan’s roots are in stock car racing. From becoming the first woman to win races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2018 and 2019 to attaining a P7 finish in the Truck Series in 2021, Deegan has already achieved a lot in this field. So, a rumor is doing the rounds despite Deegan’s proclaimed goals.

Are the roads leading to NASCAR again?

Well, Hailie Deegan delivered a solid rookie season in Indy NXT. Despite being in one of the toughest open-wheel championships, Deegan steadily learned and improved, with results showing in the second half of the season. She came close to breaking into the top ten at Laguna Seca, registering P11 and P12 finishes. Her biggest strides came at the final two oval rounds, the first of which was the Milwaukee Mile, where she finished in 14th place. Then Deegan qualified inside the top ten, running competitive lap times and staying on the lead lap to eventually finish 13th at the season finale in Nashville. Even after this sustained success in her first single-seater campaign, the hints are growing about her double-seater ambitions.

Hailie Deegan had declared in January that she has no plans to scale back to the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Hence, the rumor issued by The Daily Downforce comes as a shocking reversal of that conviction. The NASCAR media account posted on X, “A new rumor suggests Hailie Deegan could be headed back to NASCAR in 2026. If that happens, what potential ride openings could be in play?” Once considered a top Ford prospect, Deegan may yet again enter the conversation of climbing through NASCAR. Evidently, the 2025 Silly Season rumors just amplified the buzz in the garage.

Although Hailie Deegan had professed financial reasons at the start of this year, she had also overturned certain heavy deals. Last month, she expressed her desire to stay authentic in a sponsorship-driven sport. “I’m super big on like, I won’t work with people. I’ve turned down quite a few deals because it just doesn’t align with me. I don’t like the brand, I know I won’t use a product, or it’s something that I’m like, ‘That is not me. I do not want to be associated with that whatsoever.’ And so, I think there’s a lot of that that does happen.” She continued, “I think when it comes to that side of things, I’ve tried to stay true to myself.” What is more, she had also acknowledged her challenges in IndyCar.

Given her long-term alignment with NASCAR, Hailie Deegan may be slipping back into her old chemistry. As the rumor gains ground, let us look at her viable options.

Some open seats in Trucks

Hailie Deegan has yet to announce any plans for 2026 publicly. However, NASCAR’s preparation for the Craftsman Truck Series in 2026 is in full swing, and so is that of teams. In recent times, several openings have emerged on teams. For instance, ThorSport Racing is parting ways with its longest tenured driver, Matt Crafton, at the end of this season. While Ty Majeski is filling Crafton’s No. 88 for 2026, this seemingly leaves an opening in the No. 98. Deegan has prior experience at ThorSport, which she joined in 2023 while switching to Ford. Although her history with the team was not great, it would be more than ideal for her rumored return to NASCAR.

Niece Motorsports also presents a good opportunity. Christian Rose was out of the No. 44 before the start of the season. The team also cut ties with Kaden Honeycutt in August, claiming he had signed with a new team and OEM for 2026. Although the team brought on former Spire Motorsports driver Andrés Pérez de Lara for the rest of 2025, 2026 plans are yet to be announced. Finally, Hailie Deegan may find a place at Kaulig Racing, which is opening a five-truck operation for the 2026 season with Ram. While rumors suggest that Brendan Queen or Daniel Dye could sign with the team, Deegan could easily slide into one of these five full-time seats.

Evidently, Hailie Deegan has plenty of scope to return to her old sport and excel. While this rumor swirls in the NASCAR garage, let’s wait and see which path the 24-year-old speedster takes.