Rookie Hailie Deegan Reacts After Winning the Prestigious NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award in Truck Series

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Hailie Deegan won the Most Popular Driver award at the annual NASCAR Awards. The David Gilliland Racing driver, who finished her full-time rookie season in 17th place, has one of the biggest fan followings in the whole of NASCAR.

Deegan, who missed out on the Rookie of the Year award, had an impressive debut season. She finished nine times inside the Top 20 and once inside the Top 10, which was a historic seventh-placed result at the Toyota 200 in Madison.

An ecstatic Deegan wrote on her Twitter, “WOW!! Thank you all for the support! My racing career wouldn’t be possible without all you guys. Next season is gonna be epic.”

But winning the Most Popular Driver award in just her first season only goes to show how big her fanbase is. But it’s not like she doesn’t have the talent or the potential to back it up.

In fact, she is on her way to breaking several records in the future.

The future of Hailie Deegan looks promising

In her first season, Deegan finished 17th place.

If Deegan can better her results and performances in the next season, she could break several records of previous female drivers. If she finishes above 16th in 2022, Deegan will become the highest finishing female in the series’ history.

A record currently held by Jennifer Jo Cobb, whose best finish was 16th in 2014 with her 230 series starts. But Deegan can surpass her in less than 50 starts. Speaking of race starts, Deegan can also surpass the third-highest female driver in terms of starts, Kelly Sutton.

Sutton has 38 race starts to her name while Deegan has 23, all after just her first season.

While Deegan is confirmed to be returning to David Gilliland in 2022, one shouldn’t also rule out her stepping up to the Xfinity Series. In August this year, she admitted that along with competing full time in the Truck Series, she also hopes to make her Xfinity debut in 2022.

Deegan’s popularity is pretty well documented and self-evident with her sponsors, followers, and now this recent award. But it’s also her dedication to improve herself as a driver and the state of female drivers in NASCAR that makes her someone to keep an eye on.

Someone who is going places and taking NASCAR to new places.

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