CHARLOTTE, N.C.: Officials from AM Racing confirmed today that Ford Performance Motorsports development driver Hailie Deegan has inked a multiyear deal with the team to pilot the No. 15 Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning with the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on February 17, 2024.
Deegan will join the Statesville, N.C. team following a three-year stint in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, including running the full 23-race schedule with ThorSport Racing aboard the No. 13 Ford F-150 this season.
With just two races remaining on the Truck Series schedule, Deegan’s season has been highlighted by a career-best sixth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
The two-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, Most Popular driver, also made her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut during the 2022 season when she piloted the No. 07 Ford Mustang for SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, where she impressed with a lead lap 13th-place performance after starting 20th.
Deegan, 22, also competed in the ARCA Menards Series West in 2018 and ’19, earning three victories, respectively.
She also boasts a decorated off-road racing career and has embraced a strong presence in the Camping World SRX Series.
“I am excited about the opportunity to compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, starting next year with AM Racing,” said Deegan. “From the start, the team has been nothing but great to work with, and the vision that Wade has for the team to accomplish align with my values perfectly.
“Through the support of Ford and the AM Racing team, I feel that we will achieve great things together in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and I can’t wait to see what the next few years have in store for all of us.”
Deegan, a native of Temecula, Calif., joined Ford Performance as part of its driver development program following the 2019 season and drove in a variety of different disciplines in 2020, including the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the premier ARCA Menards Series division in 2020, where she recorded seven top-five and 17 top-10s overall earning a third place finish in championship points and the highest position by a female driver in the NASCAR-owned developmental series.
She also claimed ARCA Rookie of the Year honors.
Ford Performance Motorsports is the high-performance division of the Ford Motor Company and the multinational name used for its motorsport and racing activity.
From ARCA, she advanced to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series for two seasons at David Gilliland Racing (now TRICON Garage) before moving to Ohio’s ThorSport Racing in 2023 as teammate to Truck Series champions Matt Crafton and Ben Rhodes while running a fourth full-time truck alongside multi-time series winner Ty Majeski.
2024 will begin her newest endeavor with Ford Performance Motorsport’s driver development program in AM Racing’s sophomore NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
“We are excited to see Hailie continuing to advance her career by running full-time with AM Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director Ford Performance Motorsports.
“Hailie works so hard on and off the track, and AM Racing will surround her with a great team to continue her development. From what we saw from Hailie in her Xfinity Series debut in Las Vegas last year, we look forward to some great results in 2024.”
AM Racing has also renewed its agreement with Roush Yates Engines to continue to provide the legendary Ford horsepower for the No. 15 Ford Mustang for the anticipated 33-race schedule next season.
“Congratulations to Hailie, Wade and Everyone at AM Racing on this new partnership heading into 2024 and beyond,” said Doug Yates President & Chief Executive Officer of Roush Yates Engines. “Our team at Roush Yates Engines looks forward to our continued relationship with AM Racing next season and powering Halie Deegan in partnership with Ford Performance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.”
AM Racing also announced Thursday the addition of AirBox, Inc. (AirBox) and VIVA Tequila Seltzer, who will serve as primary marketing partners for Deegan throughout her inaugural Xfinity Series season.
In 2017, AirBox was established to focus on building the world’s best air purifiers for indoor occupied spaces. This coincided with people starting to wake up to issues with indoor air quality. With new challenges to air cleanliness, such as COVID-19 and wildfire smoke, people are looking for effective and proven solutions to ensure they receive cleaner air, at last.
Their history in delivering clean air systems gives them an expertise that is unmatched. AirBox uses some of the most effective air filtration technologies that exist with Certified HEPA and Advanced Molecular Adsorption and manufactures products that meet the stringent new ventilation standard, ASHRAE Standard 241.
Today, AirBox filtration systems are used across the country, purifying the air and capturing harmful irritants to create healthier, safer spaces. They’ve become the trusted choice for hospitals, educational centers, offices, warehouses, construction zones, public assembly, sports facilities, and more.
They’re proud to build all products to the highest standards in the USA at their North Carolina production facility. Every day, AirBox is working hard to give the American people the safer learning, working, and living environments they deserve—helping people breathe easy and live better.
“This partnership with Hailie means a lot for our company,” said Adam Smith, president of AirBox. “She is someone who really cares about health and wellbeing. And we do too. Healthy air is important for people, especially athletes. They watch everything they put into their body so closely, but they often don’t think about the quality of the air they are breathing.
“More than ever, indoor air quality is an important topic. Finally, the era of cleaner air is here. With standards like ASHRAE Standard 241 being established, it means we all will finally get the cleaner air we deserve. AirBox plans to lead the way to clean air with Hailie next year, on and off the track.”
Viva Tequila Seltzer, a company that redefines indulgence, was founded in July 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts, by three washed-up college athletes. The shared passion this group had for spending time with friends on the golf course while enjoying a refreshing drink gave rise to the creation of a healthier tequila-based seltzer. These founders have created a product that marries their love for a balanced lifestyle with a refreshing drink.
With its ethos rooted in health and wellness, Viva Tequila Seltzer offers a range of flavors, including Huckleberry, Elderberry, Watermelon, and Grapefruit. Each can contains just 88 calories, zero carbs, and zero sugar, making it the perfect choice for health-conscious consumers.
Gluten-free, keto-friendly, vegan, paleo, non-GMO, and kosher, Viva is truly a ‘better for you’ option without compromising on taste. Viva’s founders, who come from a background in the beer industry, saw their taste preferences and lifestyles evolving.
They desired something more refreshing, drinkable, and aligned with their changing preferences. The result is a premium product that doesn’t make you sacrifice your diet while being awesomely refreshing.
“Viva Tequila Seltzer is excited to join AM Racing in announcing their partnership with their dynamic new driver, Hailie Deegan, as they embark on a thrilling journey to redefine winning in NASCAR,” said Morgan Lockwood, Co-Founder of Viva Tequila Seltzer. “We’re thrilled to raise our Viva cans to the prospect of countless Victory Lane celebrations with Hailie and the entire AM Racing team next season.”
Reflecting on their accomplishments during the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and looking ahead to 2024 with Deegan, AM Racing president Wade Moore emphasized the continued shared “Future Focused” vision and the strengthening infrastructure for next year and years to come.
“AM Racing is proud to announce the addition of Hailie to the family,” offered AM Racing team president Wade Moore. “We are excited to provide her with a home where she can grow as a cornerstone of our young program.
“It is an exciting time as we continue to strengthen our relationships within the Ford camp, AIRBOX, Viva, and our other partners respectively. There is a great deal of work to be done for all of us, but we are grateful and welcome the challenges ahead.”
Additional details on Deegan’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program with AM Racing will be announced in due course, including crew chief, car chief and additional marketing partners.
For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing), or follow them on Instagram and X | Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.
For more on Hailie Deegan, please visit hailiedeegan.com, like her Facebook page (HailieDeegan4), or follow her on Instagram (@hailiedeegan), YouTube and X | Twitter (@hailiedeegan).
For more on AirBox Inc., please visit AirBoxAmerica.com, or send a message to info@AirBoxAmerica.com.
About AM Racing:
AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multi-faceted Motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.
Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.
The family-owned team will compete in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and various Dirt Modified events in its seventh year of competition.
The team has named Brett Moffitt and Christian Rose as their primary drivers for the 2023 Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series seasons.
