Hailie Deegan wants to return to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2027, but one major hurdle continues to stand in her way: securing the sponsorship commitments needed to fund a seat.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the ARCA Menards Series West race at Phoenix Raceway, Deegan said returning to the Truck Series would be her preferred outcome for next season. However, she stopped short of confirming any plans, clarifying that discussions are still ongoing.
“Next year, I mean, I would love to go Truck racing again, so we’re working on everything we possibly can to be able to move forward and keep digging at it,” Deegan told reporter Jeff Gluck, via X.
For now, her return remains a possibility rather than a confirmed move. Deegan could not yet offer a definite answer about where she will race next season, and the decision is not entirely hers to make.
“I wish I could give you guys a for-sure answer. I mean, I don’t even know for sure for myself at all,” she said.
Her most honest admission came when she explained why she could not simply make the move happen on her own. She wished she could take matters into her own hands, but the financial realities of racing leave her dependent on outside support.
“I wish I could say, because I wish I could just do it myself, but I can’t,” Deegan said. “So, still working on it.”
The comments highlight one of the toughest realities facing drivers trying to establish or re-establish themselves in NASCAR: finding a seat is only part of the challenge. Sponsors must often be secured well in advance, allowing teams to plan their programs and drivers to announce their next steps. Without that certainty, even an ambitious comeback plan can remain on hold.
For Deegan, the timing of those commitments makes the process particularly difficult.
“That’s the hardest part in the racing world: being able to get those sponsor commitments so early so you can tell everyone what you’re doing,” she explained.
There is still time for Deegan to make progress. She pointed out that several months remain in the year, giving her an opportunity to continue working on potential sponsorship arrangements. While that window offers hope, it does not guarantee anything.
In the meantime, Deegan is encouraged by her current work with Bill McAnally. The partnership has given her an opportunity to build on a relationship she associates with some of the strongest moments of her career.
“I think it’s great being back with Bill and working with him again,” she said. “I think that I had some of the best moments in my career working with Bill, and it’s cool to build off that all over again.”
She described the experience as almost like revisiting an earlier chapter of her career, but with the opportunity to build something further. She wants to maintain that progress and continue developing the partnership rather than treating the current arrangement as a short-term stop.
The results have also given her reasons to remain optimistic. Deegan pointed to the strong finishes she and the team have recorded this year, expressing a desire to keep building on that foundation.
“We’ve obviously got a lot of good finishes so far this year, so I’d love to keep working towards it,” she said.
At Madera on September 26, she passed Trevor Huddleston on the final lap for her first win since 2019. It was her fourth career West victory and ended a 2,667-day drought. Through the first 11 races, she had one win, three straight top-fives and seven top-tens. Saturday’s sixth-place finish at Phoenix ended the top-five streak at three, but it came after starting eighth in a 100-lap race won by Max Reaves.
Getting to this point wasn’t smooth for her. Deegan signed a multi-year deal with AM Racing for the 2024 O’Reilly Series, but the team replaced her with Joey Logano for the Chicago street race.
Following that, she and the team abruptly parted ways on July 8. Her best finish that year was 12th at Talladega. In 2025, she moved to Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports and finished 14th in points, with a best finish of 11th at Laguna Seca.
When she returned to stock cars at Phoenix in March, it was only her second stock car start in more than a year, and she finished 11th. After Madera, she fought back tears and said the last few years had been super hard and thanked the fans who kept believing in her.
While this progress would help Deegan make a stronger case for herself, she is aware that the results alone would not be enough to secure a Truck Series seat. Sponsorship remains the decisive factor, and she is still working to turn her preferred scenario into a viable program.
Her latest comments reflect an ongoing effort to rebuild, with the Truck Series representing a potential next step.
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The post "I Wish I Could Just Do It Myself"- Hailie Deegan Admits Major Roadblock Hindering Her NASCAR Return appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.