It has been confirmed that Hailie Deegan to Compete in two Camping World SRX Series races, the short-track series initiated by Ray Evernham and Tony Stewart, this season.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will race instead of 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan at Knoxville Speedway on June 19 and Slinger Speedway in Wisconsin on July 10.
“Tony Kanaan is going to bring a lot to the Camping World SRX Series, both in terms of talent and personality. We’d love to have him for all six races, but we’re also not going to complain about having him for four,” Evernham said in a release. “It did, however, allow us the opportunity to find another strong personality who has shown that she’s not afraid to race door-to-door for the win. Hailie Deegan has won on the style of tracks where SRX is racing and now she has the opportunity to win against some of the biggest names in motorsports.”
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12 drivers will compete in an SRX race. The confirmed drivers for the series include Stewart, Kanaan, Bobby Labonte, Paul Tracy, Willy T. Ribbs, Helio Castroneves, Bill Elliott, Ernie Francis Jr., Marco Andretti and Michael Waltrip .
“It’s an honor to be a part of SRX and I’m grateful for the chance,” Deegan said in a release. “I love racing. I started when I was eight in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series and, for the last five years, I’ve been on pavement working my way up the racing ladder. The challenge of SRX really appeals to me. Competing on different tracks – asphalt and dirt – with other drivers from all sorts of disciplines is a unique opportunity that doesn’t come around every day.”
Deegan is the first woman to win in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.