After spending the past year competing in the IndyCar feeder series, Hailie Deegan is preparing for a return to NASCAR with a 2026 ARCA Menards Series West Championship campaign, driving for Bill McAnally Racing. The 24-year-old driver’s decision to come back follows a challenging transition into open-wheel racing in 2025, a distinct shift from her previous dirt and stock car experience.
Deegan’s move to Indy NXT demanded significant adjustments to her physical training, as the open-wheel cars require much more upper-body strength due to the absence of power steering. This led her to focus heavily on arm conditioning, making the transition physically exhausting. Upon returning to stock cars, she reveals a different approach to training tailored to NASCAR’s less physically taxing demands.
Adjusting Training Focus After Year in Open-Wheel Racing
Reflecting on the physical toll that IndyCar-style racing had on her body, Deegan shared that while preparing for the open-wheel series, she gained considerable muscle mass supported by intense supplementation and training to endure the rigors of handling those cars. Now transitioning back to NASCAR, her workout routine has shifted to emphasize leg strength and cardiovascular fitness instead of the demanding arm workouts she once prioritized.
“Now that I’m not training for the IndyCar stuff – that stuff is so physical. And I put on quite a bit of weight, trying to get stronger. The amount of creatine I was taking was absurd, trying to get as strong as I could as fast as I could. But now I’m doing the NASCAR stuff again, which is way less physical, like light years less physical. I don’t have to do IndyCar training anymore. So I’ve hit arms way less. I go back to my leg workouts, which I love, and cardio,” Deegan said. (1:40 onwards)
Upcoming 2026 ARCA Season Begins at Kern Raceway
Hailie Deegan will kick off her ARCA Menards West Series campaign on February 28, 2026, at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in Bakersfield, California. This marks a fresh start in the series where she has seen success before, having earned victories with Bill McAnally Racing in 2018 and 2019. Her return signals a renewed effort to capitalize on her past strengths in stock car racing after a year of tough adaptation in Indy NXT.
Fundamental Racing Differences Between Open-Wheel and Stock Cars
Deegan’s experience reveals stark contrasts in driving techniques between the two racing disciplines. While Indy NXT requires carrying a car deep into corners with minimal braking, stock car racing demands earlier braking and acceleration strategies. She explained the precise timing differences that drivers must master when switching from the open-wheel style to NASCAR’s heavier, stock cars.
“The biggest thing in the IndyCar was how far you drove it into the corner, how little brake you used, all of that,” said Deegan. “Like, it was just so different than what you do in a stock car. Like, you get all the way to the center of the corner, and then you lift in the Indy stuff, and you do your little lift there. Whereas the stock car stuff, you want to do everything early, at like the first third of the corner, before you get to the center. When you get to the center, you get back to the gas.”
Challenges and Prospects for Deegan’s Return to NASCAR
Hailie Deegan struggled to find consistent pace during her time in the IndyCar environment, frequently qualifying and finishing near the back of the field. This had contrasted with her earlier stock car career, where she demonstrated strong performances. Her return to the ARCA Menards West Series presents an opportunity to rebuild momentum and re-establish herself in NASCAR, capitalizing on her previous experience with Bill McAnally Racing and her familiarity with stock car dynamics.
The change in both her physical preparation and race strategy marks a significant turning point as she realigns her career ambitions with NASCAR’s unique demands. Observers and fans will be watching to see if this renewed focus can lead to competitive results in the upcoming 2026 season.
