Ten Year Old Hailie Deegan Drives a Truck

Watching her father racing off-road trucks, Hailie Deegan acquired a passion for the sport at a very young age. That in mind, her family probably wasn’t too surprised when she grew excited upon learning that there was also a classification for kids. Of course, Hailie wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and at the age of nine, found herself manning a Kart capable of running as fast as 49 miles per hour with the checkered flag in her sights.

Of course there was a learning curve to be followed and Hailie learned it quickly. Returning in 2011 for her second season of racing, the ten-year-old is now navigating the track with experience under her belt. In turn, Hailie “Dirt Princess” Deegan recently earned positions on the podium twice during rounds nine and ten of The Lucas Off Road Racing Series, held at the Glen Helen Raceway, at Devore California.

During the qualifying rounds Hailie prepared to take on eighteen other drivers in front of thousands of spectators and finished in the fifth place position. When asked how she felt about her qualifying finish, Deegan said, “Good, but I know I could do better. I just placed second and third in the last race.”

Lining up in the fifth position at the beginning of the main event on the following day, and immediately behind the #474 kart, driven by Maxwell Ries, Deegan recognized and capitalized on the opportunity to pass the driver in the fifth lap. When the waving of the checkered flag deemed the race over, Hailie “Dirt Princess” Deegan had earn a third place finish, and her first visit to the podium in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.

Stressing that taking third place was a confidence booster, which would follow her into the upcoming race on the following day, the young driver said, “I know I can do it! The top ten kids were all within a hundredth of a second if each other.”

With the luxury of having even a better starting position in the main event on the following day, the 10-year-old, Deegan worked her way through the maze of drivers in short order, and passed Paige Porter’s #462 kart, putting her in second place. Although she fought a very hard fight, Deegan never managed to pass Myles Cheek, the 1st place driver. That said, the race was still considered a success as the “Dirt Princess” once again found herself on the podium. When asked the key to her success at this particular event, Deegan explained, “Lots of hard work and practice.”

Regardless of size, and horsepower, the key to keeping an engine that experiences the rigors of racing in top running condition is proper maintenance. This is a tidbit of information of which Hailie’s mechanic, Craig Koback, is acutely aware. That said, the young driver’s kart is equipped with a K&N air filter, which has been a staple since the beginning of her racing career. When asked their opinion of K&N products, the answer was quick and to the point, “They’re awesome.”

When asked how Hailie acquired her nickname of “Dirt Princess”, her parents explained, “She has always been our little princess, and she loves to be in the dirt.” When asked her strong point as a driver, they continued, “Her drive to win.”

Hailie Deegan has full intentions of continuing her racing career and in fact has plans to eventually pursue NASCAR. That said, the youngster understands that she must presently focus on the kart she is driving now, and is confident in what it will take to continue experiencing success. When asked the key to outperforming her competitors, she answered with wisdom, “Practice, focus, listening to my dad’s instructions and plenty of sleep the night before.”

Hailie “Dirt Princess” Deegan expressed gratitude to her sponsors and all of the others who have played an essential role in her opportunity to get out there and participate in the sport of which she loves. “Thank you for everyone’s support, God for keeping me safe, my mom and dad for letting me race, and my AWESOME fans that continually follow and support me.”

SoCal SAYS: When you are related to Brian Deegan and you are part of the Metal Mulisha, you probably fear nothing. Even at 10-years old, Hailie has already learned how to charge challenges without fear. Not only that, she’s also sponsored by 4WheelParts and Lucas Oil. We expect to hear a lot more of her name on the podium and when she’s 16-years old, we’ll bet money that she gets a lifted truck.