If Hailie Deegan’s replacement for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Chicago on Saturday wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened, then witnessing Joey Logano pilot her car to a top-10 finish may have been.
Logano has more experience than Deegan, it’s true, but his eighth-place performance was the best of the season for AM Racing’s No. 15 vehicle. Logano is a potential Hall of Famer.
Deegan’s season best finish was a 12th place finish at Talladega prior to this past Saturday. Her best finish on a non-drafting track was a 15th place close at Las Vegas.
Given that Deegan’s future with AM Racing is reportedly uncertain—the team is reportedly unsure of who will pilot the No. 15 Ford at Pocono this coming weekend—watching a different driver, albeit a Cup Series winner, take over a car and finish inside the top-10 right away could spell the end for Deegan’s 2024 season and potentially her entire Xfinity Series career.
Logano’s top-10 result on Saturday was partly due to strategy, but the seasoned driver was steady throughout the day. He qualified in fifteenth place, placed thirteenth in Stage One and Stage Two, then used his track position in Stage Three to his advantage to finish in eighth place overall.
Deegan’s season with AM Racing has been marred by human problems and mechanical breakdowns, but Logano showed that the car is quick enough to finish in the top-15 and get through any problems that may come up.
Deegan isn’t feeling good about Logano’s performance on Saturday, regardless of whether she enters the race at Pocono on Saturday. She might have completed her final race for AM Racing as a whole if she isn’t driving at the Pocono Mountains.
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