Hailie Deegan’s future in NASCAR has been one of the major topics during the 2023 season and her ride has become even more clear after months of speculation. This is due to TRICON Garage, formerly David Gilliland Racing, moving to Toyota.
It was previously reported that Deegan would join ThorSport Racing as the organization is expected to transition back to Ford. This became clear when Christian Eckes was announced as the driver of the No. 19 truck for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.
Now, this is set to become a reality soon as Deegan is expected to announce her decision to drive for ThorSport Racing starting next season. This would be her third full-time Truck Series year.
Related: Hailie Deegan’s future in NASCAR receives a big update
Hailie Deegan expected to announce decision to drive for ThorSport Racing on Thursday
Deegan is one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR and that was on display two weeks ago. The 21-year-old driver won the Most Popular Driver Award in the NASCAR Truck Series for the second straight season.
As a Ford driver, the manufacturer and Deegan have been working to secure a ride for the 2023 season. This has been a rough cycle as Ford does not possess many seats in the lower ranks of the sport.
Stewart-Haas Racing and SS-Greenlight Racing would have been options if she joined the NASCAR Xfinity Series but neither has come to frution. This was apparent when Cole Custer was announced as the driver of the No. 00 car for Stewart-Haas Racing in the series.
With TRICON Garage moving to Toyota, it only left one Ford-backed entry with Zane Smith and Front Row Motorsports. Now, ThorSport Racing will add four entries for the manufacturer in a major move.
This was all sparked by Kyle Busch Motorsports moving to Chevrolet when team owner Kyle Busch signed to drive the No. 8 car for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series next season.
It created a hole in Toyota which was filled by TRICON Garage. It is easy to switch manufacturers in the Truck Series as the efforts to change are easy. This now sets the scene for what is expected to be a busy Thursday afternoon.
Deegan is expected to announce the news on her YouTube channel on Thursday, December 15 at 12:00 PM ET. Don’t miss the exciting news as NASCAR silly season comes to an end soon!