Two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Joey Logano has been invited by AM Racing to pilot the No. 15 Ford in this Saturday afternoon’s Xfinity Series race at the Chicago Street Course. Hailie Deegan, a full-time driver, will be replaced by Logano.
However, driving double duty is permitted this year. The winner of Sunday’s Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway is scheduled to compete in Saturday’s 50-lap The Loop 110 before he takes the wheel of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford in Sunday’s 75-lap Grant Park 165.
The unexpected driver change was apparently undertaken by the team “to help provide feedback that the team can use to improve on-track competition as the sport heads into the second half of the season”.
Hailie Deegan benched for Chicago race
Deegan has struggled, finishing just four times in the top 20 of the season’s first seventeen races, despite the persistent narrative going into the season that she would perform better in the Xfinity Series than the Truck Series because the cars would purportedly better suit her driving style.
She now stands in 27th place in the points standings and her best finish was 12th place at Talladega Superspeedway back in April. She is even behind driver Aric Almirola, who has only made five starts, and it took her until two weeks ago to catch up to driver Ryan Truex, who has only made six starts.
Deegan finished just five races in the top ten and did not finish any races in the top five in three full Truck Series seasons. Her highest placing in the point standings was 17th. With Brett Moffitt, AM Racing had a full-time Xfinity Series team last year.
Moffitt finished in 17th position overall in the point standings with nine top-10 finishes. Logano’s choice to replace Deegan this weekend was justified by the team’s potential, especially considering that his season-best fourth-place result occurred in Chicago.
In the Chicago Cup Series event the previous year, Logano came in eighth. Since 2019, he has not participated in an Xfinity Series race. Furthermore, only 38 of the 43 vehicles that are entered for this Saturday’s race will really qualify.
Deegan’s road course qualifying results this season include 35th at Circuit of the Americas, 38th at Portland International Raceway, and 37th at Sonoma Raceway. The No. 15 team is currently ranked 34th in the owner standings. The No. 15 Ford would have been among the favorites to miss the race if they had left her in the vehicle.
Deegan’s absence from this weekend’s race will not earn her a playoff waiver, but it is anticipated that she will return for Pocono Raceway’s race the following weekend. NASCAR: Minor incident in Nashville may have significant long-term effects. Next. NASCAR: Minor incident in Nashville may have significant long-term effects
