NASCAR is known for its dynasties, with drivers competing in the sport, followed by their children continuing their legacy. For example, we have the Earnhardts and the Pettys as the most famous names. While the on-track success of the drivers added to their legacy these names weren’t just restricted to the confines of the ovals. Richard Petty was a national hero revered by President Ronald Reagan, then there was Jeff Gordon who was seen as Tom Cruise from Hollywood in his own right.
Not to forget, Dale Jr., who despite having retired from racing for more than half a decade still remains an influential voice in NASCAR. The crux of the story is, that all these drivers were larger-than-life figures and established a brand that was associated with their name. While a lot of people have tried to imitate these icons, very few have cracked the code. But, Brain Deegan a veteran racer understands the changing dynamics of audiences and fans in the modern era. And evidently, he’s mentored his kids into following a plan that involves optimizing the use of social media.
At 50, Brian is past his peak years of racing after dominating the X Games. But he feels his boys Haiden and Hudson along with daughter Hailie are on the right path of building their career. Although none of his kids have truly dominated the circuits like he did, but as far as personal branding goes, they’ve done a pretty good job.
“The best way I can describe it is just your name is your stock value and you’re always trying to build that stock. And I try to always teach that social media is a business … and you’re trying to build brand awareness for your sponsors. The more views and the more attention you get, the more value there is.” Brian Deegan said this in an interview with People.
Well, Hailie Deegan certainly took this advice to heart and scaled heights when it comes to social media presence. She has almost 600k followers on her YouTube channel, 1.6 million followers on Instagram, and closing on a million followers on Facebook. She regularly uploads videos and content via YouTube and keeps her followers in the loop with daily updates on FB and Instagram. But, on the flip side of this fame comes criticism and backlash, especially when you are unable to perform on the racetrack.
KNOXVILLE, IOWA – JUNE 18: Hailie Deegan, driver of the #1 Monster Energy Ford, walks to her car before the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Clean Harbors 150 at Knoxville Raceway on June 18, 2022 in Knoxville, Iowa. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)
As it turns out Deegan’s dad has also formulated a strategy on how to deal with the negative comments despite growing her fanbase online.
Hailie Deegan was prepared to tackle negativity following her NASCAR exit
Being a female driver in NASCAR is a tough ask. Although Danica Patrick was able to sustain the pressure in the Cup Series, Deegan had a tough time climbing the ladder. After a breakthrough season in K&N Pro Series West in 2019, she made her way to the Craftsman Truck Series, in the process she jumped ships from TRD to Ford and spent three years in the feeder series. Unfortunately, she only had five top 10 in three full seasons and it looked like she had lost her spark.
But, this is when she made an even bigger leap and moved up the ranks in the Xfinity Series with AM Racing. Well, this was supposed to be her dream run but only after 17 races did it turn into a nightmare. She was ejected from the driver’s seat and AM Racing parted ways with her mid-season, the reason behind this decision was the lack of results on the track.
Multiple DNFs and eight finishes outside the top 30 eventually led to her exit from NASCAR. Now it’s tough to point the finger at the team or the driver for the poor show, but NASCAR fans didn’t show Deegan any mercy. What followed next was a wave of criticism and negative feedback on social media, a place where the driver had amassed popularity.
One would think that this negativity would’ve had a serious effect on Deegan. But as it turns out, she was trained for this scenario as well. “You got to help teach them too, to build thick skin … it’s just part of the process of building the network and you can’t take that [negative] stuff to heart. I always say it’s just in and out. It just comes and goes and you just can’t take too much meaning to it. The meaning should come from the ones you love and your family. That’s the ones you’re going to listen to. And other than that, it’s just comments.” Brian added.
There’s still a possibility that we might see Hailie Deegan back in a NASCAR race car. At 23, she still has a lot of time to work on her craft and come prepared for her next stock car racing adventure. But in the meanwhile, she’s turned her attention towards open-wheel racing. Deegan will be racing with HMD Motorsports in the Indy NXT Series.
At the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Peterburg, Deegan went on to finish 14th in the race, scoring 16 points. This puts her just two places behind teammate and fellow female driver, Sophia Flörsch. Now, the season has just started, so it may take time for Deegan to find her feet, but this is a good start for her.
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