Hailie Deegan struggles in Indy NXT Detroit qualifying, landing near the bottom of the leaderboard in a challenging session as Dennis Hauger took pole position at the Detroit Grand Prix. The event unfolded on Detroit’s tight street circuit, setting the stage for a day of surprises and tough competition among key drivers such as Lochie Hughes, Will Power, and Kyle Kirkwood.
Tough Qualifying Session for Deegan and the Field
The weekend has been difficult for Hailie Deegan as she adjusts to the pace and challenges of Indy NXT competition. During the qualifying round for the Detroit Grand Prix, Deegan placed ninth out of ten drivers in group 1, with a best lap time of 1:10.1441. This result put her nearly five seconds off the group’s fastest driver, Lochie Hughes of Andretti Global, who posted a time of 1:05.0516. Deegan, a former NASCAR driver fitting into a new series, has yet to find her rhythm on the demanding street track.
Lochie Hughes expressed frustration with the tight, 1.645-mile Detroit circuit, formed by temporary barriers that left little room for error or traffic clearance. His comments highlight some challenges all drivers faced throughout the weekend, as slower cars and impeding became recurring issues. There was also an earlier incident in IndyCar practice involving Will Power and Kyle Kirkwood, emphasizing the circuit’s difficulties for even the series’ seasoned racers.
Ricardo Escotto faced his own struggles, after a heavy impact with the barriers during practice session two. He was unable to set a qualifying time, which left him at the bottom of group 1. The drama continued in group 2 when James Roe suffered a substantial crash at turn 1, while the session clock continued to run due to a tight event schedule and IndyCar qualifying set to begin soon after.
Hauger Claims Pole Amidst Late-Session Battle
Following the restart in group 2, Myles Rowe made moves to secure a good lap time by finding open space on track, but it was Dennis Hauger who delivered under pressure. The Andretti driver, coming off a strong start to the season with three wins from four races, set a blistering 1:04.989 to secure pole position for the Detroit Grand Prix. This performance underlines both Hauger’s dominance and the unpredictable nature of street circuit qualifying.
Deegan Reflects on Her Progress in the Series
Despite a tough showing in Detroit, Deegan remains focused on her development within the Indy NXT ranks. Her recent outings include 17th and 18th place finishes in the double-header at the IMS road course. A point of pride for her has been maintaining a clean record with no crashes so far in her rookie season. This steadiness is an important factor as she adapts from her NASCAR background into open-wheel racing.
After the latest qualifying session, Deegan opened up to media about her ongoing growth in the series, telling Frontstretch:
“A lot, just by myself. Like we have a chart that goes through like percentages of how far I’m off, and every time we go hit the track, the percentage goes down, which is good. To see that we keep making strides in the right direction. Speed-wise, right now, I’m just kind of racing myself a whole lot, obviously, restarts when stuff happens, but just trying to get faster pace-wise myself and get comfortable.”
—Hailie Deegan, Driver
Looking Ahead to Race Day in Detroit
Deegan will line up 18th on the grid for the Indy NXT race at Detroit, which begins at 10:30 am ET, with the IndyCar main event following at 12:30 pm ET. As the weekend continues, drivers like Deegan and Ricardo Escotto will be seeking improvement, while frontrunners Dennis Hauger and Lochie Hughes will look to capitalize on their strong qualifying results. For Deegan and many others, each lap offers a lesson in both the demands and rewards of open-wheel competition, as the season progresses and the streets of Detroit test every aspect of a driver’s skill and focus.
