Hailie Deegan, 16, received her high school diploma right before her race in California. (Instagram)
NASCAR driver Hailie Deegan may have had the busiest weekend of her young career so far.
Deegan, 16, spent her Saturday racing in the Carneros 200 at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., and receiving her high school diploma minutes before the race began.
Deegan, the daughter of X-Games superstar Brian Deegan, races as a rookie in the regional NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and was selected as one of NASCAR’s up-and-coming stars.
She finished in seventh place on Saturday and moved up to fifth place in the K&N points standings. She’s finished in the top 10 in all of her races so far this season.
Deegan first caught the attention of NASCAR Cup series stars when she raced with former champion Kevin Harvick in the Bakersfield 175, according to For The Win. Harvick said after the race that he thought Deegan had the most potential.
“I think as far as potential and reach and just racing knowledge and getting in a car as young as she is, she would be the one I would pluck out of the series and say, ‘That’s the one we want to be a part of,” Harvick said, according to USA Today.