The first caution of Monday’s United Rentals 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway came courtesy of a four-car collision including Hailie Deegan, Daniel Suarez, Sam Mayer and Kyle Weatherman.
Mayer seemed to take the worst of it, colliding head-on with the wall on Lap 23. All four are out the race.
Deegan, who finished 24th, 17th and 35th in three races at Daytona in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, expressed her disappointment in her Xfinity Series debut at Daytona coming to a premature end.
“I’ve had a bad relationship with Daytona ever since my first Truck race here. It’s been hard for me,” Deegan said, via Toby Christie of Racing America. “I’ve never been able to conquer or at least figure out what the right way is. Do you hang back, should you go, where is the danger zone?”
Hailie Deegan has early exit in United Rentals 300
The United Rentals 300 was notably the first Xfinity Series race to feature two female drivers since 2014. Joining Deegan was Natalie Decker, who earned her way into the race with DGM Racing. The last Xfinity Series race to feature two women was at Kansas Speedway in 2014. Jennifer Jo Cobb finished P24 in that race for Rick Ware Racing. Milka Duno from Venezuela finished P40 in a DNF effort for RAB Racing.
Mayer hasn’t had any better luck at Daytona, finishing 30th and 27th in the opening race during the past two seasons. He described the wreck as a “tough deal,” irked by the type of racing taking place at that point in the race.
“Tough deal,” Mayer said. “Firing off, not even getting to see the green-checkered. But it’s part of racing at this place and part of trying to make things happen on your own. Everyone decided to run the wall and I understand it, but we’re all in a spot where we can get stage points, and no one wanted to do it. It’s just frustrating trying to deal with that kind of racing, which is exactly what we’re going to see next week. Part of the gig, unfortunately.”
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