Long-Run Struggles Leave Deegan Just Shy of Top Five at Phoenix

Hailie Deegan and the No. 16 Monster Energy team finished sixth in the Diamond Desert Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix Raceway, maximizing their result in a competitive ARCA Menards Series West (AMSW) field. Rain brought the race to an early end after 113 laps, with a late series of cautions giving Deegan an opportunity to work her way back toward the front.

Starting eighth, Deegan quickly climbed to fifth in the opening lap before long-run handling issues began to surface. The car grew increasingly loose as the run progressed, dropping her to eighth by lap 41 before she reached the lap 50 break in ninth. The team made a right-side tire change and added fuel during the stop, aiming to improve the car’s handling for the second half.

After restarting ninth on lap 61, Deegan made an aggressive move three lanes below the yellow line through turns one and two to gain a position. A pair of quick cautions gave her further opportunities to advance, and she battled for fifth over the opening laps of the lap-72 restart. After settling into sixth, Deegan continued to track down the cars ahead and was closing rapidly on fourth by lap 95. A lap-97 caution kept her in fifth, putting her in position to contend for a top-five finish.

Deegan restarted seventh for an overtime attempt on lap 104, staying tucked behind Bill McAnally Racing teammate Mason Massey as she worked her way forward. She gained a position to sixth before another caution interrupted the run, and rain ultimately ended the race after 113 laps. Despite the persistent handling challenges, Deegan and the No. 16 Monster Energy team maximized their day with a sixth-place finish against a deep AMSW field. Following Saturday night’s result, Deegan moves up to 4th in the AMSW standings.

“Yeah we were just too loose,” Deegan said. “We struggled pretty bad on the long run and we certainly took advantage of the short runs at the end. I think we had a fast Monster Energy Chevrolet, but we just couldn’t quite dial in the handling. Thanks to everyone at Bill McAnally Racing for all their hard work, we’ll get them at Kern.”

Start / Finish: 8 / 6
Points Standing / Total: 4th / pts. (-)

Next Race: Saturday, October 31, Kern Raceway
How to Watch or Listen: 10 p.m. ET on FloRacing

Hailie Deegan: @HailieDeegan
NAPA: @NAPARacing
Bill McAnally Racing / McAnally-Hilgemann Racing: @BMR_NASCAR