Hailie Deegan record-breaking ARCA West start results in first podium of 2026 at Portland
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Hailie Deegan produced a late-race recovery at Portland International Raceway to secure her first podium finish of the 2026 ARCA Menards Series West season, while also marking a historic milestone as she made her 35th career ARCA start to become the female driver with the most starts in series history.
Hailie Deegan produced a late-race recovery at Portland International Raceway to secure her first podium finish of the 2026 ARCA Menards Series West season, overcoming an apparent mid-race issue and a fall to sixteenth position before charging back through the field to finish third.
The result was Deegan's best finish of the campaign and her strongest result yet on a road course, while also marking a historic milestone as she made her 35th career ARCA start to become the female driver with the most starts in series history.
Deegan returned to the familiar world of stock car racing for 2026 after spending the previous season competing in Indy NXT in single seaters, rejoining Bill McAnally Racing for a full ARCA West campaign aboard the #16 Chevrolet SS. Having originally made her name with BMR in 2018 and 2019, when she scored three victories and 13 top-five finishes across 28 starts, Deegan returned to the organization with the objective of rebuilding her momentum and fighting for victories.
Her 2026 campaign had produced a steady run of results before Portland. Deegan opened the season with sixth place at Bakersfield before recording three consecutive seventh-place finishes at Tucson, Shasta Speedway and Dacono. A pair of less fortunate rounds subsequently interrupted that run, but the eighth round of the season at Portland International Raceway offered an opportunity to reverse that momentum.
The Portland race, held as part of the weekend supporting the IndyCar Series, would ultimately produce one of the most eventful races of Deegan's season. Starting sixth, Deegan immediately made progress when the green flag dropped for the 57-lap contest. The #16 Chevrolet quickly moved into the top five, with Deegan passing Bill McAnally Racing teammate Mason Massey on lap eight to climb into fourth position.
Her pace remained strong through the opening stages as she began challenging for the final podium position. Deegan spent in fact several laps directly involved in the battle for third, demonstrating the speed needed to remain among the leading group. The intense fight eventually saw her lose a couple of positions during a three-wide battle, dropping to fifth, but she remained inside the top five as the race approached its halfway point.
Then the race suddenly changed as Deegan appeared to encounter an issue that caused her to fall rapidly down the order. After running near the front for much of the opening half, she slipped all the way to 16th position by the halfway mark.
With her podium hopes seemingly gone, Deegan and the Columbia Bank-backed BMR crew were forced to begin another recovery drive after the halfway break: Deegan immediately began picking her way back through the field, climbing to P13 by lap 34 and continuing to make progress as the race entered its closing stages. Four laps later, she had moved into eleventh.
The #16 Chevrolet continued to gain ground, and on lap 44 Deegan made another important move, passing the championship points leader to break back into the top ten. A restart on lap 51 provided another opportunity and Deegan gained three positions immediately to move into seventh, putting herself back in contention for a strong finish.
Deegan made another excellent restart and moved from seventh to fifth through the opening corner, continuing to attack as the leading cars fought intensely for victory. With the laps running out, she remained close enough to capitalize on any mistake ahead.
That opportunity arrived on the final lap, when two of the cars fighting directly ahead of Deegan ran each other off the circuit, opening the door for the #16 Chevrolet. Deegan did not hesitate and moved through the chaos, crossing the finish line in third place, completing a remarkable recovery to claim her first podium of the 2026 season. It was also her best career result on a road course.
By making her 35th career ARCA start, Deegan surpassed the previous record for career starts by a woman in the series, adding another milestone to a weekend that already represented a major breakthrough in her 2026 campaign.
“I am super happy to get my first podium of the season,” said Deegan. “The day certainly brought challenges, but this Columbia Bank team never gave up and we made a charge in the closing laps to finish third. It felt good to finally have a great result and we need to build on this run next race at All American Speedway.”
The third-place finish strengthened Deegan's championship position, moving her into sixth in the ARCA Menards Series West standings. She will now look to carry that momentum into the next round of the championship, the NAPA Auto Parts 150 at All American Speedway in Roseville, California, on September 5.
