Quotes from Hailie Deegan

I think the people who just stay in line fall into a segment of average drivers and I don't want to be average. I want to be different; I want to be unique for my driving style and my abilities.

Being over at Ford offers a much clearer path in my development.

I feel like in NASCAR, there's not many personalities that take up social media. Most of the time, it's just the media person doing it for them, and you don't get that connection with the fans when you do that.

You have to bump or throw a block sometimes. Even when it goes wrong, how many times has it worked? I think it's a matter of picking and choosing your battles. You gotta do what you've gotta do to try to get a win.

I'm trying to build a good fanbase, a good army behind me of people and supporters.

I don't want to be cocky, but I want to win a championship and feel that with my team, I have the ability.

There's nothing I hate more than an over-cocky person. I have friends that'll be all cocky and then go out and get their butt whooped. They're the worst.

I don't think you should compare yourself to anyone else because everyone is in a different situation.

I'm still learning how to flip that switch on and off. I want to make the most of every opportunity with the least amount of collateral damage. In every race you make smart moves and you take risks.

I like Kyle Busch, I love his driving style. He might not have the most positivity off the track, but I do like his driving style.

A lot of drivers don't put that stuff on social media because they're scared they might get criticized or whatever, and there will be people who say I can't drive. I just don't let it get to me and do my own thing.

I try to keep it really real on my social media, whether it's me training or working out, whether it's me practicing or failing at something.

I think what is most important to me is to be competitive week-in and week-out - not winning a race one week and then not finishing.

I've been in a lot of fires.

The hardest thing for me was just getting crew chiefs and people to believe in me.

I'm so used to being in this racing world. This is what I want to do. I don't like doing anything else.

People wonder where I get my aggressiveness. Since I was 8 I've been racing that way.

You don't see guys being compared with other guys, you base people on your roots in racing. You would think I'd get more compared with people who do dirt racing.

That's what stock-car racing is. You hit someone, or you get hit. That's something I had to learn. It's a key factor in why I'm so aggressive. I don't want to have to hit you. But if you're going to hit me, I'm going to hit you.

Off-track, I do a lot of physical training, I work out a lot. My dad grew up in the motocross scene, where it's intense and everyone's in really good shape. That's the lifestyle that I grew up around, so I might work out more than other racers do.

In the end, I'm a racer, I'm not a model, obviously. I lost about a foot of my height for that. And in the end, I'm not trying to be one. I'm trying to be a real person. Try to be a racer.

My parents can't always travel with me because my little brother is a world champion on dirt bikes.

You don't feel accomplished when you get that first step on the ladder. You feel accomplished when you're on top of the ladder. I want to be on top, and I'm going to do everything in my ability to get there.

But it's hard for people to give you a chance until you prove to them that you're worthy.