Nick Sanchez apologizes for 'unfortunate' incident with Hailie Deegan during Toyota 200

For the rookie Nick Sanchez, the NASCAR Truck Series is not always the easiest series to navigate. He had a run-in with Hailie Deegan today. The Toyota 200 had plenty of caution flags, but Sanchez had a bit of a lazy move on his competitor, running into her rear and putting her into the wall.

Of course, Hailie Deegan was not happy about the situation. Her truck was wrecked and unable to continue due to all of the damage. That No. 13 Ford was falling apart as Deegan drove it back to the garage.

After the race, Nick Sanchez was asked about the incident. He was disappointed with his P8 finish as well as the bump that sent Deegan into the wall. Seems that the young driver still has some learning to do about being patient out on the track.

“You know it’s unfortunate, I hate to tear up a truck, especially her,” Sanchez said, via Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. “Just racing hard trying to get momentum, pushed her back bumper off of 2 and 3, trying to get clear of the two [trucks] on my inside. Just racing so close, hit her. Hit her, no two ways around it. Unfortunate, sucks that it happened, and my apologies.”

Nick Sanchez was a little disappointed in his eighth-place finish and he apologizes for the wreck with Hailie Deegan. pic.twitter.com/a1EgC5mz4s

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 3, 2023

Nick Sanchez has shown a lot of promise in the Truck Series this season. As a rookie, he has a lot to learn but he has speed and shows maturity on the track. It is good to see him own up to this one and hopefully, he can avoid making the same mistake twice in the future.

Hailie Deegan put into the wall by Nick Sanchez

Looking back on the wreck, Nick Sanchez really just overdrove into the turn and put his bumper to Hailie Deegan’s tailgate. There are times when you just have to let off and try to come at it from a different angle. 88 laps into a 160-lap race, you should probably ease up a little bit.

One thing is for sure, fans were feeling bad for Deegan. There are examples in her career, like there is with every driver, where she caused a mess. Or she got into someone else and ended their day early. This time, like many other times, it was something she had no control over.

Sanchez just went too fast into the turn and didn’t let up.

A push sends @HailieDeegan hard into the outside wall at @WWTRaceway. pic.twitter.com/F3lPMb7vZ4

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) June 3, 2023

I think Nick Sanchez’s apology will be very little consolation for Deegan. However, it is good to see the young driver own up to his mistake. He’s run up front this season and wants to prove that he’s a championship-level driver. That means he will have to drive his competitors, all of his competitors, like a champion would.

Grant Enfinger went on to win the Toyota 200 after a series of late cautions. Sanchez shouldn’t feel too bad, Ty Majeski made a bad move on Zane Smith as they battled for the lead and ruined both of their days in the process.

Still, some things to learn for Sanchez.