"I was so used to having cameras around 24/7 ... Oh, I gotta show my life on social media, show everyone who I am. People ...

When it comes to securing sponsors, Deegan is picky. The money might sound good, but it has to fit. "I've turned down a lot of sponsor deals over the fact that it doesn't align with me as a person.

But in the winter of 2021, as the NASCAR Cup Series was ushering in the Next Gen era, one phone call from Denny Hamlin, and then another from Michael Jordan, was all it took to light that fire again.

Third at Mexico City, fifth at Pocono, it was bound to happen. Chase Elliott finally broke a 43-race winless drought with an ...