In The Prestige, Michael Caine’s character explains the anatomy of every great magic trick: the pledge, the turn, and the prestige. First, the magician shows you something ordinary, like a bird, a man, a car (#foreshadowing). That’s the pledge. Next comes the turn, where the ordinary does something extraordinary, like vanishing into thin air. But just making something disappear isn’t enough. That’s where the prestige comes in. The part where the impossible becomes real, the bird returns, the audience gasps, and you’re left wondering, “How the hell did they pull that off?” Basically, convincing the audience that the magic was real.

Now, imagine someone took that concept… and turned it into a sport of its own. Not on stage, but on X. The magician? A mysterious group of NASCAR pranksters. The pledge? A believable story. The turn? A surprising twist. And the prestige? Oh, it hits hard, especially when even the sport’s most seasoned commentators fall for the ruse.

The Daily Downfords do it again – And this time, the NASCAR pros took the bait

NASCAR has a ton of social media pages that contribute to daily news and updates, but few names spark equal parts laughter and groans like The Daily Downfords. Self-proclaimed masters of mischief, this parody page of The Daily Downforce has built a reputation on blending NASCAR knowledge with razor-sharp satire. Their “reports” often blur the line just enough between humor and headline to make even seasoned fans hesitate, and that’s exactly their edge. They don’t break news; they bend reality until the sport’s own faithful can’t tell what’s real anymore.

Their latest act opened with a classic magician’s move: the pledge. The Downfords tweeted that Daniel Ricciardo, the beloved former Formula 1 star, would be making his NASCAR debut this summer. A fan favorite with a playful personality and undeniable talent, Ricciardo hasn’t competed full-time in F1 since 2024. His supporters have long hoped to see him racing again, especially in a bold, new arena like American stock cars. The seed was planted and perfectly believable.

Next came the turn. According to the tweet, Ricciardo would be suiting up for Trackhouse Racing at the upcoming NASCAR event in Mexico City on June 15th. The details were so precise—team, track, date—that the rumor took off like wildfire. Unsuspecting fans (a huge bunch) online jumped in with excitement. After all, everyone wants to see the Honeybadger back on track. For a moment, it felt like the kind of bold crossover that only NASCAR in 2025 could deliver. It had just enough truth to sell the fiction.

Then came the final flourish: the prestige. There was no such deal, no debut, and no Daniel Ricciardo on the entry list. Just another flawless prank. But this time (again), the audience who fell for it included more than fans. The Daily Downfords’ mission accomplished one more time! During a live Cup Series practice session at Texas, even NASCAR commentators, Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer, ran with the story, seriously discussing Ricciardo’s “upcoming” debut on-air. In a twist worthy of a magic act, the pranksters managed to fool the very voices paid to know better.

Of course, The Daily Downfords are no strangers to this game. Their previous targets include Landon Cassill, who received an email from the Talladega marketing department before NASCAR visited for the race weekend. Psst..it was actually a fake email by The Daily Downfords. He was made to believe that the ‘Number 8’ was banned from being displayed at the venue, given the then-dispute between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Lamar Jackson. Casill took to social media to express his frustration. However, authorities had to publicly deny the news and their involvement in the prank, stating, “Oh, it definitely wasn’t us.” A face-palm moment for Cassill!

The Daily Downfords have also faked new rules, driver feuds, and sponsorships, always with a straight face and a convincing enough setup to sell the story. But this latest Ricciardo saga may be their finest trick yet. Not just because it spread, but because it worked on the people who were supposed to see through it. Well, Joy wasn’t the first NASCAR announcer lured in by the Downfords’ shenanigans.

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Mike Bagley gets duped by the fake NASCAR rumor

Bagley is an MRN radio host and co-host of the show, The Morning Drive on SiriusXM NASCAR radio. He’s been around the sport longer than most of these social media pages, but despite having the skin in the game, he fell for fake news. The culprit or the mastermind behind this prank was once again, Daily Downfords.

They sent out a rumor stating that veteran NASCAR team owner Richard Childress was under investigation by the FBI for ‘deliberate efforts to hide or launder campaign donations. With the type of reporting, the thumbnail and even the fake credits to Sports Business Journal made it seemed like this was the real deal. This prompted Bagley’s response, “Could you provide a link? I have researched Adam‘s postings since April 1 and have found nothing related to this.” And just like that, the Downfords had another highlight to boast about.

Fans quickly intervened, and it seems as if they’ve coined a term for those who fall for the bait. The comments section was abuzz, “Bagman got downford’d😭😭.” Although ethically this practice needs to be called out but for some reason the fans have accepted it, and they are waiting on the next victim.