Just a day before NASCAR’s grand season-opener, the Daytona 500, a Florida man was arrested and taken into custody. This came after he uploaded videos of himself firing an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and sending out threats. And this isn’t the first time the accused has come under the spotlight, especially related to NASCAR.

The accused’s NASCAR connection

Adrian Morales, the accused, lives right across Daytona International Speedway, which hosted the Daytona 500 last Sunday. Apart from recording the threatening video, Morales was also under the spotlight for sending out threats to a NASCAR executive.

As per the authorities, his proximity to the superspeedway was labeled “concerning” due to the “grievances and aggressive messages he left for a NASCAR executive” back in 2025. Morales, 45, requested sponsorship resources from the sports authorities, but didn’t get them. However, since there were no criminal findings, he wasn’t arrested.

In the threat video he shared, he targeted the Sheriff’s Office, DEA, and the FBI. The detectives recovered the AR-15 and ammunition from his vehicle, and a judge has ordered him held without bond at Volusia County Branch Jail.

This becomes rather concerning for NASCAR fans. His apartment complex is only a three-minute drive from the Daytona International Superspeedway. Things could’ve gone worse if he hadn’t been arrested, especially before Sunday’s main event. 

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But his past comments he made against a NASCAR executive, and his possession of the rifle, made it a concerning ordeal. Thankfully, the authorities took action right in time, avoiding the probability of any kind of mass shooting that could take place. 

As one of the biggest sporting organizations, NASCAR tries to keep itself away from any wrongdoing or illegal activities. This major save from the Sheriff’s office was quite impressive and commendable for the sport.

But there was another interesting case last year, when NASCAR CEO Jim France’s family member found himself in trouble.

When Jim France’s grandson found himself in trouble with the law

Speed does not stay away from the France family. While Jim France is down at the NASCAR HQ making sure the races go in order, one of his grandsons, Dallas Ashley, is out on the roads, riding his superbikes. He is related to the popular YouTube channel, Speed Demon (@Speeddemon407). While the channel has a little over 5k subscribers, one of his videos got him in trouble. 

The video saw him weave through high traffic on Florida roads at extremely high speeds. One clip shows the speedometer exceeding 150 mph (241 km/h).

While this was understandably not legal as per the traffic laws, it is unknown if Ashley was arrested.

Even though he has claimed he stays away from the France family and is not in contact with the NASCAR-owning royalty, this could have landed a major legal trouble for Jim France, especially considering the fact that the sport was already facing an antitrust lawsuit from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.