While fans enjoy the on-track, fast-paced, high-stakes racing under the lights, it is time to unravel a darker side of the NASCAR fandom. In 2022, rising star Hailie Deegan was forced off track after an obsessed fan escalated from creepy messages to real-world threats, prompting her team to alert authorities and skip a race for safety.

On the other hand, long before social media amplified every interaction, female racers like Shawna Robinson battled intrusive behavior and a culture that treated them as anomalies rather than athletes. So, if one modern driver’s experience shows how quickly admiration can become mania, the next story proves that it isn’t just a new-era problem, but it has been baked into the sport for decades. This time, to prove the point, a viral post from Samantha Busch has made rounds on social media with NASCAR fans calling it a “boomer” move.

Toni Breidinger sheds light on an off-track issue plaguing NASCAR

Samantha narrated the story of a man who turned up at a drag strip convinced he was dating NHRA Top Fuel racer Ida Zetterström, only to discover he’d been the victim of a catfish scam, with someone else pretending to be the driver online. Samantha teased the full tell-all on her Certified Oversharer podcast episode with Zetterström, where the guest unpacked the bizarre encounter and the emotional fallout for everyone.

When Samantha’s post blew up, Toni Breidinger simply shrugged and replied, “Story of my life. every race at least 1 person comes up to me thinking this,” capturing how commonplace and uncomfortable these encounters are for modern drivers. Breidinger is not new to this as she herself has faced impersonation and scam attempts in the past.

One documented case involved a fake Breidinger TikTok account offering exclusive access and private dinners, which reportedly led to one fan losing money thinking they were dealing with the real driver. That kind of scam taps into trust and emotional access.

Similarly, there was a viral meme where a fan posted a photo of himself on the bed with a life-size cardboard Breidinger cutout, to which the female driver joked about calling the FBI, turning an awkward intrusion into a public commentary on how easily fans blur boundaries. But one very recent case with yet another female racing star has left fans stunned and questioning the breach of security and privacy of these celebrities.

In a video message posted by Kaylee Bryson recently on X, she addressed the issue, saying, “Okay, I’m gonna make a video showing you some of the crazy messages I get. Some people do not believe that they’re actually not talking to me, so this is like proof that you’re not dating me.” 

She went on to call out fans who referred to her as his future wife, sending voice notes and asking questions like “What’s your car number?” as validation, further showing screenshots of her social media posts as “evidence.” Bryson stated, “I tell him you’re getting scammed,” as he sent her Facebook posts back to her, but she kept insisting, “This page has a blue check mark, that’s because it’s the official Kaylee Bryson page.”

Along with Breidinger, Bryson also issued a warning, saying, “I love whenever fans come up to me, but there’s like a fine line of fans, and people that are like, we’ve been talking on Facebook for a long time, and I think that they’re dating me… I had a guy at Belleville get mad at me, because I told him that he was probably getting scammed and not talking to me, he wanted to think that I was lying to him… So that happens a lot, I don’t know how to go about it, it’s really awkward conversations at the track, but about every time I go to the track I have to deal with that. Super weird, but makes for a good story I guess.”

Motorsports personalities are highly accessible online, which breeds intimacy, and occasionally exploitation, but better platform verification, clearer fan education about scams, and a thicker boundary between personal and public persona of stars is very much required at the moment. Yet, strange and unexpected moments seem to find Breidinger both on and off the track.

Amid tough results, Toni Breidinger finally finds a win off the track

Toni Breidinger’s 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season has been far from easy. Piloting the No. 5 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Tricon Garage in her first full-time campaign, the 26-year-old is still searching for her first top-10 finish. But even with an average finish of 25, Breidinger’s consistency and determination continue to stand out in one of NASCAR’s most competitive fields.

In August, the Tricon driver faced an unexpected heartbreak off the track. During a stop in Ithaca, New York, her car was broken into, and her custom Tumi suitcase, marked “TB,” was stolen, along with her 818 Tequila and Coach firesuits. “Anyone in the Ithaca NY area!” she wrote on Twitter. “My car was broken into last night, and my suitcase was stolen. It’s a custom Tumi suitcase with TB on it. Inside were personal items, including my 818 and Coach suits.” For a driver in the middle of the season grind, it was a major blow.

Weeks later, relief finally came. Tricon Garage shared heartwarming photos of Breidinger holding her recovered firesuits, smiling widely after weeks of uncertainty. The joy was palpable, a small but meaningful victory in a season filled with challenges. This off-track win then became the spark that Breidinger needed to finish her debut full-time campaign on a positive note.