NASCAR driver returning after death threats?

Despite dealing with a significant off-track issue, Hailie Deegan is set to compete in tonight’s NASCAR Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

During a NASCAR Truck Series off weekend last weekend, Team DGR’s Hailie Deegan had plans to compete in the Freedom 500 at Bradenton’s (Florida) Freedom Factory, formerly known as DeSoto Speedway.

Unfortunately, the 20-year-old Temecula, California native was unable to do so as a result of an off-track issue, one which was believed to pose a threat to her safety and well-being.

As a result of a catfishing scheme involving a fake Hailie Deegan account, an obsessed fan, described as a “36-year-old guy with a past criminal record”, sent death threats to her boyfriend, fellow race car driver Chase Cabre.

Cabre and Deegan live together in North Carolina, and the individual in question resides nearby.

But Deegan, who had been dealing with the situation for the last few months before opening up about it earlier this week with Cabre in a YouTube video titled “Our Lives Are Being Threatened…”, has vowed to return to living a normal life.

"“I’m over this, I’m completely over this.”"

As a result, the driver of the #1 Ford does plan to compete in tonight’s 200-lap Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 at the four-turn, 0.526-mile (0.847-kilometer) Martinsville Speedway oval in Ridgeway, Virginia.

So this situation, which has not actually kept her out of any Truck Series events up to this point, fortunately doesn’t look like it is going to do so.

However, NASCAR does plan to take extra measures to ensure her safety on and off the track, and that includes Thursday night’s race.

Here is what NASCAR spokesman Mike Forde had to say.

"“We have measures in place to increase her safety on and off the track.”"

In four starts so far this season, Deegan has three DNFs and a finish of 17th place at Daytona International Speedway. Her rough start has left her in 35th in the point standings. As a rookie last year, she finished in 17th with a top finish of seventh at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, and she was voted the Most Popular Driver of the series.

Fox Sports 1 is set to broadcast the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 live from Martinsville Speedway beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET this evening. Start your free trial of FuboTV and don’t miss it!