NASCAR drivers’ fame comes mainly from the racetrack. Wheeling stock cars close to 170 MPH on nerve-racking circuits, engaging in eye-catching fender-banging action, and enthralling fans in meet-and-greets. However, there is a glamorous side to the racers’ high-octane world. Ranging from Chase Elliott’s new girlfriend to wedding bells ringing for Denny Hamlin, fans love the latest gossip. Even if that means a little overstretched truth about William Byron’s dating life.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver is already riding the waves of glamor in the NASCAR Cup Series. He started off the 2025 season with a bang, clinching the Daytona 500 trophy. At the same time, however, William Byron got embroiled in a spicy rumor involving pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter. That episode just got its sequel on Twitter.
Did William Byron get a blessing?
Oh boy, that is what HMS fans are yearning for – although it may be in vain. After landing his second Harley J. Earl trophy, William Byron got caught in the Hollywood rumor mill. A parody account, ‘The Daily Downfords’, posted a doctored photo on X of Byron leaving a flirtatious comment. It was on an Instagram post of Grammy-winning pop singer Sabrina Carpenter. Byron, however, took that joke in a lighthearted mood, lauding the fan account for its parody posts. He even issued an invitation to Carpenter: “Maybe we can get her out to a race; it would be great.” That was all the community needed to keep the buzz around this topic alive.
In a recent post on X, ‘The Daily Downfords’ struck again. The account posted a podcast clip from the ‘Just Trish Podcast’, and apparently Sabrina Carpenter was a guest on it. Trish says, “So recently there was a rumor going on about you and a certain racing driver.” Then Carpenter’s voice says, “Yeah, so he sent me flowers. But yeah, he’s really sweet and he invited me to one of his races. It would be cool if I could work with NASCAR or something like that.”
Sabrina Carpenter comments on William Byron in a new interview on the “Just Trish” Podcast… pic.twitter.com/iaoyHlor1e
— The Daily Downfords (@DailyDownfords) April 16, 2025
Hold on. In an age where AI-generated media is becoming the norm, the voice itself sounded fishy. Then the facts cloud over the situation even more. Sabrina Carpenter last appeared on the ‘Just Trish Podcast’ in 2024. William Byron extended his invitation to Carpenter in February 2025, so the dates do not add up. So indeed it turned out to be yet another doctored post by The Daily Downfords.
Nevertheless, the prospect of William Byron meeting with Sabrina Carpenter is not entirely impossible. Given the hype that this parody account has drummed up around this situation, who knows? Maybe we will get a definitive update in the future. What is more, even Byron’s teammate Alex Bowman is pumped up for such a crossover. After the rumor mills started to churn in February, Bowman had commented enthusiastically: “Good for him, man. He’s a baby-faced assassin. If he makes that happen, he’s just winning at life. So, proud of him for sure.” After Byron said, “We’ll see what happens,” Bowman was even more excited. He joked, “I think that means it’s going down in the DMs. You never know.”
Clearly, speculation is on the rise about William Byron’s dating life. But as a NASCAR driver, it is never easy to wade through a romantic life, as many Cup drivers have faced.
More nervous with rings than wheels
As we all know, Cup Series drivers have a dangerous job. Wheeling heavy stock cars at nerve-racking speeds can easily take terrifying turns. That is evident across the spine-chilling crashes that have dotted NASCAR history, ranging from Ryan Newman’s 2020 wreck to Ryan Preece’s 2023 tumble in recent years. Yet drivers go at it every race weekend with a fearless approach. However, there is something that makes even these brave racers tremble with nervousness. That is proposing to their girlfriends, which many drivers faced in recent times. Harrison Burton proposed to Jenny Petty in a crowded park in New York, worrying about bystanders. Then Ryan Blaney postponed talking to his girlfriend’s father until the last moment.
However, Daniel Suarez‘s proposal story may have been the most sensational. In 2022, Suarez planned to pop the question in a grand manner to Julia Piquet, the daughter of three-time Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet. The idea was to do the ceremony in Monaco, where Piquet grew up. Her brother Nelson Piquet Jr. put Suárez in touch with a photographer from the family’s native Brazil. However, on the grand day, the photographer overslept, and Suarez started sweating. “I didn’t know what to do,” Suárez said. “I was thinking, ‘Do I just give her the ring and nobody has any pictures? Or should I just wait and reset and start from zero again?’ I had to think about that in like a minute.” Eventually, the photographer arrived and snapped their lovely moment on the beach.
Evidently, dating life in NASCAR circles can prompt beads of sweat. William Byron’s personal life seems dry for now, but who knows? A NASCAR-Hollywood crossover may be brewing.
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