Getting close to NASCAR used to be difficult. Now it just takes a phone. Drivers post on social media, teams share behind-the-scenes clips, and journalists open up a world that once felt out of reach. But that access comes with a catch. For NASCAR’s security team, separating harmless online noise from a potential warning sign has become a challenge of its own.

Lissette Deschamps, NASCAR’s director of security, spoke with journalist Kelly Crandall and offered a glimpse into how the sport approaches security and access to its events. She also made it clear that breaking the rules can come with some serious consequences.

“So I can ban you for eternity,” Deschamps told Crandall. “Or, I can ban you for a couple of races. I mean, it depends on the level and what needs to happen”.

Deschamps used a hypothetical situation involving an accredited journalist handing their pass to someone else, a big “no-no” in NASCAR, to explain how the punishment could range from a ban for a few races to a lifetime ban.

Now, as to how they get notified about the security issues, it is through the teams and their PR representatives. They stay informed about anything or anyone that seems suspicious or sets their alarm bells off. And yes, they can actually find out who the person behind the keyboard really is, in detail.

“What we do is we then go to an extra level where we kind of do an individual person search on that person just to see what their background is, to see where they come from, to see what kind of arrest, criminal history they’ve had,” Deschamps said. “And then we kind of move forward in it to see if it’s just talk or if it’s something that we kind of need to look forward a little bit more into to notify local law enforcement of it.”

While not an online incident, there was recently one such incident involving a fan, where law enforcement did get involved. It was the bizarre case of the flip-flop man at the NASCAR O’Reilly race at the San Diego street circuit.

During a red flag, one fan jumped two fences and made his way onto the track, heading toward Haas driver Sheldon Creed and his No. 00 car. He ended up sharing a fist bump with Creed and exchanging a few words with him before nearly losing his flip-flop on his way back. On social media, the reaction to the incident was mostly humorous. But underneath all that humor is also the fact that this was a security breach. And there were consequences.

It didn’t take long for police and federal agents to apprehend the man after the unauthorized entry. While Creed might have given him a fist bump, but make no mistake: he wasn’t on board.

“I think he’s wasted. I didn’t even understand what he was saying. Please let the officials know we have no part in this guy.”

This incident is a prime example of what happens when one crosses a certain line. That being said, according to Deschamps, not everyone who raises concerns is necessarily looking to cause trouble. Some are devoted fans who do not always recognise how their words or actions might come across. That does not mean the team can afford to ignore a worrying post, but it does mean context matters.

“We’ve had a couple of incidents…,” Deschamps said. “And sometimes, you know, they’re taken out of context because they just want to be a race fan, but they just don’t know their limitations. Right? So they mean no harm. Right? But sometimes you don’t know that until you’ve looked into who they are, what their posts are, where they come from.”

The team keeps records of these cases, too. Deschamps explained that having a record means security personnel can return to an earlier incident instead of starting from scratch whenever the same person comes up again. And that history can become especially important when someone wants to attend a race.

NASCAR has to consider whether a person who behaves in a concerning way online might eventually show up at the track. That is where the credentialing system comes into play.

Deschamps explained that credential information is stored in a database available to the security team. If someone on a restricted list is submitted for a new pass, the application can be flagged, with the reason for the restriction visible to the team. A request from a team or another organization does not automatically mean that person will be allowed back in.

There is, however, a difference between a ban and a permanent ban. Deschamps recalled a social media professional who repeatedly flew drones when he was not supposed to. She contacted him at a race and put him on the list. He later came back to ask what he needed to do to regain access.

“He does great stuff for our industry,” she said. “So he proved himself. So he then was taken off the list. But we do have the right to be able to say, no, you cannot come to a race.”

So, all these examples do show that, in the end, it is truly a case-by-case scenario. The level of breach decides what really happens.

For people who work in and around NASCAR, access to the garage and pit road is a privilege that comes with rules. And NASCAR’s security team takes those rules seriously, whether the concern begins with a social media post or behaviour at the track.

In a sport where the line between online activity and real-world access can be surprisingly thin, losing a credential can be a much bigger consequence than some people expect.