Extreme heat literally melted a female NASCAR driver’s shoe, causing her foot to become stuck to the pedal….
Extreme heat took an alarming toll on a NASCAR race when driver Toni Breidinger faced a harrowing ordeal — her shoe literally melted during the event. As track temperatures soared well over 130°F (54°C), the blistering heat inside the cockpit turned her car into a furnace. Mid-race, Breidinger realized her foot was stuck to the accelerator, fused to the pedal by the softened rubber of her racing shoe.
Trapped in a dangerous situation, she had to wrestle her foot free without losing control at high speed. “It felt like my shoe was glued down,” she later reported, revealing just how brutal the conditions had become. Though she avoided a crash, the incident sparked urgent conversations about driver safety in extreme temperatures. NASCAR vehicles, often reaching interior temperatures above 150°F, provide limited cooling for drivers.
Breidinger’s experience isn’t just an anecdote — it’s a cautionary tale as climate change pushes heat extremes into new territory. Fans and fellow drivers praised her resilience, but also called on NASCAR to reevaluate cockpit cooling systems and safety gear. As racing speeds ahead, so too must its response to a heating world.
