Back in May 2023, what started as a routine day of beach construction in Florida spiraled into chaos when NASCAR veteran Ray Black Jr. was reportedly arrested following a disturbing public incident that quickly drew law enforcement attention. According to video footage titled “Florida Millionaire Causes Chaos on The Beach,” by Midwest Safety on YouTube, Black repeatedly ran in front of active bulldozers, interfering with workers as they attempted to operate heavy machinery along the shoreline.

This act posed a clear danger to both himself and others nearby. When deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene, the situation only escalated.

Witnesses told police that Black owned multiple homes, including a property in Orlando, and described him as a millionaire. Friends on site suggested Black may have been experiencing an emotional breakdown. They linked it to his recent personal stress, including becoming a new father.

A couple of officers tried to reason with the former NASCAR driver and repeatedly asked him to move away from the bulldozer to diffuse the situation. But Black stood his ground, and officers restrained him.

It was an ugly scene as Black resisted to the point that officers had to resort to a taser gun to put him under the cuffs. The dashcam footage showed the entire scene unfold right from the get-go in 2023, as published by Midwest Safety on YouTube.

Black was taken into custody and charged with breach of peace and felony resisting an officer with violence. As per the video, Black was released on a $4,000 bond.

The video documenting the arrest concluded by weighing possible explanations for Black’s behavior. They ranged from dehydration to substance use or a mental health crisis.

A look at Ray Black Jr’s racing journey

Ray Black Jr. built a respectable, hard-earned résumé across NASCAR’s national ranks. His motorsports journey began in familiar grassroots fashion. He launched out of Florida’s local racing scene at just 14 years old after being inspired (of all things) by racing video games.

That early passion quickly translated into results. In 2006, Black dominated the Florida Mini Cup Racing Association’s Junior All-Star division. He won the championship with remarkable consistency and rarely finished outside the top five. By 2013, Black had climbed into Pro Late Models, and a year later, he earned his first shot on NASCAR’s national stage.

His NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut came in 2014 at Martinsville Speedway with SS-Green Light Racing. Starting on the 29th, he brought the truck home 24th and went on to make several starts that season.

The 2015 season marked the high point of Black’s career. Running full-time in the Truck Series and competing for Rookie of the Year honors, he delivered a career-best fifth-place finish at Daytona. His career looked promising as he carried the momentum into the Xfinity Series, where he debuted late in 2015 at Texas with Rick Ware Racing.

Black ran full-time in Xfinity in 2016 with SS-Green Light Racing. For the next few years, things went well, but he decided to step away from racing in 2020. He wanted to help with his family business, CDA (Commercial Diving Academy) Technical Institute, which was founded by his father in 1995.