Candace Muzny: Former NASCAR Driver Accused of Nail Salon Attack

Candace Muzny is a former NASCAR race car driver with a once-promising career who is accused of hitting a Vietnamese nail salon worker in the face because the nail tech didn’t speak English during her pedicure. The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma woman is also accused of assaulting a police officer by slashing his ear with a pocket knife during an out-of-control incident in which her dog also tugged on the officer’s boot, according to a police report.

It’s now been reported by KFOR-TV that Muzny was found deceased inside her home on February 17, 2020. Police are calling her death suspicious, but they haven’t released further details. Koco.com reported that police say there are “no obvious signs at this time that a homicide occurred.”

The Oklahoma City police report, obtained by Heavy.com, says that the incident was labeled “anti-Asian bias.”

The 5-foot 2-inch Muzny is accused of aggravated assault, a felony, among other possible charges. In an interview with Heavy.com, Muzny denied the account given by the nail salon tech, police officer, and a witness, saying it wasn’t true (the police report says the officer had a body cam activated.)

Muzny, who posts numerous glamour shots on her various social media pages, including old pictures showing her in racing outfits, doesn’t appear to be driving anymore. There was a time, though, that she generated news coverage as an up-and-coming driver on the NASCAR circuit, even attracting the attention of Hollywood stars. On one of her LinkedIn pages, she described herself as “Race Car Driver, Team Owner / Fabricator, Welder just all around love of cars and working with metal.” She once described NASCAR on Facebook as “Family a dream & the best most loyal fans of all!”

An old 2005 article in the Orange County Register on Muzny’s racing career reported that actress Sandra Bullock and her then “Monster Garage” star husband, Jesse James, were “Muzny’s new sponsors” at that time. She was once dubbed one of the “most stunning women in NASCAR,” by an online site.

Muzny told Heavy.com in an exclusive interview that she “backhanded” the tech because “I asked her three times to stop speaking Vietnamese to me. I was paying with the American dollar.” She added: “I’m aggressive. I’m a race car driver.” She’s also accused of attacking a police officer, slashing him in the ear with a knife during the chaotic incident at Creative Nail. To Heavy.com, Muzny defended her actions in that instance too, accusing the officer of attacking her first. She said he “bum rushed” her from behind. She insisted: “I’m not racist. I have friends of all ethnicities.”

You can read what the police report says in great detail later in this article. It accuses Muzny of attacking the tech and responding officer. It also says a body cam was activated. Heavy.com has asked police for it. Oklahoma City police spokeswoman Megan Morgan told Heavy: “The case was presented to the District Attorney’s Office. They accepted charges for Assault & Battery on an Officer, three counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault & Battery, Resisting an Officer, and Interfering with a 911 Call. An arrest warrant has been issued for her for the additional charges.”

In the lengthy telephone interview, Muzny insisted, “I think if you’re speaking to an American who is a customer of yours, and you know they’re not Vietnamese, it’s rude to talk to them in a language they don’t understand… She (the nail salon tech) needs to get back to Vietnam. If she wants to live in America and serve Americans, she needs to speak the language they speak.”

She added: “If she wants to live on the American dollar, then she needs to speak English.”

Megan Morgan, spokeswoman for Oklahoma City police, said in a statement to Heavy.com, “According to the officer’s report he first made contact with her at the front doors while she was propping the doors open. She starting cussing and walking away from the officer. It was only after that that he tried to detain her and the attack on the officer occurred. Furthermore, the officer says she had freed a hand and was facing him when the attack happened…she was arrested that day and booked in on probable cause.”

Here’s what you need to know:

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1. Muzny Is Accused of ‘Going Nuts’ During a Pedicure When Her Nail Tech Spoke Vietnamese Before Attacking Her & a Police Officer

In the police report, Muzny’s employer is listed as Arrow Wrecker, which an old news article stated was a towing company her mother co-owned even back when she was on the racing circuit.

According to the report obtained by Heavy.com, the officer was dispatched to Creative Nail on Britton Road on January 12, 2020 at 6:20 p.m. for a “disturbance call.”

“The notes on the call stated a customer slapped an employee,” the report alleges. The victim, Tiffany Nguyen and a witness stated that “Candace came into the store to have her nails done.”

While Nguyen was giving Muzny a pedicure, Muzny is accused of “making comments about Bruce Lee” to Nguyen and the witness. The witness asked Nguyen in Vietnamese if she would like him to give her her paycheck early, and Nguyen responded in Vietnamese.

“Candace yelled at them to stop speaking in Vietnamese and…Candace slapped…Nguyen on the face,” the report says.

It says that a witness tried to call 911 and Candace “took his phone from him.” The witness “took his phone back,” at which point Candace is accused of getting in Nguyen’s face and “yelling and cussing.” According to the report, Muzny turned and pulled out a small black pocket knife…Candace cornered…Nguyen between a wall and a table. (Muzny) was yelling at… Nguyen and waving the knife around (Nguyen’s) face and neck. (Muzny) told…Nguyen she was going to kill her and her family…Candace struck…Nguyen with a closed fist….Nguyen got away from…Candace until Off. Barnhill arrived on scene.”

Officer Barnhill arrived and observed Muzny “propping open the front doors (of) the shop,” the report alleges, adding that the officer made contact with Muzny but she “began cussing and walking away from Off. Barnhill.” He went to detain her “by taking hold of her wrists from behind,” but Candace is accused of struggling with the officer as her dog approached the officer and “began pulling on Off. Barnhill’s boot.” At that point, alleges the report, Candace got a hand away from the officer and turned around to face him.

She is accused of striking the officer behind his right ear “with the black pocket knife she had concealed.” The officer put space between them. Candace is accused of pointing the knife at the officer and “continuing yelling at him.”

“Off. Barnhill stated he did not know she had the knife or had cut him until she began pointing it at him. Off. Barnhill drew his weapon and began ordering (Candace) to drop the knife and to get on the ground,” the report says. At that point, she dropped the knife and began getting on the ground but then stood up and began to walk off, the report continued to allege.

It says that Officer Barnhill “wrapped his arms around her from behind and took her to the ground.” He sat on top of her and began positioning her for handcuffs at which point other officers arrived to assist. She was placed in the “violent prisoner restraint.” Her mother responded to the scene and took custody of her dog and property.

Nguyen’s lip was swollen and cut from being struck, and the officer had a small cut behind his right ear, according to the report.

According to News9, the 911 caller that prompted police to respond to the nail salon claimed: “We have a belligerent customer in here that is going nuts and we need her out ASAP, she just slapped me in the face.”

Nguyen told News9 that “we were speaking in our native language about my pay and then she said to f’ing stop speaking that language or I will slap you in the face.”

Nguyen further told News9, “She got me cornered and I fell. But I was able to kick her, and she lunged and tried to put a knife up to my throat a couple of times.” Police told News9 that the responding officer didn’t realize that Muzny was allegedly using a knife and “she was able to free a hand and assault the officer on the back of the ear.”

Heavy.com confirmed that the nail salon suspect Candace Nicole Muzny, 43, is the same Candace Muzny who was a race car driver through a variety of means, including an interview with the victim and with Muzny herself. Heavy.com spoke briefly with Candace’s mother at the family towing business about the nail salon incident; she didn’t want to speak publicly, but she said she would ask Muzny if she wanted to give her side.

Nguyen confirmed in a short interview with Heavy.com that Candace referred to having been a race car driver. She said she was too “traumatized” by the incident to describe it all over again.

“It’s not true. None of it’s true,” Muzny said to Heavy.com when she answered the phone the first time around (she later called back to speak more and made the additional comments at the top of this story). “That’s not what happened.” She claimed that people were “lying” and she “did not stab an officer. I’m honest as the day is long. I’ve always been that way. I’d give my last five dollars for anybody. I’m a very good person. I think all people have good and bad in them.”

She then went into a lengthy conversation about a series of tragedies she’s faced in her life, saying she had “lost 40 people that I love dearly, who were close to me,” including her best friend and fiance. “I thought about her today. She was the same age Jesus was when he died,” Muzny said of her friend, a fellow race car driver, adding, “We almost made The Amazing Race.”

At one point, she said, “God is trying to tell me something. I am a woman of faith.” Of her racing career, she said it was “my passion, my dream. It saved my life,” adding that her parents helped her get started with that when she was in high school. She then said she had to go.

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2. Muzny’s Racing Career, an Interest Which Grew After She Worked in Her Dad’s Oklahoma Gas Station, Drew Praise From Jesse James & Others

In 2010, the Bleacher Report wrote a profile story on Muzny, describing her as “a regular competitor in the NASCAR Late Model Divisions and Pro Series across the states.” The story said she grew up “drag racing with the boys after school or tinkering with cars at her father’s gas station in Oklahoma.” At that time, the site said she was “logging in seven top-fives, 55 top-10s, and 92 top-20 finishes in 94 starts throughout her five-year career across various stock car ranks.” You can see her career statistics here.

Jesse James, the TV personality and former Austin Speed Shop CEO, praised Muzny in 2005 to the Register, saying, “Candace is a very skilled and patient driver. The sky is the limit for her. And the best thing? She is not shooting for the stars. She’s humble and willing to put the time in and learn and take each step with confidence.” To Bleacher Report, she called James “my buddy” in 2010.

The Things reported in 2019: “She started off in drag races before moving up to join NASCAR in 2007. Her work was sadly brief as she seems to have moved into retirement.”

In 2010, The Oklahoman quoted Muzny’s mom, Vanita, as saying she was happy her daughter “is doing so well in the race car scene.” The story reported that Vanita was going to Irwindale, California “to cheer on her daughter during the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown.”

The story says that Vanita is co-owner of Arrow Wrecker Service in Oklahoma City (that’s where Heavy.com reached her about the nail salon accusations. It’s also the place of employment that Muzny lists on one of her LinkedIn pages.)

“Al (Candace’s father) ran the wreckers at the racetrack for about 10 years,” said Vanita to The Oklahoman. “He didn’t let Candace race when she was young, but she had a little Mustang that she raced all around town.”

The Register reported in 2005 that Muzny, in her first full season driving “a Late Model stock car at Mesa Marin,” had “finished in the top 10 eight times at the half-mile oval in Bakersfield.”

On one of her LinkedIn pages, Candace described herself as race car driver/owner for CNM Racing, Inc. She said she had a bachelor’s degree in fashion marketing/business from the University of Texas Dallas and attended the Art Institute of Dallas in fashion marketing, working as a model and in marketing for fashion shows.

A press release from CNM in 2011 said that Muzny was involved in charity work to fight breast cancer. It described her as “a NASCAR driver on a mission. Ever since she was a little girl she knew her career was destined to be on wheels. Always willing to give her best, Candace works on her car, herself, and her team until all are fast, competitive, and most of all, in winning shape.”

In 2017, she wrote on Facebook, “I am getting to help out & instruct & give ride along today with Mike Starr & his Team Texas Driving Experience! So much fun! I love giving others the amazing experience I get every time I get the opportunity to get into a race car! ??????????.”

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3. An Old Profile Story Described Muzny’s ‘Glamorous Fingernails’ But Said She Wanted to Be Known for Her Driving, Not Her Glitter-Tipped Nails; She Indicated on Facebook That She’s a Donald Trump Supporter

A 2011 story in Savannah Now on Muzny’s racing career described, perhaps ironically now, her nails.

“Candace Muzny’s hands say a lot about her racing career. Her designer nails are perfectly manicured and tipped with glitter. But when she rolls them over, they are covered with ugly scabs and bruises,” it says.

The site reported that Muzny wanted her skills to make her stand out: “Muzny wants it to be her driving skills — not her blond hair, green eyes and glamorous finger nails.”

She was described as part of a trend of beautiful women building NASCAR careers and was said at that time to be “racing in the middle of the pack in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.”

On her Facebook page, Muzny describes herself as a “women (sic) on a mission to change the world. I believe that everyone is capable of living the life of their dreams, but all to often we chose to settle for what life gives us versus going after what we really want. My life’s goal is to help each person realize their full potential, by discovering what they really want in life and then getting out of their own way.”

Although many of Candace’s social media posts are glamorous photos of her, she often gets political. She made it clear she supports President Donald Trump:

She also posted a fake image showing Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in federal prison by a site called “Secular Turks for Trump,” and wrote, in October 2019, “He’ll (sic) yeah!” She shared a photo of Trump with the words “he’s my president,” and wrote, “A (sic) Proud of It! ♥️????.” She also shared a graphic that read, “Country girls ain’t afraid to love a man, but ain’t afraid to shoot one either,” writing, “Damn straight!” She shared a post opposing impeachment, along with other politicized content. In addition, she shared a slew of inspirational phrases, some religious.

On her personal Facebook page, she wrote in December 2019, “I am baby! Watch out u Mofo’s! Bring It biiiiiiaaaaatttcchhes!” In November 2019, she wrote, “I believe I try to treat others as Jesus does bc Jesus forgives me & he gave me an unconditionally loving heart ♥️! Sometimes U have to love others more than they love themselves to help get them to the other side!”

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4. Muzny Was the Fiancee of Race Car Driver Del Dalrymple, Who Died Young & Once Described Her as ‘Fast…Very Fast’

An obituary for Del Dalrymple says that Candace Muzny was his fiancee. She’s also posted about him on Facebook. He died unexpectedly of natural causes, according to his obituary. He was only 46 years old.

“Del will always be remembered by landmarks at Ascot and Corona Raceway, Riverside and Irwindale, such as the chain link fence built to prevent other spotters from getting thrown over for messing with Candace,” says the obit, which was first published in the Orange County Register.

Dalrymple praised Muzny in a 2005 article in the Register, saying, “Everything she has gotten she has had to work hard for. She didn’t just get everything handed to her far from it. Let me tell you, this girl is fast … very fast.”

To the Register, he also called her a “future NASCAR star.”

In 2018, Muzny wrote on Facebook, sharing the above photo, “This was the first day I met Mr. Jesse James @ Irwindale Speedway! One of the best days of my life that day! I miss u Del Dalrymple! ?Del was the one that changed my stars forever and made all my dreams come true! Jesse thank u for also help making my dreams come true!! U forever have blessed my life and saved my soul! ♥️ I love ❤️ you always and forever for making my stars shine so bright! ?♥️?♥️?♥️?♥️?.”

In another ode to Del, she wrote, “I was going thru some of my old pics and I love these! Not at day not a second goes by that I don’t miss Del Dalrymple ?! I wish that he was still by my side bc those were the happiest times of my life! I am so grateful that I had those years with him bc he changed my stars ? and took a chance on me and forever changed my life for the best and made me a better person by his example and Del was the best human being and the best man I have known! I love u Del ♥️ I wish everyday that u were here with me! Miss u more than words can say!!!”

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5. Muzny Has a Previous Drunk Driving Case

Muzny has a variety of court cases in the criminal and civil court systems in Oklahoma County.

She was accused of leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury in 2016, a felony, but the case was dismissed.

A medical center once took her to civil court.

She was accused of drunk driving in 2018. Court records say she pleaded guilty but the case was deferred: “The defendant enters a pleas of guilty and sentencing is deferred until 6-4-2020…the defendant will be supervised by OK Ops…”

On Facebook, Muzny posted a photo showing her with Jay Silvernail, who a 2019 news article says was “an Oklahoma City attorney” who “is now on trial for shooting a man in the parking lot of a popular club in 2016.” Muzny wrote, “Jay Silvernail My Bestie does NOT Deserve this! He deserves a honorary metal!!! ?❣️” Some people criticized the post in the comment thread. According to The Associated Press, Silvernail alleged the shooting occurred in self defense during an argument, but he was convicted. The story says he previously fatally shot a client, also saying that was self defense.

Candace wrote another extremely detailed defense of Silvernail, adding, “Jay has been there for me as a loyal & loving friend! He’s never once let me down & has always showed up for me & has been the best friend a person could ever hope for! His family & his parents are just like mine, hard working, giving, caring & the sweetest family just like mine!”

Other posts on her page include trashing a local business and posts about her hair and teeth. “As a race car driver, there is nothing more important than having pearly whites in publicity photos,” she wrote in 2018.

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