NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor Daniel Dye has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR, after he was found to have made homophobic comments during a livestream on the social media platform WhatNot.
Dye, who pilots the No. 10 RAM 1500 for Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series, was penalized under Section 4.3.C of the NASCAR Rule Book, which states in part, “NASCAR Members shall not make… a public statement or communication that criticizes, ridicules, or otherwise disparages another person based upon that person’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, or handicapping condition.”
The Deland, Florida-native was discussing his experience meeting NTT IndyCar Series driver David Malukas while opening trading cards on a livestream, during which Dye made a comment that NASCAR deemed to be unacceptable, stating that he was using “a David Malukas gay voice”.
Shortly after NASCAR announced Dye’s suspension, Kaulig Racing, the organization fielding his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry in 2026, released a statement saying the team “has indefinitely suspended driver Daniel Dye, effective immediately, after becoming aware today of comments he made on social media.”
Dye, in a statement that was posted to social media on Tuesday, apologized to David Malukas for his actions, saying that he “recently went on a live stream with some friends and made some careless comments” and that he “chose his words poorly, and [he] understand[s] why it upset people.”
“I’m taking this seriously and working on being more aware and respectful moving forward. I’m sorry to everyone I let down,” the statement continues. “I am committed to learning from this and better understanding the impact that my decisions can have on others. That includes educating myself, listening to those affected, and taking meaningful steps to ensure my actions reflect respect and inclusivity going forward.”
The 22-year-old driver was scheduled to make his 50th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start this weekend at Darlington Raceway, but will now be sidelined due to the suspension. Kaulig Racing has yet to confirm who will fill the seat of the No. 10 MOPAR RAM 1500.
After the opening three events of the season, Dye currently sits 13th in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series point standings, 88 points behind leader Chandler Smith and only three points below the cutline for “The Chase”. Dye has also made three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts this season, driving a second entry, the No. 52 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, for AM Racing.
