NASCAR handed down an indefinite suspension Tuesday to Craftsman Truck Series driver Daniel Dye following a livestream incident in which the 22-year-old mocked IndyCar driver David Malukas with what he himself referred to as a “gay voice.”
The suspension marks the second major penalty of Dye’s young racing career.
Dye drives the No. 10 Ram 1500 for Kaulig Racing in NASCAR’s third-tier Craftsman Truck Series, a developmental circuit below the top Cup Series and the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
The incident took place Monday evening on Whatnot, an online marketplace platform where sellers host live video auctions.
Dye was sorting through trading cards alongside fellow NASCAR O’Reilly Series driver Brent Crews and Crews’ stepfather, Matt Lankford, when the exchange occurred.
During the stream, another participant stated that IndyCar driver David Malukas “plays for the other team,” prompting Dye to launch into an impression he labeled his “David Malukas gay voice.”
“It’s like ‘Oh my gosh, we race Indianapolis. Love Indianapolis and Roger Penske, I love Roger, love you Roger,’” Dye said during the stream, raising the inflection of his voice and bobbing his head while delivering the imitation.
A clip of the exchange spread across social media Tuesday, reaching NASCAR officials by early evening.
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NBC News reported that NASCAR cited Section 4.3.C of its rulebook in penalizing Dye.
That section bars members from making “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.”
Both NASCAR and Kaulig Racing announced Dye’s indefinite suspension. NASCAR also ordered Dye to complete sensitivity training, which officials noted is tailored to the individual and carries no fixed duration.
Dye issued a public apology on social media following the suspension announcement, directing his first words toward Malukas.
“I chose my words poorly and I understand why it upset people,” Dye said in a statement. “I’m sorry to anyone who was offended. That’s not how I want to represent myself.”
Dye also addressed members of the LGBTQ+ community in his statement.
“I have some close friends in the LGBTQ+ community who would never want to feel less of themselves because of what I said, and that’s exactly why I should hold myself to a higher standard,” Dye said. “In talking with them, I realized that a true friend would know better than to act the way I did and for that I need to be a better friend.”
This is not Dye’s first brush with serious consequences off the track, NBC noted.
In 2022, at 18 years old, Dye was suspended from racing after allegedly punching a high school classmate, resulting in a felony charge. That charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor and ultimately dropped, allowing Dye to return to competition.
Whether and when Dye returns to the No. 10 truck is expected to hinge largely on Kaulig Racing and series sponsor Ram, which backs the five-car Kaulig operation as part of its entry into the Truck Series this year.
