Kauling Racing NASCAR Truck Series driver Daniel Dye has been suspended indefinitely by NASCAR and his team after he was heard making insensitive remarks during a livestream on the Whatnot collectible marketplace app.
Dye used what is considered a homophobic tone while recounting a conversation he had with Team Penske IndyCar driver David Malukas.
NASCAR cited Dye for violating Section 4.3.C in 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.”
“I want to first apologize to David Malukas,” Dye said in a social media post. “I recently went on a live stream with some friends and made some careless comments. I chose my words poorly, and I understand why it upset people. I’m sorry to anyone who was offended. That’s not how I want to represent myself.
“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. In talking with them, I realize that a true friend would know better than to act the way I did and for that I need to be a better friend.”
Dye will need to complete NASCAR’s sensitivity training program before being considered for reinstatement. A.J. Allmendinger will fill in for him in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Ram at Darlington Raceway on March 20.
Malukas has not yet publicly commented on the situation.
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