Daniel Dye Suspended After Making Insensitive Comment on Live Stream
The No. 10 MOPAR RAM 1500 will have a different driver in Friday's Buckle Up South Carolina 200 at Darlington Raceway, after Daniel Dye, the full-time pilot of the Kaulig Racing entry, was suspended by NASCAR on Tuesday evening.
Dye was reprimanded by the sanctioning body after multiple clips surfaced early in the week of a homophobic comment made by the 22-year-old about NTT IndyCar Series driver David Malukas.
According to the NASCAR Rule Book (Section 4.3.C), "NASCAR Members shall not make... a public statement or communication that criticizes, ridicules, or otherwise desparages another person based on that person's race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, or handicapping condition."
Kaulig Racing, the organization responsible for fielding the MOPAR-sponsored RAM 1500 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, condemned Dye's action in a statement posted to social media on Tuesday, which states that Dye was "indefinitely suspended" with immediate effect "after becoming aware today of comments he made on social media".
— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) March 17, 2026
Shortly after the announcement, Dye apologized to Malukas in a statement posted to social media, in which he says, "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’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.”
"I know I've got a platform and a responsibility, and I need to use it better."
— Daniel Dye (@danieldye43) March 17, 2026
The Deland, Florida-native was scheduled to make his 50th start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this weekend at Darlington Raceway. Kaulig Racing has not yet confirmed who will be piloting the No. 10 RAM 1500 in Friday's Buckle Up South Carolina 200. Dye has also made three NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series starts this year in a second entry for AM Racing.
In addition to his suspension, Dye will also be required to attend sensitivity training before returning to NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series action. No word on the timeline for that to be completed.
Joseph Srigley covers NASCAR for TobyChristie.com, Racing America, and OnSI, and is the owner of the #SrigleyStats brand. With a higher education in the subjects of business, mathematics, and data analytics, Joseph is able to fully understand the inner workings of the sport through multiple points of perspective.
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