What Did Daniel Dye Say? NASCAR Issues Indefinite Suspension Over Viral Controversy
A viral livestream moment turned into a career setback as Daniel Dye faces suspension and mounting backlash.
Published March 18 2026, 9:36 a.m. ET
There’s no doubt that Daniel Dye has a promising racing career. However, some controversial remarks have put his future in NASCAR in question. Daniel came up through ARCA, secured an early win, and moved into full-time Truck Series competition in 2023. In 2024, he made the postseason by finishing eighth at Richmond and jumping into the playoff field in the regular-season finale, per NASCAR.
That run helped him land a full-time Kaulig ride for 2025, and he returned to Trucks for 2026 with Kaulig’s Ram program.
However, things took a turn after a recent livestream in which Daniel spoke about IndyCar driver David Malukas. The moment sparked backlash online and led to swift action from NASCAR.
What did Daniel Dye say?
During the livestream, Daniel reportedly imitated David Malukas’ voice using a high-pitched tone. The impression leaned into stereotypes, using voice and mannerisms as a punchline tied to sexual orientation.
“He’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, yas, we race Indianapolis, too. Love Indianapolis. And Roger Penske,’” Daniel said, according to Yahoo Sports. “As soon as I start doing a David Malukas gay voice, I hit a gold. So let’s keep it going.”
After the clip went viral, NASCAR issued a statement saying Daniel had made “insensitive comments” during the stream and suspended him indefinitely under Section 4.3.C of its rulebook. That rule prohibits members from making public statements that “criticize, ridicule, or otherwise disparage” another person based on protected characteristics, including sexual orientation. NASCAR also said Daniel must complete sensitivity training before he can return.
According to Motor Sport, Kaulig Racing followed with its own suspension, saying Daniel was suspended “effective immediately” after the team became aware of the comments.
Daniel has since issued an apology of his own, admitting his remarks were hurtful to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“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,” Daniel said. "I have some close friends in the LGBTQIA+ 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.”
Is this Dye’s first controversy?
This is not the first time Daniel has faced discipline from a NASCAR-owned series. ARCA suspended him indefinitely in April 2022 after he was arrested on a felony battery charge in Volusia County, Fla. ARCA lifted that suspension on May 13, 2022, and he was reinstated after the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.
A lot of fans are connecting Daniel’s controversy to Kyle Larson’s. In April 2020, NASCAR suspended Kyle indefinitely after he used a racial slur during an iRacing livestream. NASCAR said then that it “will not tolerate the type of language used by Kyle Larson,” and it required sensitivity training in that case too.