Daniel Dye was indefinitely suspended from NASCAR on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The 22-year-old race car driver who was ranked 20th at the end of the 2025 season stirred up controversy prior to his suspension.
During a recent livestream, Daniel mocked fellow professional driver David Malukas, 24. Since then, videos of the moment have been widely circulated on social media. In the video, Daniel morphed his voice, making inferences about David’s sexuality.
The video was immediately flagged as controversial, with NASCAR suspending him from Kauling Racing and ordering him to undergo sensitivity training. The driver was penalized under the NASCAR Rule Book, which states: “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.”
In a post shared to X, Daniel apologized to David, writing: “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.”
He continued: “I have some close friends in the LGBTQ+ community who I 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” adding: “I know I’ve got a platform and a responsibility, and I need to use it better.”
© XDaniel’s other controversies
This wasn’t the first time Daniel has been caught up in a controversy. On April 26, 2022, while he was still in high school in Daytona Beach, Florida, Daniel was arrested – originally on charges of felony battery, but later reduced to misdemeanor battery.
The police report, which was originally obtained by People, stated that Daniel was arrested because he allegedly approached a classmate and began dancing and grinding with his groin and pelvic area near his classmate’s face.
© Getty ImagesAfter his other classmates tried to push him away, Daniel kept dancing and grinding on the boy’s face for another minute before stopping. But, when the classmate thought the incident was over, Daniel came up behind him and punched him in the groin area.
Later, the boy told police that he left school and drove home, still in pain. His dad took him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a possible ruptured testicle and was referred to a urologist.
© Getty ImagesDaniel was charged on a felony battery and was later released on $2,500 bail. While the charges were later reduced to misdemeanor battery, Daniel was ordered to complete an eight-hour anger management course, 25 hours of community service, and compensate the victim an undisclosed amount.
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