CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR competitor Daniel Dye was suspended on Tuesday, marking the second significant penalty of his racing career, for ridiculing IndyCar driver David Malukas during a recent livestream.
In the video that emerged on social media on Tuesday, Dye employed various voices, including an imitation of Malukas’ voice, which suggested implications regarding Malukas’ sexuality.
Dye competes in the Truck Series for Kaulig Racing, which has also imposed a suspension on him. NASCAR has mandated that Dye participate in sensitivity training.
He expressed regret to Malukas in a social media message, describing his remarks as “careless.”
“I selected my words poorly, and I comprehend why it upset individuals,” he stated. “I apologize to anyone who felt offended. That is not how I wish to represent myself.”
“I have close friends in the LGBTQ+ community whom I would never want to feel diminished because of my comments, and that is precisely why I must hold myself to a higher standard.”
He mentioned that discussions with those friends helped him realize that “a true friend would know better than to behave as I did.”
Malukas, a 24-year-old driver for Team Penske, frequently shares images on social media featuring a girlfriend.
This marks the second occasion on which Dye has faced suspension.
At 18, while competing in the ARCA series, he was arrested at a high school in Daytona Beach, Florida, and charged with felony battery for confronting a classmate and striking the student in the groin. The victim received treatment at a hospital for a possible ruptured testicle.
Dye claimed it was a game and asserted that he would be cleared of charges. Instead, he received an indefinite suspension from ARCA, which is affiliated with NASCAR. Dye was reinstated when the charge was downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor.
In his third full season in the Truck Series, Dye joined Kaulig Racing this year to drive for Ram in the automaker’s return to NASCAR. After three races, his top finish was 13th at Atlanta.
Dye competed in St. Petersburg, Florida, in the Truck Series when NASCAR aligned its third-tier series with the season opener of IndyCar. Malukas made his debut with Team Penske that weekend.
Source: espn.com
