NASCAR has reinstated 22-year-old driver Daniel Dye after suspending him in mid-March for homophobic behavior.

Dye found himself in hot water after mocking IndyCar driver David Malukas and insinuating that he is gay during a livestream. He then mocked Malukas by speaking in a stereotypical “gay voice.” NASCAR suspended him and said Dye must complete sensitivity training before returning to competition. Kaulig Racing, Malukas’ team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, also indefinitely suspended him for his homophobic comments.

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After Nascar reinstated Dye, the driver announced he was cutting ties with Kaulig Racing, posting on social media that he “decided the smartest move for my career is to realign my focus.” He said he is “optimistic about what the future holds” now that NASCAR has reinstated him.

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Kaulig Racing posted on social media that it “has accepted Daniel Dye’s resignation, and we wish him great success in the pursuit of his personal and professional goals.”

After the homophobic comments, Dye also issued an apology statement, calling his comments “careless” and saying he chose his words “poorly.”

“I’m sorry to anyone who was offended,” he said. “That’s not how I want to represent myself. I have some close friends in the LGBTQ+ community who I would never want to feel less of themselves because of what I said… 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.”

He also said he was aware that “intention does not erase impact” and that he needs “to do better.”

“I’m taking this seriously and being more aware and respectful moving forward… I know I’ve got a platform and a responsibility, and I need to use it better.”

The incident occurred while opening packs of sports cards on the Whatnot video streaming platform. Another person said that Malukas “plays for the other team” (a euphemism for being gay). Malukas, a 24-year-old racer, has never publicly identified as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and regularly posts pictures on social media with a girlfriend, Outsports noted.

Dye then used a lispy, high-pitched voice to imitate Malukas, saying, “It’s like ‘Oh my gosh, we race Indianapolis. Love Indianapolis and Roger Penske, I love Roger, love you, Roger!’” He later referred to his imitation as a “David Malukas gay voice.”

Dye’s actions violated NASCAR rules prohibiting members from criticizing, ridiculing, or otherwise disparaging “another person based upon that person’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, or handicapping condition.”

In 2022, Dye was suspended from ARCA competition, a premier American stock car organization owned by NASCAR, for allegedly punching a high school classmate in the groin. The alleged attack resulted in a charge that was reduced to a misdemeanor before eventually being dropped, NBC News reported.

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