NASCAR suspended driver Daniel Dye indefinitely after video emerged of him on a live stream making homophobic comments about another driver — but there is a road for him to return.
NASCAR Cup Series managing director Brad Moran explained the process through which Dye, 22, can be reinstated, beginning with sensitivity training.
“Programs are put together with the different companies we work with. They are all one-on-one and customized depending on the situation,” he said in a Wednesday, March 18 appearance on SiriusXM’s NASCAR Radio. “There’s no time limit on how long they will take.”
He continued, “Once he gets through the program, and the folks that hold and manage the program are comfortable that there were some good lessons taught, and he understands the severity of what these things can do to folks, he gets put back in for reinstatement.”
Dye’s comments were about IndyCar driver David Malukas. He used a self-described “gay voice” to imitate a recent conversation with the driver on the live stream.
Dye took to Instagram on Tuesday, March 17, to apologize.
“I want to first apologize to David Malukas,” he wrote. “I recently went on a live stream and made 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.”
Dye 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. 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. What I said doesn’t reflect how I feel about them or anyone else.”
“I am committed to learning from this and better understanding that the impact that my decisions can have on others,” he wrote. “That includes educating myself, listening to those affected, and taking meaningful steps to ensure my actions reflect respect and inclusivity going forward.”
When Dye’s comments came to light, NASCAR issued the suspension, citing its rule book, which reads, “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.”
Malukas, 24, has not commented publicly on Dye’s remarks, but frequently posts photos of himself and his girlfriend on social media.
