NASCAR reinstated driver Daniel Dye on Tuesday after he completed his sensitivity training for offensive remarks made during a livestream earlier this month.
While Dye is permitted to return to competition, the 22-year-old announced that he is leaving Kaulig Racing and looking for his “next opportunity.”
“After a lot of honest self-reflection and guidance from mentors I trust, I’ve decided the smartest move for my career is to realign my focus on my long-term objective of becoming a successful driver at the highest level of stock car racing,” Dye said in a statement.
“Now that I’m reinstated, I’m optimistic about what the future holds and look forward to working hard at my next opportunity. This sport and its fans mean everything to me, and I can’t wait to get back to it focused on the real goal more than ever.”
Dye began the 2026 season driving the No. 10 Ram for Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He was suspended by NASCAR on March 17 after he mocked IndyCar Series driver David Malukas, mimicking his voice and making implications about his sexuality.
Kaulig Racing also issued a statement on Tuesday.
“Kaulig Racing has accepted Daniel Dye’s resignation,” the team said. “And we wish him great success in the pursuit of his personal and professional goals.”
The team said it is replacing Dye with Corey Lajoie for the remainder of the trucks season. Lajoie, 34, made 276 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2014-25. He replaced Dye in the No. 10 truck at Darlington on March 20 and finished 21st.
“The last couple months I’ve missed the grind of working towards a goal of success on track,” LaJoie said in a Kaulig press release. “There’s certainly a lot of work ahead of us getting our Ram trucks to a place where we compete for wins, but with the people in the Kaulig Racing building, I believe we will get there.”
Dye’s best finish in three Truck Series races this season was 13th at Atlanta on Feb. 21. The Florida native also made three starts in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this season for AM Racing.
It was the second time that Dye was suspended during his racing career. When he was 18 and racing in the ARCA series, he was suspended after being charged with felony battery after punching a fellow high school student in the groin area.
–Field Level Media
