NASCAR driver Daniel Dai has been suspended for making a "gay joke" about a colleague during a live broadcast

On Tuesday, March 17, the management NASCAR and Kaulig Racing have announced the official suspension of Truck Series driver Daniel Day for “inappropriate comments” made during a live online broadcast. The disciplinary action was prompted by a video in which the 22-year-old driver parodied IndyCar driver David Malukas.

During the stream, Dai used a distinctive voice, which he himself described as "David Malukas's gay voice". Although the driver did not use direct homophobic insults or profanity, the Associated Press characterized his behavior as "hints about another person's sexual orientation".

The reaction was immediate: The video went viral, sparking a wave of criticism on social media, after which NASCAR decided to suspend him just a few hours later.

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— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) March 17, 2026

It's worth noting that this is already Dai's second suspension of his career. The first incident occurred when he was 18: at that time, the ARCA series temporarily barred him from racing due to an incident at a school in Florida, where he struck another student. At the time, he was charged with a criminal offense, which was later reclassified as a misdemeanor.

Daya has been described as a “silly kid” and “not the best driver,” with observers noting that his latest prank was more “painfully unfunny” than malicious; however, in today’s sports world, that was enough to warrant serious sanctions.

• NASCAR (National Association of Production Car Racing) is the largest American racing series, where drivers compete in specially modified stock cars (cars that look like ordinary road models). The main feature of these races is driving on oval tracks at extremely high speeds of up to 305 km/h, where cars travel in tight groups, often just centimeters apart.