It seemed a very standard operation when NASCAR and Kaulig Racing banned Daniel Dye indefinitely for his use of a homophobic slur on a livestream, right? Apparently not. The decision did not sit well with many, especially Moonhead (Travis Brown) from the Rubbin is Racing podcast. Apart from pointing out that a small mistake threatened the youngster’s entire career, he drew some parallels from a similar incident that happened with another driver half-a-decade ago.

Insider calls out NASCAR’s double standards

“I have a problem with NASCAR suspending him indefinitely,” Moonhead said on the podcast. “It’s crazy because we saw Hailie Deegan a few years back call some kid on iRacing the r-word, and she got sensitivity training for that. That was on a live stream. It was, in my opinion, a pretty similar thing.”

Now this is where things get interesting. Hailie Deegan, back when she was just 19, had a moment battling another car in an iRacing race: “This is fun. Oh, ay, who’s the r—-d behind me? Don’t do that please,” she said on the Twitch stream.

She was signed with Ford at the time, who acknowledged this. But they also pointed out that she had issued an apology soon enough. Later, Deegan went through some sensitivity training, but that was about it. No bans, nothing.

This is the part that doesn’t sit well with the Rubbin is Racing hosts: “To me, sitting him out indefinitely is overkill on NASCAR’s part when they could have fined him, hit him where it hurts the most and fined the sh*t out of him, bore him to death with all the sensitivity training stuff.”

Seemingly, there is a massive difference in how NASCAR treated Hailie Deegan and Daniel Dye. As of now, there is no confirmation on when he will return to racing, if he will, anytime soon.

But surely, this does damage his reputation. It is quite understandable that whatever he said on the stream cannot be justified, but the punishment might have been a little too harsh. If nothing, it would be just another waste of a good driver.

And considering that NASCAR has let a similar incident go so easily in the past, it does raise questions for Dye and his future. But he might not have to worry, considering what happened to a current Cup champion in the past.

Can Daniel Dye relax for now? Comparing his story with the reigning Cup champion

Kyle Larson won his first Cup title back in 2021 with Hendrick Motorsports. However, he was largely caught up in trouble just prior to that. In April of 2020, while competing in an iRacing competition, Larson faced an issue and used a racial slur on a livestream. Soon, NASCAR suspended him indefinitely, much similar to what happened with Dye, and he was dismissed by Chip Ganassi Racing.

This was a tough time for Larson. He did not race for a long time, but later, HMS announced that they had signed him for the 2021 season, and NASCAR also lifted his suspension.

Larson returned to the field, stronger than ever, and clinched his first title. Sure, he faced his set of backlashes, issued a public apology, and was targeted online. But right now, he is one of the strongest drivers in the Cup field.

So, if that was the case with Larson, could it be the same with Daniel Dye? It is tough to say now, but given his performance, Kaulig Racing might want him back in the seat soon. He might have to undergo some sensitivity training, which is understandable, but Dye could find himself back to racing soon.