Kevtron Media Daniel Dye contended for a championship in 2022.
GMS Racing driver Daniel Dye is about to make his return to the track. The ARCA Menards Series has reinstated him from an indefinite suspension issued on April 27 after an arrest in Florida.
The series announced the news on May 13 as the ARCA Menards Series teams prepared for a race weekend at Kansas Speedway. The reinstatement was effective immediately, making Dye eligible to return to the No. 43 Chevrolet while pursuing more points. The move follows the authorities reducing the battery charges filed in April from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Daniel Dye’s indefinite suspension has been lifted. He has been approved to return to all ARCA racing activities effective Friday, May 13, 2022.
Authorities arrested Dye on April 26 after an incident at Father Lopez Catholic High School in Daytona Beach, Florida. According to an affidavit, Dye’s classmate alleged that he “came up to him on his left side” and began “grinding and dancing with his groin (pelvic area) by his head and face.” The classmate alleged that he attempted to push Dye away multiple times before being punched in the groin.
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“Today, ARCA Menards Series officials announced that GMS Racing Daniel Dye was reinstated for competition,” GMS Racing said in a statement on May 13. “Dye and the No. 43 Chevrolet team will compete in Saturday’s event at Kansas Speedway.”
Dye Released a Statement About the Incident
Nic Antaya/ARCA RacingDaniel Dye released a statement about his arrest.
The driver of the No. 43 released a statement on May 12. He talked about the emotions following his arrest, as well as the support that he received from the people surrounding him. Dye also made a declaration that he would rise above the incident and be a positive example for others.
“I am happy to report that ARCA has dropped its suspension after my lawyer provided the State’s Attorney with sworn statements from eye witnesses,” Dye said in a statement on his website. “Following review of this information and its own investigation including review of medical records the State reduced the charge to a misdemeanor.
“Before I get back to racing, I think it is important to explain what happened that led local police officers to take me into custody. The facts are that me and my classmates have been engaged in a silly and admittedly immature game commonly played at the school between boys and involves hitting each other in the groin area. This has been going on since we were in the 9th grade. The other student ‘got me’ and then I got him back. I want to be very clear that nobody was trying to seriously injure anyone in the game and I am relieved to know that the other student has recovered.”
Dye Remains in Contention for the ARCA Title
ARCA suspended Dye at the end of April and ultimately reinstated him on May 13. He was away from the series for nearly one month, but he did not miss any races due to the unique format of the ARCA Menards Series schedule.
The trip to Kansas is only the fourth race weekend of the year for the ARCA Menards Series. The drivers return to action for the first time since April 23 when they tangled with Talladega Superspeedway. Dye was active for this superspeedway race, and he finished 17th overall.
Dye will now return to action and continue to battle for the series lead. He is currently second overall in the standings, one point behind Rajah Caruth. Neither driver has won a race in 2022, but they have accumulated more points than Nick Sanchez, the winner of the Talladega race.
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