Daniel Wayne Dye was born on December 4, 2003, in DeLand, Florida, and grew up in the heart of the American short-track racing scene in the Sunshine State. He turned his first laps in Quarter Midgets before making a name for himself in Pro Late Models and Super Late Models throughout the southeastern United States. In 2019, he capped off his developmental years with the Pro Late Model Track Championship at New Smyrna Speedway for Ben Kennedy Racing, an achievement that earned him admission to the Chevrolet Drivers Edge Development Program and laid the foundation for his path into the national NASCAR developmental series.
Starting in 2020, Dye gained his first experience in the ARCA Menards Series East driving the No. 43 for Ben Kennedy Racing, before continuing there in 2021 and then switching to GMS Racing in the No. 21 for the final four races of the season, ultimately finishing second in the East standings behind Sammy Smith. In parallel, he also made his debut in the ARCA Menards Series West and the national ARCA Series. In his second national start, he claimed his first ARCA victory in 2021 at Berlin Raceway in the Zinsser SmartCoat 200 after leading 198 of the 200 laps, a clear signal of his potential.
The 2022 season confirmed this impression: driving the No. 43 for GMS Racing, Dye battled for the ARCA title through the Toledo finale and ultimately finished second to Nick Sanchez by fourteen points following a mechanical failure, but was named the series’ Rookie of the Year. In 2023 came the jump to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with a full-time program in the No. 43 for GMS Racing; in 2024, he moved to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, where he earned his first NASCAR pole position at Atlanta Motor Speedway and finished tenth in points to make the Truck Playoffs for the first time. Additionally, he gained experience in select Xfinity races for Alpha Prime Racing and Kaulig Racing as well as early Cup Series starts in the No. 78 for Live Fast Motorsports.
Daniel Dye enters the 2026 season as a full-time driver for Live Fast Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series, where he will pilot the No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. After years of steady progression through the ARCA and Truck Series ranks, this new role in the Cup Series is meant to be the next logical step in his career: more race entries, greater consistency, and the opportunity to establish himself permanently at NASCAR’s highest level.
Daniel Dye in the News