Given how much professional sports leagues have attempted to distance themselves from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives since President Donald Trump and his administration wet their diapers over it, it was a little surprising to hear it get joked about during a NASCAR race on Saturday.
During Saturday’s practice session ahead of the Goodyear 400 broadcast on Amazon’s Prime Video, NASCAR announcer Mike Joy was enjoying the paint scheme on Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s car. The No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro is sponsored by Jack Link’s Jerky and has been nicknamed the “Meat Mobile.” As part of the paint scheme, the words “Non-Vegan” are written on the inside door in bold white lettering.
Joy mentioned that he got a chuckle out of the branding and then somehow tied it into DEI.
“We live in a sport where DEI has nothing to do with diversity and equity. DEI is Dale Earnhardt Inc.”
Never change, Mike Joy.pic.twitter.com/VWn8RQU8qT
— Whiskey Riff (@WhiskeyRiff) March 21, 2026
“Non vegan. I think that’s pretty funny,” said Joy. “We live in a sport where DEI has nothing to do with diversity and equity. DEI is Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.”
In a way, Joy’s immediate association of veganism with DEI, two things that have absolutely nothing to do with one another, perfectly sums up the way that opponents define it. It’s just a catch-all term for any perceived “liberal stuff” they don’t like. As for what they think DEI actually means, it’s best not to ask.
Social media reactions to Joy’s joke were mixed. Some appreciated the humor and noted that he was referencing a longstanding meme, while others questioned where his head was at and wondered why he would draw a comparison between the two unrelated subjects.
A few weeks back, Joy had to apologize to NASCAR driver Alex Bowman after making a false claim about the reason for his absence from that day’s race.