As a result of the order of protection issued against Kurt Busch Friday after it was ruled he smashed his ex-girlfriend’s head against the wall of his trailer at Dover International Speedway, NASCAR announced that they are suspending the driver indefinitely.
“Given the serious nature of the findings and conclusions made by the Commissioner of the Family Court of the State of Delaware, NASCAR has indefinitely suspended driver Kurt Busch, effective immediately. He will not be allowed to race nor participate in any NASCAR activities until further notice.
“Kurt Busch and his Stewart-Haas Racing team are fully aware of our position and why this decision was made. We will continue to respect the process and timetable of the authorities involved.”
Busch, driver of the No. 41 car, was found to be in violation of:
· Section 12.1.a: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
· Section 12.8: Behavioral Penalty
His attorney says they plan to file an immediate appeal of the decision.
“We are extremely disappointed that NASCAR has suspended Kurt Busch and we plan an immediate appeal,” Hardin said in a statement. “We assure everyone, including NASCAR, that this action against Mr. Busch will turn out to be a travesty of justice, apparent to all, as this story continues to unfold.”
Busch’s sponsor, Chevrolet, also announced that they are suspended their relationship with the driver.
“Chevrolet has suspended its relationship with Kurt Busch indefinitely,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Motorsports and Performance Vehicles in a statement. “We will continue to monitor the events surrounding Mr. Busch and are prepared to take additional action if necessary.”
With the heightened attention being paid to domestic abuse incidents among athletes in light of the Ray Rice scandal, NASCAR had no choice but to make this decision. A clear message of intolerance had to be sent.
Kurt Busch is the first driver ever suspended by NASCAR for domestic violence.