NASCAR Suspends Kurt Busch, Effective Immediately

The fallout for Kurt Busch in the wake of his nasty split with former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll reached paramount proportion Friday afternoon when NASCAR announced they were suspending his license, followed by Chevrolet suspending its relationship with the driver, resulting in Busch being replaced by Regan Smith in the No. 41 for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Busch is appealing NASCAR’s decision and that hearing will be heard by a three-member panel Saturday in Daytona Beach. According to the NASCAR rule book Busch cannot have a lawyer represent him at the appeal but he can have other representatives with him during the hearing. Whether or not he would be able to reclaim his seat for the Daytona 500, if successful in the appeal, remains unclear.

Statements from each of the parties involved follow…

NASCAR has indefinitely suspended driver Kurt Busch for actions detrimental to stock car racing following the release today of a supplemental disposition setting forth the findings and conclusions that formed the basis for the Family Court of the State of Delaware’s decision on Monday to issue an Order of Protection from Abuse against him.

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

“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.”

Chevrolet Motorsports, with whom Stewart-Haas Racing has a strong relationship, issued the following statement not long after NASCAR announced the suspension.

“Chevrolet has suspended its relationship with Kurt Busch indefinitely. We will continue to monitor the events surrounding Mr. Busch and are prepared to take additional action if necessary.” – Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Motorsports and Performance Vehicles.

Stewart-Haas Racing has named Regan Smith interim driver of its No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for the 57th Daytona 500 Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.

Smith will be available in the deadline room of Daytona’s media center at 9:45 a.m. EST on Saturday. Final practice for the Daytona 500 takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.

Smith has some history with Stewart-Haas Racing, as he subbed for Tony Stewart in the team’s No. 14 car last August at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

Smith was the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year and won the 2011 Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. He is a fulltime driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and finished second in the 2014 championship standings. Smith, 31, is from Cato, New York.

An interim driver for the No. 41 team at next weekend’s Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway and subsequent races has not been determined.