NASCAR suspends former champion Kurt Busch

June 04, 2012|By HEATHER WILLIAMS | Eyewitness Sports

NASCAR has suspended former cup champion Kurt Busch from all NASCAR events through June 13th. The suspension comes when, after Saturday's Nationwide race, Busch went to a tirade aimed at a member of the NASCAR media corps as a television camera rolled.

Busch was already on probation at the time of the incident, and that has been extended until the end of the season. The suspension means he can not compete in this weekend's Sprint Cup series race at Pocono, nor the truck race at Texas.

This past weekend was not the first time Busch has been verbally abusive to a reporter. Last year a fan caught him yelling at ESPN pit reporter Dr. Jerry Punch at Homestead Miami Speedway. (caution for language).

He also ripped up a paper and threw it in the face of AP Motorsports writer Jenna Fryer and exchanged words with NASCAR.com’s Joe Menzer after the race in Richmond last fall.

Shortly after the video of Busch's exchange with Punch surfaced, he parted ways with Penske Racing. The former champion now drives for the small single car team of Phoenix racing and sits 25th in the points standings.

Here is the official release from NASCAR:

NASCAR has suspended driver Kurt Busch until June 13 of this year and extended his NASCAR probation until Dec. 31 for his actions following the NASCAR Nationwide Series race June 2 at Dover International Speedway.

Kurt Busch violated Section 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing; violation of probation; verbal abuse to a media member) of the 2012 NASCAR Rule Book. Kurt Busch had previously been placed on NASCAR probation May 15 for his actions during the May 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Darlington Raceway. That probation was originally scheduled to end July 25 but has now been extended through the end of this year.

SPEEDtv Catches Busch's words with a NASCAR reporter

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