Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – Kurt Busch has agreed to NASCAR’s terms
and conditions for reinstatement after he was suspended indefinitely for
domestic violence allegations on Feb. 20.
NASCAR placed Busch, the driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
and 2004 Cup Series champion, on suspension when it learned that a Delaware
judge had concluded that Busch “more than likely not” committed an act of
domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll in his motorhome
at Dover International Speedway last September.
On Monday, NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said that Busch informed the
sanctioning body late last week that he would agree to its process for
reinstatement. There is no timetable in place for his potential return to
NASCAR competition. NASCAR also did not reveal the terms and conditions for
his reinstatement.
“We understand Kurt Busch has begun the process for reinstatement as a NASCAR
member,” Stewart-Haas Racing executive vice president Joe Custer said in a
team statement. “NASCAR has laid out its expectations for Kurt, and while
there is no timetable to meet those expectations, Kurt’s willingness to
embrace the conditions set forth by NASCAR is a positive step that we
support.”
Delaware Family Court Commissioner David Jones granted Driscoll a protective
order on Feb. 16. When Jones released his 25-page opinion of the court case
four days later, he noted that Busch committed an act of abuse against
Driscoll by “manually strangling (her) with his left hand on her throat, while
placing his right hand against her chin and face, causing her head to
forcefully strike the interior wall of (Busch’s) motorhome, thereby recklessly
causing physical injury to (Driscoll) and recklessly placing (her) in
reasonable apprehension of physical injury.”
Busch lost both of his appeals for reinstatement the day before the Daytona
500. A three-member National Motorsports Appeal Panel heard and considered
Busch’s initial appeal before he presented his position to National
Motorsports Final Appeals Officer Bryan Moss.
The Delaware Attorney General’s office has yet to make its decision on
criminal charges against Busch. Police conducted a criminal investigation and
handed their findings to the attorney general’s office for review in early
January.
Regan Smith, a regular in the Xfinity Series, will remain the replacement
driver for Busch in the No. 41 car this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Smith has been behind the wheel of that car in the first two races this
season, finishing 16th in the Feb. 22 Daytona 500 and then 17th in Sunday’s
race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. SHR said in a release that a driver for the 41
team in the March 15 race at Phoenix International Raceway and subsequent
events has not been determined.
