NASCAR driver Kurt Busch has taken the first steps towards being allowed to race in the sport again it was revealed Tuesday. Busch was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR last month only two days prior to the season opening Daytona as a result of allegations of domestic batter that surfaced late last year. Busch appealed that suspension and lost. The suspension came after a judge in Delaware issued his brief concerning the issuance of a protective order days earlier. The judge’s brief stated that Busch indeed “committed an act of domestic violence” against his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll during an incident Sept. 26 at Dover International Speedway. The ruling also stated that Driscoll had “bruising and substantial and prolonged pain to her head, neck and throat.”
The incident occurred while NASCAR was at Dover International Speedway during the weekend of Sept. 26-28 last year. The following month, Driscoll reported the incident to police and filed for the protective order at the same time alleging that Busch was verbally abusive and that he wished he “had a gun so he could kill himself.” As a result of the incident Driscoll asked a Delaware court that Busch,36, be evaluated by a psychiatrist and that he stay away from her and her son and that a protective order be issued. The hearing for that protective order wrapped up Jan. 13 with testimony that can only be considered bizarre. Among the allegations from Busch, given under oath, was that Driscoll a trained assassin and that she, among other things, in the inspiration for one of the female characters in a major motion picture about the assassination of Osama Bin Laden.
In his, Jones wrote that he acknowledged the relationship was over, but added that the protective order was “necessary and appropriate to reduce the likelihood of domestic violence.” NASCAR was swift to take action, issuing the suspension of Busch. NASCAR Chairman Brian France said earlier this year that the sanctioning body would let the legal process play out before issuing any actions. The judge’s brief was obviously all they needed and Busch became the first driver suspended for domestic violence. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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