zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Graffiti, Deleted Tweets and IndyCar: Fallout From Kurt Busch Suspension
Graffiti, Deleted Tweets and IndyCar: Fallout From Kurt Busch Suspension-August 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:45

A suspension wasn't the only thing spawned by the Kurt Busch protective order ruling last week. Pit stall vandalism, regrettable tweets and even an IndyCar statement have been among the fallout from NASCAR's decision to . Here's a rundown of everything you may have missed.

Immediately following the suspension, the link to buy Kurt Busch gear from NASCAR's store redirected to the merchandise. Any link to Busch that would have been in the sidebar or elsewhere was taken off the site.

Busch ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll naturally commended NASCAR for their decision to suspend Busch after the details of the court's findings were released. Driscoll is the ex who won the protective order against Busch. Here is a screenshot of the statement she released, via Jeff Gluck:

Back at Daytona International Speedway, there was vandalism on Busch's pit garage immediately following the announcement that Busch had been suspended.

Someone had taken markers intended for autographs and put "#41 Ray Rice" on Busch's pit stall. Ray Rice refers to the Baltimore Ravens running back who was suspended immediately by the National Football League for punching out his then-fiancee in an elevator.

The NFL's of the has caused the NFL and many other sports, including NASCAR, to reevaluate how they handle domestic violence cases. Some see the Busch decision, which happened based on a civil ruling as opposed to a criminal conviction, as a to the NFL's waffling on Rice. Fellow NASCAR driver Travis Kvapil, for example, pleaded guilty to domestic assault in January 2014, yet NASCAR took no action against him.

Former FBI director Robert Mueller's investigation into the NFL's handling of the Ray Rice case has

According to , NASCAR chairman Brian France stated last November that NASCAR would wait for criminal charges to be filed to take any action against Busch for the incident. That obviously changed with the additional findings that were released from the protection order hearings last Friday, as NASCAR felt they had sufficient evidence to act.

It's clear that NASCAR wanted to avoid the damning response the NFL received for not acting on a video of Rice knocking out his fiancee. The comparison between the two cases was apt enough for one Daytona 500 attendee to write out on Busch's pit garage. No one knows who left the comment in Sharpie.

Speaking of, um, interesting comments:

Marco Andretti is clearly no fan of Busch ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll, although it's worth noting that there is some connection between the Andretti family and Kurt Busch. Busch competed last year with Marco on the Andretti Autosport team at the Indianpolis 500 and finished sixth, winning Rookie of the Year for his outstanding drive. Marco's father Michael Andretti owns Andretti Autosport.

This tweet was deleted shortly after Marco posted it in response to one of Jenna Fryer's updates on the Delaware family court's release of additional details on the hearings. Wild guess here, totally out of left field: this sounds like something Andretti's sponsors do not want to hear the driver opine about. It's just, ah, a tad sensitive and controversial, that's all.

IndyCar released a proactive statement regarding Busch's alleged domestic assault. Busch has yet to apply for membership in IndyCar, however, given his performance last year, they felt the need to comment.

The full reads as such:

INDYCAR has not received an application for membership from Kurt Busch, and has no indication that he intends to apply. The series takes domestic violence very seriously, and its rules (including Rule 2.11.3) provide the basis of authority to address personal conduct. INDYCAR is monitoring this situation as it evolves. We will act firmly and strongly in responding to all matters of domestic violence.

While they haven't outright banned Busch from participating there, they are saying what NASCAR originally said in regards to the situation: they're waiting and seeing what happens. Should Busch apply for membership there, I don't know if he'll get to drive this year.

Finally, as with all controversial decisions in sports, there is . Fans have started a Change.org petition urging NASCAR to drop Busch's suspension until criminal charges are filed, which is stated <sarcasm> in the most calm and civil of Internet voices </sarcasm>:

Kurt Busch has been suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for "actions detrimental to stock car racing" following the Domestic Violence case after Patricia Driscoll, Kurt's ex-girlfriend, claimed. What? Excuse me, but is he charged with anything as of February 20th, 2015? No! Why are you suspending him why he is Innocent until proven guilty? What happened to Innocent until proven guilty and due process? Oh. That's right, you all at NASCAR are tyrants once again and are in control and are not letting Kurt voice in defense. More than likely you will pay NO attention to his appeal. Travis Kvapil did the same thing and was actually charged with it, yet he's still allowed to race? You just did yourselves in for a world of pain. Revoke the suspension, or once again, like every single time you come up with a ridiculous penalty, boatloads of fans are going to walk right out the door to watch IndyCar and Dirt Track racing.

Despite its emotional tone, the petition currently has over 5,800 supporters, although, I'm not sure the "tyrants" at NASCAR will pay attention to well, something that calls them a bunch of tyrants.

One thing is certain: NASCAR and other motorsport sanctioning bodies are a private entity, able to determine their own standards for taking action against a driver that differ from those used in courts of law. Will Busch be able to drive again? We're not sure. The court's findings had some doubts about Driscoll's testimony as well, but the evidence they cited to award her the protective order against Busch was fairly damning. Any potential criminal conviction will surely make matters worse for Busch. Chevrolet of the driver almost immediately afterwards, which means that other sponsors are unlikely to pick him up.

Before a protective order was issued against Kurt Busch, Stewart-Haas Racing assured fans that they

We don't even know if criminal charges will be filed against the driver yet. No further information has been released on the criminal side of the investigation into the between Busch and Driscoll at Dover International Speedway in September 2014.

The ex-girlfriend of NASCAR driver Kurt Busch has accused him of bashing her head against a wall…

The Stewart-Haas Racing team appears to be taking the issue one week at a time. reports that Regan Smith will substitute for Busch in the #41 Stewart-Haas Racing car for another week. Smith drove #41 to a sixteenth place finish at the Daytona 500, which wasn't bad for the tough superspeedway race.

Smith finished 16th in the Daytona 500.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Formula Drift Has the Best Drone Work I've Seen in Ages
Formula Drift Has the Best Drone Work I've Seen in Ages
Formula Drift is interesting in that it’s just a bunch of cars burning tires going sideways but it’s also and the most innovative in how it broadcasts, including . Those shots are pretty low-res when live, but the full clips are unreal. is one of the more interesting drivers in...
Aug 15, 2025
Here's the Orange McLaren Fernando Alonso Will Take to the Indianapolis 500 This Year
Here's the Orange McLaren Fernando Alonso Will Take to the Indianapolis 500 This Year
We all knew Fernando Alonso wouldn’t leave his Indianapolis 500 legacy at just one start that ended in an in 2017, mainly because . So, after a year off from the race and a full racing schedule to distract him, Alonso’s back in bright orange this May. Well, “McLaren...
Aug 15, 2025
Yet Another Two-Time F1 World Champ Is Running a Sports Car Endurance Race
Yet Another Two-Time F1 World Champ Is Running a Sports Car Endurance Race
Mika Häkkinen never really retired from racing so much as he started taking longer and longer sabbaticals. This time, he’s making his reappearance behind the wheel of a McLaren 720S GT3as he contests the Suzuka 10 Hours endurance race. It must be pretty nice to be a retired F1...
Aug 15, 2025
Every Racing Series Needs a Live Drone Cam Immediately
Every Racing Series Needs a Live Drone Cam Immediately
Formula Drift might not be for everyone, but holy hell do they get a lot of things right that other racing series can’t seem to wrap brains around. I attended last weekend’s Long Beach season-opening round and I was absolutely astonished by the incredible ways FD is adapting existing technology...
Aug 15, 2025
What You Find When You Look Into Rich Energy, the Mystery Sponsor of America’s F1 Team
What You Find When You Look Into Rich Energy, the Mystery Sponsor of America’s F1 Team
This year, the in Formula One debuted with a new look and a new title sponsor. Rich Energy, an “elite” energy drink for “the discerning customer,” stands proud as Haas F1’s partner for the 2019 F1 season.But few can find Rich Energy for sale,and people are having an even harder...
Aug 15, 2025
Mini Vintage Racing is the Best Spectator Sport
Mini Vintage Racing is the Best Spectator Sport
If you’ve ever been in one of these old Minis, you know just quite how small and tinny they are. By dint of dimension, basically as wide as it is long, with the wheels pushed to the edges of the car, it is quite a competent racing car. Sure,...
Aug 15, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved