zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Kurt Busch Indefinitely Suspended; Court Rules He 'Likely' Attacked Ex
Kurt Busch Indefinitely Suspended; Court Rules He 'Likely' Attacked Ex-September 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:45

A Delaware court today concluded that embattled NASCAR driver "more likely than not" strangled his ex-girlfriend and smashed her head against a wall last year. The driver has also been suspended indefinitely from racing.

that a Kent County, Delaware family court commissioner found it is likely "by a preponderance of the evidence" that Busch attacked ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll during a September race weekend at Dover International Speedway, strangling her and smashing her head against a wall during an argument in his motor home. The commissioner will require Busch to undergo mental health evaluations.

While the Delaware attorney general's office is still deciding whether to file criminal charges against Busch, racing officials acted swiftly in suspending Busch indefinitely.

That news broke recently and no details about it are immediately available. Busch was scheduled to start in the 24th position at this weekend's Daytona 500, the sport's flagship race.

The court's ruling and Busch's subsequent suspension is the latest development in a domestic violence case that took a turn for the bizarre during hearings where Driscoll sought a protective order. There, Busch insisted Driscoll . The court commissioner sided with Driscoll instead. From ESPN's report:

In his opinion released Friday, Jones wrote that Driscoll's version of the events that night was more credible, citing, among other things, her demeanor when she recalled and described the events of that night.

"[Busch's] version of the events is implausible, does not make sense and is unlikely to be true given the totality of the other evidence admitted at trial," Jones wrote.

And here's the statement from NASCAR, which said Busch was suspended for "actions detrimental to stock car racing" and the organization's "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."

This story and headline have been updated to be more clear on the judge's ruling in the case, which said Busch "more likely than not" committed an act of abuse against his former girlfriend.

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
The New Ford GT In The Star-Spangled Carbon Fiber Flesh
The New Ford GT In The Star-Spangled Carbon Fiber Flesh
With a curved wing that looks like an angry scorpion’s tail from the side and a splitter that could be used to grate Paul Bunyan’s cheese, every single detail of the insanely buttressed race car just looks right. Especially in person. Ford unveiled the new GT race car at the...
Sep 9, 2026
How Tomorrow's Race Car Got Bogged In Today's Lawsuits
How Tomorrow's Race Car Got Bogged In Today's Lawsuits
“I feel really abused by this,” Don Panoz said about the lawsuit against former partner Nissan over the DeltaWing, a race car that surprised the racing community with its unique design and has since become over that design that’s been more dramatic than the racing. Three years ago, the radically...
Sep 9, 2026
I'm At The 24 Hours Of Le Mans, An Overwhelming Celebration Of Insanity
I'm At The 24 Hours Of Le Mans, An Overwhelming Celebration Of Insanity
Almost 8.5 miles of circuit. Purpose-built racing prototypes, some of which for qualifying. Fans everywhere: camping, gawking, eating, drinking. Noise. Rain. Dark. Doesn’t matter. The race goes on, and there’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. [Full disclosure: Nissan wanted us to check...
Sep 9, 2026
All Three Nissan LMP1s Get Grid Penalties At Le Mans For Being Too Slow
All Three Nissan LMP1s Get Grid Penalties At Le Mans For Being Too Slow
Nissan has made it clear that their trio of GT-R LM Nismo cars is very much still a work in progress, however, there’s a penalty if that progress doesn’t fall within 110% of the fastest car’s qualifying time. All three Nissan LMP1s were too slow in qualifying, therefore, . was...
Sep 9, 2026
Weekend Motorsports Roundup, June 13-14, 2015
Weekend Motorsports Roundup, June 13-14, 2015
Welcome to the Jalopnik , where we let you know what’s going on in the world of racing, where you can see it, and where you can talk about it all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend? I’m at the ! Many of...
Sep 9, 2026
Half Of This Porsche Is Made Of Lego Bricks
Half Of This Porsche Is Made Of Lego Bricks
Behold the ultimate Lego kit: half of a Porsche 911 RSR! Over 380,000 bricks went into making half of this car, and it’s one of the most detailed and wonderful Lego builds yet. The differences between the two sides on this display for the 24 Hours of Le Mans mean...
Sep 9, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved