Former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch is under police investigation for domestic assault on his former girlfriend in Delaware.
Allegations were brought to the Dover Police Department last Wednesday by Patricia Driscoll who said an incident occurred inside his motorhome at the race at Dover International Speedway in September. The couple broke up about a week before.
The 2004 NASCAR Champion is competing this weekend as part of Stewart-Haas Racing.
It is ironic that the news should break heading into the Phoenix round of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as this was the location that the man known as “The Outlaw” was released early from Roush Racing in 2005 after he was involved in a reckless driving incident with local police.
In 2011 he was dropped by Penske Racing after he abused ESPN’s Gerry Punch while waiting to conduct an interview after he retired from the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Driscoll is an executive for a small Washington, D.C.-based defense consulting firm and president of the Armed Forces Foundation, a non-profit for veterans. The couple met at a foundation dinner in 2011, and after hitting it off, Busch became a spokesman and ambassador for the foundation. The group severed its ties with him Friday because of the “serious nature of the allegations.”
Busch has been cleared by NASCAR at this stage to take part in racing activities at Phoenix International Raceway.
Following are statements in regards to the Dover incident:
Dover Police Department
“The Dover Police Department can confirm that an investigation is being conducted based on an allegation of domestic assault that is alleged to have occurred in the City of Dover involving Mr. Busch. These allegations were brought to the Dover Police Department on Wednesday, November 5th at 2:00PM. At this time, the department is still investigating the victim’s claims and will not have any further comment on this matter in order to preserve the integrity of the case. The Dover Police Department will release further information as it becomes available. We appreciate the public’s and media’s patience in this matter and are confident that the department is taking the proper investigative steps to ensure the case is resolved appropriately.”
Mike Arning : Stewart-Haas Racing
“This is an allegation Stewart-Haas Racing takes very seriously, but we’re still gathering all of the facts and are not in a position to comment in greater detail.”
Brett Jewkes : NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer
“NASCAR is aware of the investigation involving driver Kurt Busch. We recognise the seriousness of this matter and are actively gathering information from all parties, including law enforcement authorities and Stewart-Haas Racing. It would be inappropriate for NASCAR to comment further on this matter until we have more information.”
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