Kurt Busch Booted By NASCAR

Take a look at the couple above, don't they look happy?  Apparently not.  A Delaware Judge has ruled that  Kurt Busch chocked and beat his then girlfriend Patricia Driscoll.  NASCAR reacting by suspending Busch from any activity including racing  This is another devastating blow to Stewart-Haas Racing.  (Last year Team co-owner Tony Stewart was involved in a crash in a non NASCAR race that cost driver Kevin Ward.)

Family Court Commissioner David Jones issued a twenty five page report stated that Busch likely manually strangled and smashed Driscoll's head into the wall of his motor home.  No word on whether there is a Ray Rice type video of Busch's alleged actions.

Rusty Hardin, Busch's attorney, defended the NASCAR Driver.  "We are extremely disappointed that NASCAR has suspended Kurt Busch and we plan an immediate appeal," Hardin said in a statement. "We assure everyone, including NASCAR, that this action against Mr. Busch will turn out to be a travesty of justice, apparent to all, as this story continues to unfold."

Busch's attorneys will appeal this decision.  It is a civil not a criminal matter.  Patricia Driscoll reacted to the judge's decision with a written statement.  "For victims of domestic violence there are no "victories." My only hope is that the pain and trauma I suffered through this process will help other victims find their voice. Unfortunately we live in a culture where stories like mine are often swept under the rug out of fear and with the knowledge that for every person who shows empathy many more will seek to disparage the victim. It is bad enough to endure the actual physical abuse but the verbal attacks that follow when a victim speaks up are sometimes just as painful.

Today NASCAR took an important step and deserves to be commended. The next steps are to develop a thorough process and policies that reenforce the organization's position it took today: Domestic violence will not be tolerated in NASCAR."

This is not the first time that Kurt Busch has been in trouble or suspended by NASCAR.  Let's hope NASCAR does a better job of stopping/punishing domestic violence offenders than the NFL.