Kurt Busch hit with penalty, fine, probation for reckless pit antics (NASCAR)

CBS Sportsline ^ | Jun 8, 2007 | CBS

[commish]

LONG POND, Pa. -- Kurt Busch was docked 100 driver points Friday, fined $100,000 and placed on probation until the end of the year for reckless driving and endangering a crew member on pit road.

Car owner Roger Penske also was penalized 100 owner points because of Busch's infraction.

NASCAR placed Busch on probation until Dec. 31.

[commish]

NASCAR has lost all credibility when it comes to driver and crew safety in my opinion. All this piddly little slap on the wrist says is "Go ahead, slam into cars on pit road and almost kill crew members".

What a friggin joke NASCAR has become. Busch should be sitting for a minimum of 2 races if not more.

[commish]

PING!

[mnehring]

If this hasn’t been updated, that will push Kurt down to around 18th and push his teammate Ryan Newman up to 15th.

http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2007/data/standings_official.html/

[rattrap]

The way Nascar give out points 100 is nothing. They really threw Kurt in the briar patch.

[Clam Digger]

NASCAR has lost all credibility when it comes to driver and crew safety in my opinion.

Yeah, this is a light sentence, but I don't agree they've lost all credibility as far as safety goes.

[Tenacious 1]

They also parked him and made him finish last. Essentially, they disqualified him from this race. Instead of the 100 points, he should get two consecutive DNFs.

[af_vet_rr]

This is the biggest bunch of crap I've ever heard.

I said it in another thread, apparently NASCAR thinks that having the wrong bracket is the same as nearly running over a defenseless pit crew member IN THEIR OWN PIT BOX WHILE THEIR DRIVER IS PARKED.

Rusty Wallace had the wrong brother when he said last year that Kyle needed a good ass kicking.

I wonder what Kevin Harvick thinks. He had to sit out a truck race for "rough racing" a couple of years ago. That was for on the track behavior. Kurt deliberately drove into Tony's pit box, with the intention of causing damage, which he did.

Makes me wonder, if Kurt had hit Tony hard and pushed Tony into the wall, crushing the legs of one or more crew members, if NASCAR would simply penalize him say 200 points and $250,000.

Miller Lite must be a big contributor to NASCAR's bottom line.

[af_vet_rr]

Yeah, this is a light sentence, but I don't agree they've lost all credibility as far as safety goes.

Why not? If that jack man had not seen Kurt, he would have been knocked, at minimum, several feet. Nearly running over a crew member just because you're pissed off is not only stupid, but shows a callous disregard for the safety of others.

Perhaps you should go back and watch the tape - Kurt didn't get his car stopped until the front was well past where the jack man had been just seconds before.

I really thought Kurt had cleaned up his reputation and attitude, but it appears he's just been covering it up. Maybe he and Jimmy Spencer need to have another go round.

[Clam Digger]

Like I said, I agree the penalties were weak, but NASCAR has not lost all crediblity because Busch is a total ass and needs to be banned from motorsports for life. This is just one incident, how can the entire safety program be written off? Nascar has an excellent safety record in a pretty dangerous sport, and a very proactive safety program.

[Clam Digger]

He should be banned from mtorsports for life. There is n way to do that, though.

[dfwgator]

He should be banned from mtorsports for life. There is n way to do that, though.

The best way to "ban" him would be to boycott his sponsors.

[Clam Digger]

I’ve been doing that for a long time, even before Miller Lite sponsored the little punk slug, but that was not a protest against Rusty, because Rusty is cool.

[af_vet_rr]

This is just one incident, how can the entire safety program be written off?

It's not the safety program that's in question, it's NASCAR management, and the comments they have made about safety and penalties this year. They made a big show about getting tough on drivers, and how concerned they are about safety, and then they go and blow this.

Apparently getting angry and putting somebody's life in danger is as bad as having the wrong wing bracket.

It's a good thing Bill France Jr's grave is fresh - that'll ease the spinning he's doing right now. I didn't agree with some of what Bill did, but he wasn't scared of taking drivers down a notch when they needed it. 100 points? Mark Martin misses entire races and is still doing better in points than 2/3 of the field.

If Kurt Busch was Joe Smith, driving for one of the smaller sponsors on a different team, I think he'd be sitting out a few races.

[af_vet_rr]

The best way to "ban" him would be to boycott his sponsors.

I think his sponsors are the reason why he didn't get penalized a race or two or three, but I've always thought Miller Lite sucked, so I guess I've been boycotting them all along ;-)

That said, I think that if you get involved in a wreck with Kurt from here on out, regardless of whose fault it was, you better take him out so his car can't move. Otherwise, he's liable to try and kill one of your pit crew members.

[Clam Digger]

Apparently getting angry and putting somebody's life in danger is as bad as having the wrong wing bracket.

Yep, we agree on the light penalty. I don't think the probation period will pass without it coming into play. Busch is such a smarm he'll lose it again. I'd say by the second New Hampshire race.

[Sunnyflorida]

Too bad he did not just go back out on the track and give stewart a bit of his own medicine.