2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch had one of the most impressive personal transformations in NASCAR. He went from being a hated villain to a fan favorite by the time he retired. Unfortunately for him, he finds himself in a tricky situation once again. The icon was arrested by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office on Monday and charged with DWI, and careless and reckless driving.
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Records from the court state that he was driving his Lexus at 63 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone. Officers found his blood alcohol level to be 0.17%, way too higher than the 0.08% limit. Speed checks were being conducted in the area after receiving multiple complaints from citizens. His driving license has also been revoked as a result and he will be facing the charges in court on September 19.
“I’m very disappointed in myself and I apologize to my family, my racing family, and to my fans,” he said in a statement to the press on Wednesday. “I will work with the authorities to rectify the situation and work with the county to make it a safer place in the future.” He had been released from the detention center on a signed promise that he would appear in court on the scheduled date.
This is not the first time Busch has faced such charges. He was pulled over on suspicion of DUI back in 2005 in Maricopa, Arizona, and later cited with reckless driving. He was ordered to do 50 hours of community service as punishment. The latest development is worrying to see particularly for a driver who has worked on improving his public image through a large part of his career.
He currently lives in Pine Meadow Lane, Mooresville, and works with 23XI Racing on training its drivers. He drove for Chip Ganassi Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Roush Racing among other teams over his 23-year career. His career earnings from the 34 victories he had extended to over $90 million, according to Iredell Free News. He had to retire midway through the 2023 season after suffering an injury.
Though he is at fault, fans have been expressing deep empathy and showcasing their support for him on social media. Thankfully, no one was hurt when he was driving on Monday. The fandom will hope that he recovers from whatever problem he is dealing with and continues to be more careful and responsible behind the wheel.
