The early years of the 2010s weren’t easy times for former Cup Series champion Kurt Busch. After splitting with his longtime outfit Team Penske in 2011 following a verbal assault on ESPN reporter Dr. Jerry Punch, he carried his temper into the 2012 season. Midway through the season, he had another incident with Sporting News’ Bob Pockrass that led to a one-race suspension. Within a week after serving the suspension, he was back at it again. This time, it was against ESPN’s Marty Smith.
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Following a third-place finish at the Michigan International Speedway in the Nationwide Series, Busch had left the pitlane without offering an interview to MRN Radio, as was the mandate. However, he’d done so under the orders of his team owner to avoid the press. Once inside the in-field center, he was informed of his infringement, to which he then replied, “That’s what everybody says, don’t they?”
As he chose to leave the infield center in a scurry, several reporters, including Marty Smith, followed him. Watching them follow, Busch called Smith to his side. When the latter did so, Busch reportedly said, “You ever hear of sarcasm?” This exchange led to some heated words between the two and resulted in Busch getting back to the infield center.
This entire sequence of events came when Busch was already under probation for reckless driving on the pit road. NASCAR officials deemed that the altercation with Smith did not violate his probation.
However, they’d already extended the probation period from July to December after the incident at Dover with Bob Pockrass.
Kurt Busch’s redemption from anger issues and his goodwill since
Kurt Busch faced several highs and lows throughout his career. Following the issues with the media, he found himself in a worse situation when his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, accused him of physical abuse. The Delaware court ruled him guilty and issued a protective order against him in 2015.
It was after these series of heavy hits that Busch found it in himself to control his anger and focus on his driving career again. He moved to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 and won the 2017 Daytona 500 for the team. 2021 saw him transition to the role of a mentor when he was signed by 23XI Racing to coach Bubba Wallace and serve as his teammate. Busch retired from racing in 2023 and carries out a lot of non-profit work today.
The latest of his initiatives came with Vet Tix, in aid of military veterans.
