NASCAR President Mike Helton met with Kyle Busch and Sprint Cup and Nationwide car owner Joe Gibbs then broke the bad news. Busch is barred from driving the rest of the weekend after performing an intentional dangerous incident on the track Friday night.
The incident occurred when the hot-headed Busch deliberately slammed championship contender Ron Hornaday Jr. into a wall during a caution lap in the Truck Series in Texas.
After the news came down, it was announced that Michael McDowell will take over in Sunday’s race for Busch, seventh in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship standings.
Sore loser?
What makes this maneuver by Busch look even more tacky is the fact he was sitting 50 points out and 7th in the standings. He knocked out a contender and is it because he was sitting behind, sucking up Hornaday Jr.’s exhaust?
Busch issued a letter of apology last night but remember it was a letter that he, or a PR person wrote, so fans may take it as one lacking sincerity since it wasn’t a face-to-face statement in front of a camera.
NASCAR may not be done with Kyle. Helton didn’t rule out more penalties for Busch after the series leaves Texas this weekend but stated barring Busch was necessary to show how serious NASCAR felt about the wreck that was deliberately caused on Friday.
BTW, Denny Hamlin, another Gibbs driver, took over the wheel for Busch’s Nationwide car on Saturday and came in second after starting in the back of the field. And Busch will be watching from his couch this Sunday; and maybe for a much longer time.
Used with permission of the author.
Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.
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