Kudos for Penske! Kurt Busch out at Penske Racing

Jeff Gilder
@jeff-gilder
13 years ago
1,783 posts

From ThatsRacin.com of the Charlotte Observer

Kurt Busch out at Penske Racing

Race team responds to NASCAR's fine from a Homestead tirade, gesture.

- jutter@charlotteobserver.com
Sunday, Dec. 04, 2011
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    Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 19, 2011 in Homestead, Fla. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

For the second time in his Sprint Cup Series career, an off-track issue has cost Kurt Busch his job.

Busch will not return next season to drive Penske Racing's No. 22 Dodge, multiple sources confirmed to the Observer on Sunday night.

An official announcement of Busch's departure from the organization is expected today from Penske.

Just over a week ago NASCAR fined Busch $50,000 for the use of an obscene gesture and a profanity-laced tirade directed toward a media member during the Cup series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The incident with ESPN reporter Dr. Jerry Punch, which took place in the garage after Busch's car broke its transmission, was caught on video and posted on YouTube.

At the time, Penske Racing officials issued a statement saying they were reviewing the matter internally.

Asked if he could confirm Busch as the driver of the No. 22 team in 2012, Penske spokesman Jonathan Gibson referred to its previous statement and said the organization would have no further comment at this time.

In November 2005, less than one year after winning his first Cup series championship, Busch was fired by Roush Fenway Racing after he was cited for criminal recklessness in Avondale, Ariz., in what police described as an alcohol-related incident.

Busch sat out the remaining two races of the 2005 season. He began driving for team owner Roger Penske in the 2006 season.

Since joining Penske, Busch has won 10 races and his highest finish in the series standings was fourth in 2009.

This decision comes very late in the year and puts both Busch and Penske in a difficult position.

There are no quality rides currently available for next season for Busch to pursue, and no drivers with a resume on the track similar to Busch's available for Penske to hire.

Several drivers who competed in the Cup series this season remain without rides, including David Ragan, Brian Vickers and David Reutimann.

More racing news, blogs, photos and more at www.ThatsRacin.com .



Read more: http://www.thatsracin.com/2011/12/04/80040/penske-racing-fires-kurt-busch.html#ixzz1ff2ghUUi




--
Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®

updated by @jeff-gilder: 01/06/17 10:53:37PM
Tim Leeming
@tim-leeming
13 years ago
3,119 posts

Appears Roger Penske is a much bigger man than Joe Gibbs. Good for him!




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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

William Horrell
@william-horrell
13 years ago
175 posts

Great news! That is unless you are KuBu... Just wish The JGR brass had the where withall to do the same to his deserving little bother. Oops I mean little brother.

You need to get going Kurt, times a wastin' and you wasted enough of ours...

I always knew that Mr. Penskeis a no nonsense, stand up guy who is a true professional and now he has proven it...You have my respect sir.

Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
13 years ago
9,137 posts

As I stated when Cody first posted this news Sunday, too bad Joe Gibbs doesn't have the same intestinal fortitude of Roger Penske and Jack Roush. If he let baby brother go, then daddy would have to start his own racing series for his boys.... the Busch Series!




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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Bumpertag
@bumpertag
13 years ago
363 posts

I have to wonder why did it take so long to reach this conclusion? He is a competitive driver, but he can destroy a team if he is allowed to berate and abuse them like this. As a parent I look at it like this, OK, you know better but I'm willing to give you a slap on the bottom and a warning and say it better not happen again. Next time, go get me a switch! One of those long green ones that tend to wrap when it makes contact.

Jeff Gilder
@jeff-gilder
13 years ago
1,783 posts

BT, my Mom used to make me go cut the switch for her. After my Dad started letting me carry a pocket knife, I learned how to cut "relief" rings on the switch in strategic locations. Worked a few times...then she stopped making me go cut them. But she didn't stop using them...and that's why I never acted like a Busch.




--
Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®
Bumpertag
@bumpertag
13 years ago
363 posts
Jeff, I have been thinking about this situation and once again I go back to yesteryear and compair it to todays events. Back in the 50's, 60's and 70's NASCAR had it's share of rough and tough men and I sure their vocabularies were very broad. I have no doubt that amoung themselves the language would have been unfit for women and children or for TV and newspaper. The media coverage today is much more than back then but the bigger difference is the drivers themselves.I can not picture Pops Turner, Fireball or Watherly standing with a reporter and unleashing a verbal assault like I heard from Kurt Busch on YouTube. I'm sure he was upset that he was out of the race but I think the issue is deeper than that. I think this is more a character and morals issue. Kurt has no respect for anyone and seems to think there is no limits he must adhere to. He has earned his unemployment and deserves to suffer for his actions. The sad thing is that he isn't the only one, it seems to be a family trait.There is bad behavior, and there is behavior that can't be allowed. And if the team owners and fans can't have a favorable affect on some drivers, then I hate to say it, but maybe NASCAR needs to grow a backbone and start to pull licenses of repeat offenders. This kind of behavior can not be tolerated anymore and should have been stopped before it had gotten to this point. Thanks Roger, but what took so long?
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
13 years ago
3,259 posts

THERE IS WORD ON THE WEB THAT THEY DIVORCED--nobody got fired and nobody quit............ kinda like someone got caught with their pants on the ground...... Jimmy Spencer is checking to see if any Bail Bonds were renigged on hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Pete Banchoff
@pete-banchoff
13 years ago
279 posts

Mr. Penske has certain expectations from his drivers, if you don't meet them your career at Penske Racing will be short. I've seen him do this a lot in IndyCar racing. They don't call him the Captain for nothing. Gary Bettenhausen was fired because he wanted to race Sprints and Midgets when Penske wanted him to focus only on IndyCar. Penske won, Gary lost.

I hope Joe Gibbs follows suit.

Sandeep Banerjee
@sandeep-banerjee
13 years ago
360 posts

I wonder if anyone can verify this but I once read that Bobby Allison supposedly punched Chris Ekonomaki sometime during the early 70s after he went to interview Bobby following a frustrating retirement at, Darlington, I think it was.

Bobby Williamson
@bobby-williamson
13 years ago
907 posts

Shell/Pennzoil played a major role in all this too.

Bobby Williamson
@bobby-williamson
13 years ago
907 posts

For those not paying close attention,SPONSORSare the 800 lb gorilla. Nothing else really matters......number of wins, championships, poles, etc. etc. In NASCAR, like it or not, the driver represents, and is the face of, the sponsoring entity. The parameters of thatnew reality will be made in the corporate boardrooms.

Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
13 years ago
9,137 posts

Yeah... I addressedthe convoluted history of Pennzoil in NASCAR yesterday morning (Dec. 5) and how they got what they deserved with Kurt in a rather lengthy post titled:

" Sometimes What Goes Around Comes Around and You Want to Cheer ."

http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/forum/topics/sometimes-what-goes-...

LINK ABOVE




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Pete Banchoff
@pete-banchoff
13 years ago
279 posts

I remember on Bobby Unser's radio show that he once took Chris Economaki's microphone and threw it when he was in no mood to talk. Maybe it was Bobby Unser.

Sandeep Banerjee
@sandeep-banerjee
13 years ago
360 posts

Yea, I agree with y'all.. always thought it was highly unlikely of Bobby to do that sort of thing. Maybe it was indeed Bobby Unser lol.. we need to ask him about that during his next appearance on the goat rodeo!

Devin
@devin
13 years ago
619 posts

All I got to say is, Amen!