- Busch, 46, was pulled over in North Carolina for speeding at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday
- He admitted he had been drinking and officers reported he had “red, glassy eyes”
- Busch retired in 2023 after struggling to overcome a concussion from 2022
Retired NASCAR driver Kurt Busch has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, speeding and reckless driving.
The legendary stock car driver was pulled over in North Carolina at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night for speeding, driving his 2024 Lexus at 63 mph in a 45 mph zone.
Iredell County officers noted that Busch had “red, glassy eyes” and that he “admitted to having been drinking prior to driving,” according to the Iredell Free News.
A nearby North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper assisted in the traffic stop and recorded Busch with a blood alcohol content of 0.17 percent, well over the state’s 0.08 percent limit. As a result, Busch’s driver’s license was revoked for 30 days.
Busch was held in the Iredell County Detention Center until early Wednesday morning, when he was released after agreeing to appear in court on September 19.
Busch was arrested for ‘drunk driving, speeding and reckless driving’
Busch, who lives in Iredell County, has since apologized.
“I am very disappointed in myself and I apologize to my family, my racing family and my fans,” he said in a statement. “I will work with the authorities to rectify the situation and with the county to make it a safer place in the future.”
It’s been a year since Busch made an emotional retirement from the sport while dealing with the after-effects of a concussion.
Busch held back tears as he announced his retirement on Aug. 26, 2023, at Daytona International Speedway. The 2004 series champion and 2017 Daytona 500 winner called it quits largely because he couldn’t shake the aftermath of a severe concussion that had rocked stock car racing the year before.
“My body is just fighting a battle with Father Time,” Busch said. “I’ve had arthritis since I can remember. My gout has flared up and I can barely walk sometimes. I just have to keep going through the physical therapy and keep training.”
A crew member talks with driver Kurt Busch at Martinsville Speedway in 2006
Busch joins a short list of drivers in recent years whose bodies helped decide to retire: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (concussion) and four-time champion Jeff Gordon (lower back). Busch said he took pre-race shots last summer — for his concussion — “just so I could move my knee and my feet.”
His younger brother, two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, was in the back of the Daytona media center for the announcement. NASCAR drivers Jim France, Ben Kennedy, Steve O’Donnell and Mike Helton were also in attendance, along with numerous Toyota greats and 23IX Racing drivers Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.
“It’s time for a new journey and I’m looking forward to getting started,” Busch said.
The Las Vegas native suffered a concussion in a qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway in 2022. After slamming backwards into the wall, the front of his Toyota was subjected to such a G-force that it raised concerns about the safety of the Next Gen cars.
NASCAR spent much of the 2022-23 offseason tweaking its car to mitigate the effects of rear-end collisions that wreaked havoc on drivers in 2022. Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman missed five races with a concussion, and several other drivers complained about the severity of routine impacts and wondered if they, too, had suffered head injuries.
Busch sits in his #97 Sharpie/Rubbermaid Rouch Ford during a race at Bristol in 2001
Busch said at the time of his retirement that his improvement had been gradual and that he planned to return to racing one day, but he did not have a timetable.
And even if he did race again, it wouldn’t be in NASCAR’s premier series.
“Racing at the highest level of NASCAR takes all the focus, heart, stamina and determination,” Busch said. “And I know right now I can’t give what it takes to compete at that level week in and week out.
“It’s hard to know what paths will lead to what in the short term. I still want to get the doctor’s approval and clearance. That’s the first step. That’s what I have to do personally. Then I have the opportunity to talk to different motorsport teams and sponsors about doing other races.”