NASCAR suspended Kurt Busch indefinitely Friday after a judge said the former champion almost surely choked and beat a former girlfriend last fall and there was a 'substantial likelihood' of more domestic violence from him in the future. In a stunning move two days before the season-opening Daytona 500, NASCAR said Busch would not be allowed to participate in any series activities until further notice given the 'serious nature of the findings and conclusions' made by a Delaware judge involving the driver known as The Outlaw. Family Court Commissioner David Jones concluded that it was more likely than not that Busch abused Patricia Driscoll by 'manually strangling' her and smashing her head into a wall inside his motorhome at Dover International Speedway last September.
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NASCAR has suspended Kurt Busch after a domestic abuse incident that allegedly took place last fall
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A  judge ruled Busch 'manually strangled' his ex Patricia Driscoll, and there is a 'substantial likelihood' of more domestic violence from him in the future
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'Kurt Busch and his Stewart-Haas Racing team are fully aware of our position and why this decision was made,' NASCAR said in a statement
Patricia Driscoll
Patricia Driscoll
@placeholder did not file charges until November, and the Delaware attorney general has not decided if Busch will be charged.
Patricia Driscoll
Patricia Driscoll
But @placeholder sought a no-contact order, and the couple spent four days over December and January in a Delaware court presenting their sides.
Kurt Busch
Busch
Busch
Kurt Busch
Busch
Kurt Busch
The judge concluded that @placeholder did not appear to be a prototypical batterer who uses violence to subjugate or control, but that the incident instead was most likely a "situational" event in which Busch was unable to cope and to control his tendency to act out violently in response to stress and frustration, causing him to "snap."
David Jones
At the same time, however, @placeholder said he believes there's real possibility that Busch will lash out again.
Stewart-Haas Racing
It came last year, his first season with @placeholder, the team that helped resurrect his career.