Former NASCAR Ford Driver Kurt Busch Arrested For DWI

Retired Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, who drove a NASCAR Ford race car for much of his career, was arrested and charged with a DWI after being pulled over for speeding on August 12^th, 2024.

According to a report from Iredell Free News, Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, was initially pulled over for speeding in Iredell County, North Carolina at 11:32 p.m. local time on Monday. Busch was behind the wheel of a 2024 Lexus and was clocked at 63 mph in a 45 mph zone.

Busch was described by a deputy as having “red glassy eyes” and “a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath.” Court documents revealed that Busch “admitted to drinking prior to driving.” His blood alcohol concentration registered at 0.17 percent. The legal limit in North Carolina is 0.08 percent. He was subsequently transported to Iredell County Detention Center and was eventually released at 2:36 a.m.

Busch later released an apology for the incident. “I’m very disappointed in myself and I apologize to my family, my racing family, and to my fans. I will work with the authorities to rectify the situation and work with the county to make it a safer place in the future,” he said in a statement.

Busch was also cited for reckless driving after he was pulled over in Maricopa County, Arizona in November 2005 under suspicion of DUI. He was ordered to complete 50 hours of community service after that incident.

Before retiring from racing in 2022, Busch drove the No. 97 NASCAR Ford for Roush Racing from 2000 through 2005, winning the championship in 2004. He then drove Chevy and Dodge race cars until 2017, when his team, Stewart-Haas Racing, teamed up with The Blue Oval. He drove the No. 41 Ford in 2017 and 2018 before moving to Chip Ganassi Racing in 2019. Busch drove a Chevy until swapping to Toyota in 2022, which ended up being his final season after he suffered a head injury in a crash that forced him to retire from fulltime racing.