Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch, Penske Racing Split After Six Seasons 

 CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kurt Busch and Penske Racing parted ways in which Monday when six bumpy seasons, a split that clouds the previous champion's future in NASCAR as he embarks on a private journey to reclaim his passion for racing.

Both the team and driver said ending the link was a "mutual agreement," however most believe Busch was fired within the fallout of one more embarrassing incident. a follower caught Busch on video verbally abusing an ESPN reporter throughout last month's season finale, and Busch was fined $50,000 by NASCAR when the clip was posted on YouTube.

Busch, though, was insistent leaving Penske is maybe the simplest factor for him personally and appeared at peace throughout an interview with The Associated Press.

"What's troublesome is that this 5 letter `f-i-r-e-d' word is getting used, however it's obvious to me that wanting back, i used to be terribly sad over the second half the season," Busch told the AP.

"I have to be compelled to place the fun back to racing on behalf of me. i need to be a stronger driver and a stronger person. these days is that the day that begins. I take a deep breath, I smile, and that i move forward from here."

Busch admitted last week throughout activities surrounding the season-ending awards ceremony that he began seeing a sports psychologist concerning 2 months ago to deal with what he referred to as "personal problems."

Known for each his intensity and notorious meltdowns throughout in-race communications together with his race team, the 2011 season was notably brutal for Busch.

Although he won 2 races and created the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, he had an epic tantrum over his in-car radio at Richmond in could that set the tone for the season. He feuded with rival Jimmie Johnson and overtly struggled with a capability to stay his competition with Johnson in perspective.

Busch additionally had a minimum of 3 public flare-ups with media members, Steve Addington became his second crew chief to quit in 3 years, and he was overshadowed on and off the track by Penske teammate Brad Keselowski. He additionally became publicly irritated over interest in his ongoing divorce and new relationship with Patricia Driscoll, head of the national charity the soldiers Foundation.

His behavior wore skinny on the buttoned-up Penske organization, that signed Busch faraway from Roush Fenway Racing a year far from his 2004 Cup championship. Busch said when reflecting throughout the Thanksgiving break, he came to comprehend he perhaps simply is not Penske material.

"I'm unsure i used to be the simplest match," he admitted. "My frankness and my intensity, it did not play the means I supposed it to. It did not match."

Busch won ten Cup races and created the Chase four times since joining Penske in 2006. Bud Denker, senior vp for Penske Corp., appeared puzzled by Busch's assessment of his match with the organization.

"We thought he did a terrific job for us on the track, and there's no higher driver who hits the marks, relative to sponsors and understanding the brands, then Kurt," Denker said. "He was admirable. I never saw him as a foul match, thus those are his thoughts."

Denker was additionally fast to worry that Busch wasn't fired and also the split came when weeks of discussions concerning issues either side had relating to the direction of the organization. Busch has continually been outspoken concerning how he believes things ought to be done, and no matter his incident at Homestead with ESPN reporter Dr. Jerry Punch, either side had been moving toward a split.

"Was the Homestead scenario the rationale he left? No. we tend to had our issues and he had his, and it absolutely was time for us to separate," Denker said. "I suppose we've done it mutually and on top of board. it absolutely was not a firing. we tend to failed to fireplace Kurt Busch.

"We said `here's where we tend to are getting in the longer term, Kurt, and that we talked to our sponsors and that they concurred with us."

Shell, primary sponsor of the No. 22 Dodge, said in a very statement it supported the choice.

"Shell and Pennzoil utilize our motorsports program to realize technical data for our product and types and to market them to customers in a very positive means," the statement said. "Moving forward we'll still work with the team at Penske Racing and to guage the simplest choices for our motorsports program."

Denker said discussions began in earnest Monday on a replacement for Busch, and also the team had been contacted by many drivers "raising their hand." Among active Cup drivers offered are David Ragan, Brian Vickers and David Reutimann, who all head into 2012 while not rides.

There's a deep pool of talent within the Nationwide Series, as well, however Denker said longtime Penske driver Sam Hornish Jr. isn't a candidate.

"Our intentions all along are to run Sam for the Nationwide Series championship next season," Denker said. "We love that arrange, NASCAR loves that arrange, the sponsors love that arrange."

It's also not clear where Busch is headed next. There are not any competitive rides offered unless a team owner specifically makes area for him, however Busch wouldn't commit in his interview with AP to returning to NASCAR next season.

He peculiarly said he desires to "be remembered as a champion driver" and laughed when asked if that was a goodbye.

Busch has dabbled in NHRA and Street Stock Racing within the past, and said that is where he is found the foremost joy lately.

"That's where I had the smile on the face," he said. "It stroke a chord in my memory of the start days of racing on behalf of me."

At 33, Busch encompasses a long racing future previous him, and his twenty four career victories and eleven seasons have given him flexibility to require his time coming up with his future. He joked he landed in NASCAR at the incorrect time, which the hard-nosed Eighties era when the stress was additional on racing and fewer on sponsorship and off-track problems, was in all probability higher fitted to him.

"The `80s were a good decade. I simply missed it," he said.

Busch, meanwhile, is that the older brother of Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch, who additionally spent the last month of the season in turmoil. An annual title contender, he was suspended by NASCAR in early November for intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr. below caution in a very Truck Series race at Texas.

NASCAR additionally fined Kyle Busch $50,000, and also the driver had to fight to save lots of his seat within the final 2 races of the year when sponsor M&M's balked at letting him race. No call has been formally announced relating to Kyle Busch's participation in Nationwide and Truck races next season, though M&M's indicated it'll still sponsor him in Cup.