Former NASCAR champ Kurt Busch charged with DWI

Police in North Carolina have charged former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch with driving while impaired.

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North Carolina Highway Patrol said Busch was speeding, going 63 mph in a 45 mph in Iredell County on Tuesday night. The sheriff’s department asked for the state police to come and conduct a field sobriety test, WSOC reported.

Busch was taken into custody and had a blood alcohol level of .17. The legal limit is .08%, according to Sports Illustrated .

In addition to being charged with DWI , he also faces speeding and reckless driving charges, according to online court documents .

He was released and gave a written promise to appear in court with a hearing scheduled for next month.

Busch released a statement Wednesday, writing, “I’m very disappointed in myself and I apologize to my family, my racing family, and to my fans,” adding “I will work with the authorities to rectify the situation and work with the county to make it a safer place in the future.”

This is not the first time he was pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence. In November 2005, he was pulled over in Maricopa County, Arizona, but only cited for reckless driving. He had to complete 50 hours of community service because of the charges.

He had been driving for Roush Racing Team and had been the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion, but the team dropped him after his arrest with two races remaining.

Busch then joined Team Penske the following season. He ended up winning 10 races in six years before leaving the team, Sports Illustrated reported.

He also raced with Phoenix Racing, Furniture Row Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and finally the Chip Ganassi Racing team.

Busch’s last team was 23XI Racing, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. He won a race at Kansas Speedway in 2022, but suffered a concussion in a crash while qualifying at Pocono Raceway. He only competed in 20 races for the team but became an ambassador for 23XI Racing, Sports Illustrated reported.