Former NASCAR champ Kurt Busch arrested, charged with DWI in North Carolina

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — NASCAR champion and retired driver Kurt Busch was arrested Tuesday, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

Around 11:40 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13, troopers were called to help the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office with a traffic stop at Chuckwood Road and Brawley School Road, which is near the Mayhew area of Lake Norman.

Officials say they stopped the driver, Kurt Busch of Mooresville, for driving 63 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone, driving recklessly and potentially being impaired.

The 46-year-old Kurt Busch of Mooresville was asked to do a roadside sobriety test and was found to be intoxicated, according to authorities. Later at the Iredell County Jail, Busch reportedly blew a .17 breath alcohol concentration, more than twice the legal limit.

In addition to the speeding and reckless driving charges from the Sheriff’s Office, he is also facing a charge of driving while impaired from the State Highway Patrol

Busch has provided a written promise that he will show up for a September 19 court date.

Busch won the NASCAR Cup Series in 2004 and, in 2017, cinched the Daytona 500. He announced his retirement in 2023, stating that he was still dealing with the effects of a concussion from the previous year. His younger brother and fellow NASCAR champ, Kyle Busch, is still driving professionally.

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